Ya for MP it really should be real time base mode. It would be nice to not have to impose a timer for MP games just to keep some (like me) from holding up the game for to long. When I first read about Elemental I thought the tactical screen was intended to convert from TBS to RTS style. So that way once one was in the battle field and all units have there instructions one could just "posses" ones favorite unit and go Hack and Slash and have a bit of sandbox style fun.

For single player I do not mind having it like AoW had it because I can make the computer AI wait for hours if I want to and still have fun.

I'm lobbying for a total war style battle system. It really is a lot more epic and visceral than the slow MOM-style. 

Now by combat speed do you mean rate of attack? Or movement speed? Or some sort of initiative deal?

You could do something like Heroes of Might and Magic where larger units take up multiple tiles.

I lurv that newer screenshot. Go go gadget fire breath!

BTW: The Ye Olde screenshot is clearly a mockup - that's why it looks so different than the newer screenshot. It doesnt have any UI either, that's just to show the concept of the UI.

I assume frogboy means that if they try to do any reasonable number of tiles, minute differences in combat move speed become useless.  THey need a higher speed-resolution (so to speak).