One thing I don't like is the magic system. First you have to find a source of crystals. Then you have to build a town (I thought town-spamming was discouraged), find a way to generate research point so you can research two different techs so you can then build an arcane lab to generate spell points and a crystal mine to harvest crystals. At the same time you're spending spell points to learn spells. After you have enough crystal and spell points and the spell has been learned, you can finally cast it.
This is not, to use Frogboy's term, fun. I want to be hurling fireballs almost from the beginning.
And essence and mana seem to be used interchangably in a couple of places.
