The strong point of the game for me is the variety given in a RTS game thanks to taking some features of other empire-building strategy games, like random maps with different resources and random events.
-Every game can be different depending of what resources you will find nearby. It isn’t the same a forest than a swamp, or a shipwreck or a field with a iron mine. Given how interdependent are some of the system (as I described before), it can have a pretty big effect.
-Same with the neutral enemies guarding some of the provinces. Some will be empty, others will have wolves, or draugs, or valkyries.That will affect in which order you conquest them each time. Some could have a ruin that helps you gain fame points, others a wolf den that spawn enemies. Some of the factions could even benefit of having a wolf den as they gain food killing critters (so you don’t destroy the den, but instead ‘farm’ it).
-Now add the random events, like blizzards, earthquakes,or draug portals.
-Neutral factions that you could find like the kobolds and the jotuns.
-Finally, having 4-5 ways to reach victory (conquest, technological, fame, trade, special map province to conquer) gives you different ways to compete.