I've had fun before with Elemental, but it's always been short-lived, and it wasn't enough to see past the flaws. Now, maybe for the first time, I actually feel the desire to play another game right after the current one. It'll sound trite, but this really feels like the game that "should have been released 3 years ago"... and expanded upon.

Now, I don't know if after all the work and the trouble the devs will have it in them to put more effort into this. I know it'll be a pity and a shame if they don't (as understandable as it would be), because if THIS game got 2 real, content-oriented expansions then we'd have the game to beat in the following decade. Alas, mistakes were made and the effort to painfully correct them may have taken its toll.

I got LH for free, and I didn't have big expectations, honestly. But now I can't stop thinking how good a game it could be, now that the core's solid, if it had... more. Yes, I'm still talking about more magic (spells are still very few in number, also still mundane and underwhelming), more items, more city types (now I only get "common" ones: is this whole thing a placeholder mechanic?) more options (like flying units, meaningful spells and effects and so on).

Yes I noticed some flaws and quirks (like the problematic usability of "administrative" heroes), but at this point they're basically minor. The Heroes system works well, Cities work great, Essence as a concept is a winner. What I really miss at this point is good, old fashioned content, especially spells and more rewarding magical effects (I'm still surprised about how a game of this kind could underplay magic to this extent).

I would eagerly buy such an expansion (which -forgive me for saying it again- would actually feel like the first), and I can only hope it's in the developer's plans. Now on to that next playthrough...