The only thing that was wrong with E:WoM was that it was underfleshed and undertested. It seems almost exactly like LH, execpt without the pacing, the fullness of content, and the polish. People called it a disaster, but I don't think it was an abomination, it's just what happens to a game that is undercooked.
If someone expects Gal Civ 2 with swords and magic, they will get that with a heaping helping of love and care all over. If someone expects a knock their socks off rpg/tbs hybrid, they will probably find rpg parts are underdeveloped, but otherwise it is a terrific game.
I was amazed going through this beta at how afraid of heroes they were in development, like they were afraid they would take over the game. I think the game is so good everywhere they were afraid they would break it if they gave heroes enough to satisfy rpg fans. I think this timidity only cost them a shot of a huge cross-over game that reels in a lot of rpg fans who are seeking something new and different. The game is good and will be a hit with strategy fans I think, but if they let loose with the rpg aspects they could have cracked the rpg market, which is in the millions on Steam. And the thing is, it would be at least as good of a strategy game for it in my opinion. Strong heroes wouldn't break it, or at least they should have tested the idea by spending the beta on the other side of the fence testing how far you can go with them, instead of what is the least you can give them to be satisfying. Every patch gave a little more, it was like being conservative with the element that could set sales on fire, it was painful to be an rpg and strategy player who could see how much that element meant, but not really being able to make any headway in arguments about it.
