This is an old revision of the document!
Each game of Dominions takes place in one of three eras, or ages. Each age has a distinctive feel and its own cast of nations that were active in that period. In the early age (EA), technology is simple, magic is abundant and mythical creatures and spirits walk alongside humanity. As history progresses through the middle (MA) to the late age (LA), humans become the dominant species, magic becomes rarer, and weapons and armour technology become more sophisticated. Some nations survive and adapt through the eras, some are radically changed, and some suffer disasters and disappear.
Any one game takes place in a single era, which decides the nations that can be played and, to some degree, the strategies that are used. All three ages are played in multiplayer, with the early and middle ages being somewhat more popular than the late age.
flavor/intro text about EA
Early era nations are typically characterized by having more powerful, yet less versatile mages, being focused around powerful magic and sacred troops only available in the capital, and a lower level of technology compared to later eras. Nations are less often ruled by humans or near-humans, and instead are more likely to be ruled by living gods, demons, giants, or other supernatural beings. Few nations rely on or have good access to communions.
This lower technological level means that fortresses cannot be upgraded to a very high level, and some nations cannot build anything more advanced than a palisade. While most nations can still gain two command points from their fortresses, many of them have fort types with low defense values. No nation has access to crossbows, and heavy armor, two-handed weapons and heavy lances are rare. Nearly half the nations in the era use bronze or stone equipment rather than iron.
As with every era, there are nations which go against the general trend.
flavor/intro text about LA
The Late Ages are characterised by: