Problem is that they still build them when the victory condition is turned off, which just means they're all warring each other once the first one starts building the first tower.

I'm a pretty casual player, and like to play games I can (eventually) win ... and I agree that the Spell of Making victory is WAAAAY too easy.  For you hard core players, I'm sure it's like taking candy from a baby.

I agree with the suggestions above to move the actual spell later in the tech tree, and make it cost more to cast. 

I'd also like to suggest that you be able to cancel the casting once you've started it ... right now there's no way to stop it once it's started, at least not that I was able to find.

I, too, often turn it off as a victory condition, because it got so I was winning almost every single time with it on.  Which, while winning is nice, gets a little boring after awhile.  Ho Hum, I'll just gather resources and research stuff and then cast the magic spell and Viola ... I've won ... again.  I've never tried to push it and see how quickly I could win with it ... maybe I will just for grins and giggles.

I'd like to point out that, as it stands right now in LH, the spell of making is easier to cast than curgen's volcano!

In MOM It was like the last spell you got to after a long and grueling game. You prayed for Spell of Mastery. lol But, also in MOM you were told it was being cast and you always had time to cast a global Dispell if you had it. Rarely did the ai ever cast Spell of Master vs me but I did cast it a couple of times. Most games went to total conquer state because it was sooooooooooo much fun. I wish I could say and feel the same about this game but the music sucks and it's too damn dark all the time