I could for some reason not download the previous patch, which was the current one when I bought the game, and so I've hardly played Elemental at all until now. v1.4 I could download withouth problems though, and now I'd like to learn to play Elemental (my previous 4X experience is only Master of Magic and Master of Orion 2) .

This forum, as well as the manual that came with the game, certainly contains everything I need to learn to handle the game, but if it's possible, I'd like to experiment a bit for myself. However, I don't want to be interrupted by a computer controlled opponent conquering struggling empire. I noticed it wasn't possible to start a game without a single computer opponent (and only play to reach the Spell of Making/Quest victory) and I've also read on this forum that some players had trouble surviving even on the easiest settings.

Of course, there are lots of hints to be found here and I don't doubt I could pick up on how to play by reading those, but I think I'll have more fun if I discover the mechanics myself and maybe consulting the manual once in a while, so are there any user-made downloadable adventures that are nigh impossible to lose? If not, which settings would you recommend for me to start the easist game possible? The first level of the campaign? Or a randomized game with certain settings?

Elemental: War of Magic seems like a game that gives its players great value for money, by the way. It's great to see that the game is still improved by patches a year(?) after its release and this community/forum also seems to be full of useful additional information. And that's not to mention the generous Deluxe Edition extras that came with the game - the soundtrack CD, for example, was a very pleasant suprise! Thanks, StarDock!