> So, any comments? Suggestions? ChowGuy? Anybody else who wants to suggest something?
Okay, strictly opinion but I'll bite.
(1) In the timeline in the back of the manual, it strikes me that most of the races (except the elves if Silvanus versus the Keepers) are behaving as a quasi-unified entity, and that the human king of the Valley of Wonders appears to be calling the shots outside the valley.
(2) Joseph is without doubt the most powerful of the factions in the Valley of Wonders. He starts out with several power nodes, five 4-hex towns, and an external income of 100 gold per turn. Everybody else has to settle for three 4-hex towns, and nobody gets the external income. This tells me that Joseph is exceptionally powerful and wealthy, probably directing forces outside of the Valley.
It tells me that the Humans who were once outside the Valley have now been driven back to a final stand there, just as the timeline states. Joesph is facing the combined forces of three armies, with one ally. He needs the advantage of extra income for the game to work at all, because there's not enough room for him to have more production resources, and he can't get to what's off his island before anyone else does. It's a mapmaking concern, not a story concern.
On the contrary, nobody seems to be calling the shots. There is no unified structure and every town goes it's own way. As the Highman note, that's the nature of the Humans, to chose their own destinies rather then let anyone, even another Human, dictate to them.
(#) Together with Inioch, Joseph is the only character with the Emperor AI in the game - even Meandor and Julia only get King. The improved AI quality tells me that Joseph is an incredible genius at military planning.
It tells me he and his heroes get 5Xp versus 4XP per turn for the other AI's and 1XP for you. He also gets gold and mana income. It has no effect at all though on how intelligently the AI plays. It's just able to build more units and cast more spells which it continues to do quite stupidly.
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And now for my analysis. Sit back, this will take a while.
Other then in or quite near to the Valley itself, Humans are largely a token and leaderless presence in the campaign. The exception to this are Lugan in Orc3 [Ashen Steppe] and Jican in Orc4 [Facing a Legend] Both of these fights are in fact quite far from the Valley, and the fact that there are relatively few Humans in the remaining areas between them and the Valley implies they are separate kingdoms rather then provinces of the ruler there.As to their dominence in those areas, Jican's humans are the weakest of the CPU races on that map, possibly even weaker then the Orcs themselves depending on how much strength you are able bring in. Certainly no equal to Bormac who is the Cult's real enemy. Lugan is a bit better but not by much, and is being pressed hard by Sadac's Azracs, a situation Talic hopes to exploit to destroy them both.
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But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's look at the campaigns from the beginning rather then the end. Bear in mind that to Humans Fair Elves and Dark Elves are just Elves so both must be lumped together in deciding Human racial dominance outside the Valley.
Both campaigns start with the premise that Cult assassins, aided by local Goblins, slip unto Aldor to assainate Elwyn. The keepers persue them into the prosperous Halfling lands, and both sides seek to obtain control of the United Cities and thus the important western trade routes down the Serpent River. Halflings as noted in the timeline have grown prosperous during the hot spell as their lands flourished while the Azracs' burned. They have little taste for war though, and the Keepers race to their aid as the Cult moves to raid and loot their cities. There are no Human towns on any of these maps, and Humans are not even set as a randomly available race. Fair Elves are there however, on Aldor of course but also as independents at the 1Hex Sunbirth in Goblin Rush, and as a CPU race under Eselan in both of the United Cities maps.
The Humans' first major appearance is in Dwarf1 [Deepmir] where they have a 4Hex (Nimand) and two 3Hexes (Larfin and Avery) on the surface. Deepmir however is clearly stated to be the Dwarven homeland, and these rich cities were likely tributaries which got that way through trade with them rather then the distant Valley. Goblins and Orcs are again the enemies here, and both have more initial strength then the combined Human independents. Goblins have apparently been here all along as there are signs to that effect in collapsed caverns. Orcs may be more recent arrivals sent North by the Cult to precipitate the cavein, which IIRC Talic applauds as the work of Melenis in his commentaries. Elric is sent there by Julia to rescue their oldest allies, though he has misgivings knowing they'll be in no position to aid in the coming war against the Cult.After the rescue Elric accompanies them through Frostling territory in Mining Outpost. There is a single Human 1Hex (Mirage) in that map South of the 4Hex Bronnom Outpost. He then decides to take time off from the war to make a side trip to the Hall of Heroes, where he again deals with Frostlings and for the first time Dark Elves under Celarn. Again Human holdings are limited to a single 1Hex (Ispar).
