Dale ALWAYS plugs Steam. He's just looking for a reaction.
The reality is, and let's be real, Elemental is going to be the fantasy TBS game for awhile. I'll probably break down and buy Civ V from Steam at some point (after a lot of SC2) but realistically, you could make Ultima IV with Elemental and share it with others seamlessly. I don't see anyone else offering that.
Ahh, that explains it a little more. I didn't/don't have any ideas about his posting history.
I'd have to say I agree with Elemental being THE Fantasy TBS of our time. With all the possibilities you've given us there's almost no limit to what can be done with it provided the modder or modders in question have the proper tools and know-how. I think Elemental will Reign in the Fantasy TBS genre for many years to come even with all the inevitable clones that are going to be made. Also I'd guarantee now that NONE of those "clones" that will be made will offer us the flexibility of Elemental's tools.
I didn't think it was trolling either. There is a reason I try not to order from EB/GS if at all possible, and it's not only because they do a double take every time I, a woman <gasp>, order or ask for a game that isn't Sims related (and I like the Sims actually).
You know what's worse than being a girl looking to buy video games? Being a guy and getting to the store to buy the game you want and there's some teenage chick behind the counter that can't even find the name of the game you want listed in the computer. If you ask me, anyone who works in a "specialty store" like one that sells video games or electronics needs to know as much about that "specialty" as possible. Unfortunately the people in charge of hiring these kinds of employees are only hiring them because they're hot, young, and stupid, hence they think they'll get some booty by hiring the know nothing girl to work there.
Don't get me wrong, there's just as many "know nothing" Guys that work at these places too, but, more often than not it's the girls that work there that don't know what they're doing. The guys tend to take a little more interest in gaming but I think that barrier is breaking down more and more as time passes. There are plenty of girl gamers out there, my wife is one, but it's still a mostly male dominated form of entertainment from a consumer standpoint.