Do you find Wonders are sought after more for the mechanical advantages or for the fictional advantages it creates?
Do you have an examples of really creatively implemented Wonders?
Edit: Im also asking bc some of the mechanical benefits dont really feel that rewarding compared to the effort, in my VERY limited understanding of the game.
I think Douglas Santana has a lot of anecdotes that could help here!
I have players that like to shape the world and its future. The mechanical benefits are just a way of showing that impact on an individual Family level.
For the fiction, mostly!
We’ve had a defensive Total War, in which a great aggressor threatened the whole of the Homeland, and the Tyrants sacrificed all their resources to stop their assault in their tracks. The Trials & Fortunes told the story of that war, step by step.
Also a Capital that was in fact an underwater research center with 3 Universities (and a Hospital) in it (and little else). And a port that was supposed to revive trade and the exchange of ideas, as the Great Network.
Ah, and don’t forget the Owner picks one Trial or Fortune, their choice, to each and every Faction!
Many of our playtesters who thought the mechanical rewards were not rewarding enough usually forgot this.
That definitely puts things into perspective. I think greater examples of the fiction goes a long way in helping build excitement for them.