In Safelands Human holdings are more significant but still unorganized, with two 4Hexes, two 3Hexes, and a watchtower. The 3Hexes however are weak and close by the Lizard and Orc starting positions, so will generally by bought/conquered long before Elric gets to them. One of the 4Hexes is also near to the Lizards, but more strongly defended and can hold out longer. The other is midway between the Frostlings and Orcs, the Frosties usually get it but there's a random 4Hex in the area as well that can upset their timetable. Fair Elves have two independent 3Hexes, and Melenis' Dark Elves have a 3Hex and a 2Hex, and combined outnumber the humans in starting strength.
Elves of course are plentiful if disorganized in Elf1 [Invasion] but so are Dwarves and Halflings, and unfortunately for them so are the Undead who are anything but disorganized. Highmen make their first appearence as independents, but the Humans they are supposedly in the game to defend are not on the map at all. In Elf2 Elric takes another side trip to the Wizard's College. It's a trap though and a force of Goblins and Dark Elves waits underground. Dwarves and Fair Elves both have 3Hexes on the surface but again no Humans to be found.
Humans do have a fairly large colony in Elf3 [Rocks of Sacrifice] centered around a pair of 3Hexes. But the Lizardmen are there as well, and in more strength. Aleas and a large force of Dark Elves are coming straight at the Humans from the South while the Undead wait in ambush underground. Elric needs to get past the Undead then rally the Independent Dwarves and Fair Elves who dot the map to the Human's defense. It's not really in his interest to risk his small force on their behalf, but it's his duty.There are a few more Lizards plus Dwarves on the Isle of Last Goodbyes, but it's mainly Elf vs Elf. No Humans come here.
The Humans look even less dominant in the Cult campaign. Aside from the Orc3 and Orc4 scenarios already mentioned they hold a poorly defended 4hex in Orc1 [Uniting the Clans] which is within sight of the strong Azrac starting position, and almost certainly under their control from the first. Ther are two more in Orc2 [Goblin Revolt] which are in the middle of the Goblin Dwarf Halfling war zone. Goblins are of course Talic's enemies here, and the predominant race overall.In DarkElf1 [From the Depths] its Elf versus Elf again as Talic lays seige to the ancient citidel at Araclot. Humans may appear as randoms, but they have no fixed holdings. Dwarves, Orcs, Halflings, and the Highmen again all do however.In DarkElf2 [Noble Treachery] Talic must deal with the Tharic brothers who have gone over to the Azracs, Lizards, and Frostlings. All races are tagged as possible randoms but yet again we find that while the Highmen occupy a 2Hex [Lashemi] and a 1Hex [Walnob] near the Fair Elves 4Hex at Cais, Humans are nowhere to be seen.The Human 4Hex at Port Logan in DarkElf3 does sound impressive, but it's not only in Talic's path but that of the Undead and the Highmen as well. So of course are the independent Dark Elves 4Hex and trio of 1Hexes to the North. Elves outnumber Humans here, but only slightly, and given the geography one may assume this time it's a Human trading center for what may have either been Human or Elvish cities in the interior before the Highman and Undead arrived. Those two forces, as Talic notes, are more concerned with each other then anything else but will not hesitate to "convert" anyone else in their path as well. One way or another the Humans are in trouble. Their only potential link to the Valley is by sea, and that's the direction Talic is coming from. Looks like they may have been looking to Jican and Lugan for backup rather then Joseph. Too bad for them.
In DarkElf4 [The Storm breaks loose] Talic engages a four way alliance of Fair Elves, Halflings, Dwarves and Highmen. This is his final approach to the Valley, yet, oddly, still no sign of the Humans who it would seem are busy.And so they are, for at the Pass of Grief we finally find them in real numbers, in both Highmen and Undead versions of the map, though more so in the Undead where of course they count as enemies and outnumber you, as opposed to potential allies in the Highmen version where the Undead are far more numerous.
These may indeed be Joseph's troops here to finally make a stand at the entrance to his realm. It certainly appears that way as they have many more war parties then towns, but it's odd that if he's a great and powerful Emperor he can't even spare a Hero to lead them. You'd think he let them have Sirdanc the Changedat the least.So then that brings us to the Valley scenarioes where as noted, Joseph has a slight initial advantage over any one of the the four other races. Compared to the legions of Undead you faced as a Keeper in Invasion, or the combined armies Talic had to get past, it's very slight indeed. As also noted, he needs and gets external income and Emperor AI level [max income and XP per turn] just to be competitive. Given the operation of the AI's game engine and your own levels by that point, far from being the strongest enemy you face in the game he is in fact relatively the weakest, and the scenarioes among the easiest. If the strategy guide does indeed advise leaving him tilll last it's because he's the least threat to you, he may actually help by taking out some of your other enemies, Inioch in particular, and in general delaying his demise is less dangerous then delaying that of Meandor or Julia for example.