1.1 has come a long way- and the pop as a resource thing is really working.  I like how you have to make a choice how you spend your pop and how it encourages specialization.

This could be the key at making the factions and races feel DIFFERENT- make each population type its own resource! As in you have a supply of men (altar), and if you take over a city run by Irane you have a supply of Tarthians.  Then tie the faction strengths into the population.  Currently tax money is based off a city's population, and bonuses can be done the same way.  Capitar, for example, is supposed to be 'educated and industrious', and they can get research points and industry points in addition to money based off how many 'Mancers' you have.

This can have a more direct effect with soldiers- tarth and yithril already have 'great warriors'.  Let us choose which 'popluation' to use when building a soldier- so with a basic swordsman design, you can use 'Trogs' to build that swordsman and get the combat speed bonus.  If you were to build with, say, an Ironeer, the soldier would not have the combat speed bonus.

That could be another reason to bring back minor factions!!! (I know I harp on this).  They can have their own 'special' bonuses, like a magical group giving crystal based off of pop, or the Snathians being especially tough troops.  

What do you all think?