I know FE can't be perfectly balanced, and well, it shouldn't be.

However, things shouldn't be no-brainer choices, or hopelessly weak, and we do have a number of those things right now.

As for new features, what I meant it that it's important that when stuff is added, it adds something more than "just another toy in the toybox".

If you want a game with toys in the toybox and no real sense of anything else, there's always Dominions 3.

If you think about it, though, there are already a lot of useless toys in FE.  Customizing your hero with clothing, faces, backgrounds, unique names. Being able to name your towns, your champions, customizing your soldiers with specific weapons and armor.  Being able to create your own hero, set up your own faction, add new maps, new particles, map tiles.  We don't really NEED any of that stuff for the game to work properly, yet we have it because we like flavor in our games, we like customization and things to make our game look unique.

I'd gladly trade some of the useless modding tools like the tile and particle editor to get back ships and dynasties.

There are lots of toys already in Fallen Enchantress' toybox, sea travel and dynasties are a couple more.  Why should your toy be any more important to the game than my toy?

Awesome.  Thank you.  I had no idea that's all it took to get them back in the game exactly like they were in WoM.  That should be a sticky post so we don't have to go through another thread like this again.  I'm sure there are lots and lots of people that don't know that.

Now...about those ships...

I do want Dynasties, the main issue I had was being unable to marry another sovereign though, if dynasties are re-add I want to be able to marry another factions leader.

For your first point: I would rather that not be a grounds for a diplomatic victory, I still want to play the game with my new hot waifu Maybe give you a huge influnce bonus.

Second point, Im not sure if I like the idea of forcing a marriage, Im assuming that the heir is willing to go along with the marriage but his/her parents are not?

Third point is no, I'm glad champion death was taken out in exchange for injuries.

Fourth point could be interesting if you went to war "unjustly" against the spouse's home faction.

I hate to break it to the TC, but one of the reasons I bought this game was because there was no ships in it. (I did my research from gameplay videos and stuff). I really hate managing all ships/water lanes/ports in a 4X game. When I found out that FE didn't have ships, I was happy to buy it. So in direct contrast to his entitlement of having bought the game because there was ships in it, I bought it because it didn't have it. Didn't buy the original WoM or whatever so I don't care about that game.

Now if they do add it in the future due to some outburst of funding or whatever, they had better make an option to turn it OFF. That includes no harbors, ships, research on naval stuff etc. Also, make huge bodies of water purely cosmetic/impassable like it is now. Then I'll agree on ships added.

I think you're the first person I've ever met who hates being able to sail in a ship in a strategy game, and wouldn't buy a game for that reason alone.

I am fine if they add sea travel, and I am fine if they don't.  I think it would open up a lot of different options.  If they do add it, I would hope that it would be done as an expansion.  That way it is done correctly.

Same thing with Dynasties.  I like the marriage and children aspect.  I was not big fan of marrying them though.  I think it added depth to the character and added to the connection.  I think it would be great if they added marriage and dynasties.  If the spouse or child dies (or injured) that there is 10% unrest across the kingdom.  I think they could really do a lot with this aspect.

These ideas can just be intergrated as random events too. Better to use a system that's already in place.

I always liked my crafting dynasty idea intermixing culturally based weapon/armor recipes rather than people

First time posting, but purchased WoM for $5 when I saw FE on Steam pre-order.  Figured I would check out the first rendition before FE.  I was lucky to be able to play it for the first time on version 1.4, and while it was still crashing on me a lot because of the 2GB memory limit, I really liked the game.  So after a few random crashes I figured I would pick up FE, best way to support something you like is to pay the full price so the company gets some good support imo.  I too am disappointed in the lack of Dynasties, something I thought was pretty unique in this genre of game and it was an interesting strategy aspect that I felt was refreshing to see.  I was also confused at the lack of boats, but didn't think much about it.  I think they would be great additions to FE, especially since (browsing through the files) there is already the ground work and minor support for Dynasties.

I have to agree with Okimosy as far as wanting ships, dynasties, and multiplayer.

In the past, Stardock has removed (or failed to implement) multiplayer believing they can either make a "balanced" multiplayer game, or a game with a ton of options in lieu of multiplayer. Why? I love this game. I'd love to be able to play it with my friends. My friends and I are reasonable adults, we can read what the game does well, and what it doesn't, and accept that this is not a balanced game. None of my friends have bought this game, and without multiplayer, they probably never will, which is a shame for me, for them, and for Stardock.

As far as Dynasties and balance are concerned: I agree with the people who don't want their heroes to die of old age (or period), but I also agree that it would be necessary to implement. I agree it should be an option ("A game is a series of interesting choices." - Sid Meier), an alternate game mode, and that it should explain itself fully in the selection screen so that the player can make an informed decision. Personally, I like the idea of Dynasties, and feel they bring more life to the game. However, there will be times I get sick of my sovereign dying, and play the other game mode. Simple.

On the same note, naval presence could be added. Having it as an option toggled at game start would allow people who like the idea of being able to perform amphibious assaults, trade by sea, and take advantage of all the strategic implications a navy might provide could have it. Those who prefer the land centric game we currently have now would be able to maintain that. Neither option is wrong.

On that note (on that note), I agree with GaelicVigil, allow the player to play with the features they want, and choose which features they don't. There's no reason the came can't offer more, especially when it has done so in the past. Hopefully, this can be implemented in the future in a way that is satisfactory to most. With this team, I'm confident.