I am thoroughly impressed by how this game has improved by leaps and bounds after trying FE Beta for the first time this weak! I never had fun with WoM, even in its final state, but FE definitely has a promising future. There's still room for improvement, but it is a beta after all. I appreciate getting FE for free and having access to the beta as well. I think that by the time FE is finished (and dare I dream about further perfection with a 2nd expansion someday?) it will beg me for as much play time as GalCiv2 did.

Here's what impresses me the most:

1. Random, Uncommon and Common skill choices when leveling--Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?

2. Cloth map--still one of the coolest features of the game, along with the extreme zoom and mobility when navigating it.

3. Permanent wounds on champions--I can't applaud this feature enough. What a cool way to give your characters character!

4. More to do--I'm glad the maps are teeming with creatures and quests, etc. This game feels much more alive than WoM did.