I think it's pretty clear here that the lack of a manual is a serious issue. The people who speak Russian, or spend enormous amounts of time on forums, seem to think that it is much easier than those who don't . Can we agree that those who don't will find this game to be very unsatisfying and recommend that the new version coming out includes an English manual?

As far as the unwinnable, I'm talking about none of the first ring provinces having an income of greater than 1 or 2, or none of the provinces having a crystal income. To that I can add the situation in which the second ring provinces, and sometimes the first, have an army too strong for a hero to beat and no way for the hero to gain experience until too many turns have passed and the enemy is already across the map.

Now, also clearly, the computer players cheat on competent level. They will zip through provinces with defending armies much too strong for them, beating enemies that I can't beat, even on auto, with a superior army and hero.

Add to this the events, which in the first 1-40 turns can be totally devastating, and can't be avoided by turning back the clock, and a good player can lose even after doing everything right, consecutively on maps, over and over again.

I have now had my last three games ended by events in my home province that caused them to rebel, harpies, some event that required me to have 200 gold that I didn't have, and I now forget the third.

These are not avoidable. I am told that keeping your karma good will avoid these events, but absolutely clearly not. I always choose the 'good' choice, at least as best as I can figure out from the text, but I have had many games in which I get five bad events in a row devastating my income.

All of this would be ok, if it wasn't for the fact that you are on a ludicrous time schedule. The enemy appears six or seven rings out of their capital, and two or three from yours, long before you can crack the entire second ring.

On the first two difficulty levels, I can walk across the map. On the third difficulty level it is impossible to match the computer. So it is too easy on the first two levels, and then impossible on the third.

I mean I'm trying to crack my second ring on turn 50 and one of the computer players has already taken a second one out and is marching on me with four heroes.

But perhaps this is all easy if one knows the manual. I appreciate the people trying to help, and not so much the ones who greet frustrated players with broken English "You too stupid. Game way easy for smart people. I start big internet business and now play video games all day. in mom's basement."

Is there someway to record the game for people to review? Perhaps they could point out what I am doing wrong, or completely missing.

http://www.gog.com/forum/eador_genesis/not_a_very_satisfying_experience/post17

But I think that you either too much prioritise troop survival or exploring. Just disable these popups about "population limit".

Look, I agree the RNG can mess you up so bad no one can win a shard. Just yesterday it gave me a forest home-tile with a measly +8 income, right at the border of the map, leaving me only 4 provinces in my first ring (or rather half-ring, due to the placement at the edge of the map), of which 2 were barbarians, but low income plains of +6 and +7 (assuming I could take them), orcs on a hill with +4 income and outlaws in a forest at +3.

It's about as crappy as a starting placement gets - sure some provinces with an average income instead of +2/+3 (which I've tried too in swamps), but the best ones guarded by strong barbarians (3+shaman each), one by nasty orcs, and the last by brigands, where I don't remember the makeup of their defense, but it wasn't nice. And once I actually managed to get just one of those provinces, all I saw in second ring were more barbarians! Oh and nomads, which I'd have no money to bribe, and no way to defeat.

Yes I gave up on that shard, and that sucks, especially because my pride didn't allow me to give it up for several hours as I tried out various tactics, but it was quite clear that by the time I'd manage to break into just the second circle the game would be over.

The only start that let me even take any provinces was Scout+swordsmen, but with losses, and nowhere near the income needed to sustain them I lost momentum as soon as my arrows started breaking and I had no gold to repair them.

So I chalk that one down to lousy luck (but did learn something) and move on. Of course had that been my first and only experience with the game, I might have become more bitter in general, but it wasn't.

Out of curiosity though, I do wonder how you'd have advised me to tackle that start, gremlion? Is there any tactic you think might have helped, because I saved the save folder, for if I want to go back and get my butt handed to me again :)

mind posting save?

You can get most basic infos in-game, and that's what a manual would give. There isn't a FAQ/guide yet, but that's always the case, until somebody writes one. If you don't want to learn to play the game by trial and error and trying to understand what's best to do, you shouldn't blame the game. You didn't understand some basics:

1. you don't have to waste resources, especially in the beginning. Don't waste them in events, there'll be time to improve your karma later.
2. Only fight the battles you can win, don't lose units, they cost money.
3. the game doesn't focus on having a lot of provinces. Conquer 1-2 provinces, then take crystal quests or explore easy sites. Experience+money/gems. Then take the 1st ring and explore. Only in first shards 2nd ring is easy, in later shards you die.
4. Don't focus on resources, you can live without. Attack them only if you are sure you can win.
5. If you lose your hero in the first turns, you've lost. Play cautiously.
6. take a second hero asap. let him explore while the main hero does crystal quests.
7. conquest shards that give you good improvements: crystal, fort (2nd level units), guardsmen or thugs/assassins.
8. only use barbarians or swordsmen as 1st rank units, others are much weaker. Use barbarians offensively and swordsmen defensively (they lose their parry bonus when they attack).
9. concentrate fire: surround units and kill them one by one, an almost dead unit still does damage, a dead one doesn't.

Bury him and hire new.
Interesting tactic - attack battlemages site on first turn with cheap army, bury, hire new and finish site - you will get all loot from rank 2 site, sometimes even level 3 artifact.

Funny! Just stop blaming the game for your shortcomings.Thats the only reason you got "bombarded" by everyone (just by me anyway). I am not as knowledgeable as Gremlion for example or many others and even I have only lost one of 30 shards on my current campaign on Expert. And that was entirely my fault.
Not sure what you expect from the manual, they usually just tell you about the interface and stuff, not powerful secrets, those you get for example from the post above mine. Cracy tactic I never thought of.

So you wouldn't recommend this to someone who doesn't really play strategy-based games? (and when I did, it was not really successful, but there's a console thank God...I know I know, I suck :D).

But I heard the story's pretty good and it's on sale...is even the easiest difficulty too difficult? Is there a console?

The easiest difficulty is pretty hard. I have put in maybe 12 ish hours of gameplay and I am still getting the hang of the campaign on low difficulty. I still have to restart sometimes.

I think it is worth it though; but don't consider this a "casual" game. It may make you furrow your brow or curse when you move your unit to the wrong spot and lose someone you have been leveling up for a while.

Okay, then I'll let this be, even if the game is pretty cheap at the moment. It wouldn't be the right game for a strategie newbie like me :D Thanks!

Someone who is completely unfamiliar with turn-based strategy games would probably find Eador overwhelming even on the easiest difficulty level and be better off with a game like Master of Magic initially.

If they have some familiarity with TBS games then Eador on the easiest difficulty may be manageable, but there will still be a very steep learning curve.

Figured this out already, so I'll pass up on the game! Thanks for your input, guys!