What could have been...
Here is one way the same effort used to create the Elysian City could have been used to improve existing features with better results:
Instead of Moonstone (why not “bubble gum” just about as relevant to Sparta) the new resource should have been iron (Roman units are already clad in iron armor)
A new iron forge building in the existing city could have been added to the existing menu and use up to five 2x2 decor slots for iron mines/pits.
A new military building “Champion Academy” to produce champion units using iron in addition to the 3 other resources. No need to introduce the superfluous "Elysian" units. Academy could produce only low Light Infantry Champions at first then higher level champion units as it is developed. Add new technologies to the existing development tree to accommodate the champion units.
Since there are still many empty building lots in the city also introduce new “Citadels”, tower-like structures that can be knocked down like the perimeter towers but provide additional defense bonus for a certain number of troops each. These could be upgraded hold more troops or to provide bigger defense bonus with matching graphic upgrades.
The time spent making a “beautiful” Elysian city screen which is static, un-customizable, virtually identical for all players, and has no actual function, should have been used instead to make a real coalition capital screen. The capital should be the symbol for and the center of coalition activity yet it only exists as a bland menu pop-up and has a really ugly map icon. I always thought the capital potential was poorly developed by Plarium. It has no personality and cannot really be developed. It should be a continuous construction project for all coalition members and a source of coalition pride. Sending troops, construction materials and developing buildings, temples, decorations etc.
Defensive walls, achievement statues and award monuments could appear on this screen as they were earned. Beyond developing just the current off/def bonuses the capital could - with proper upgraded military academies and resource buildings - send each coalition player some resources and units on a daily basis.
Of course the coalition capital rules would need to be re-balanced to make it less costly to hold it and easier to retain level. As it is the capital is a dead city to most coalitions. Most capitals are empty and permanently at level 5 and almost as many are at level zero . Putting defense units into the capital is stupid with the current dynamics. Your capital WILL be raided and all your units will be killed. The question is not IF, it is WHEN. So all the tools and medals awarded in tournaments are useless to all but a few coalitions because either your capital is level 20 and you don’t need to develop it or your capital is stuck permanently at 0 or 5 and you don’t care to develop it.
Why spend all this time dreaming up a completely goofy idea like an Elysian city located nowhere, producing “moonstone”, fighting virtual Persians at invisible Greek positions in the sky and sending zombie units down to your city when the Coalition Capital concept is in shambles and needed a lot of attention.
We tell Plarium that the car is broken and can’t start and they answer: How about some new seat covers and tinted windows?
I am not delusional, I know Plarium will never reverse course on any of these new "features" and will never fix or rebalance any existing ones... We can look forward to pin striping, cup holders, fuzzy dice for the rear view mirror as the car rusts away sitting on blocks.
