Each class plays really uniquely (moreso than the nations in Civ, altho there are fewer of them) and the fact that you get to pick race/class/element really lets you mix things up.
#EUROPA UNIVERSALIS IV VS CRUSADER KINGS 2 PLUS#
Plus I just love the feel of being a Dreadnaught rolling toward the enemy with an army of mechanical tanks and golems, coming up against a Sorceror flinging lightning bolts and backed up by an army of phantom warriors. I wish Civ would embrace AoE attacks and status effects like that game did, it is just filled to the brim with interesting units. I also find the tactical combat to be tons of fun, because there are so many varied status effects, spells, and things to throw around. What I love about AoW3 is how they were able to justify having so many varieties of units by making them really, noticeably unique. The finished game with the Necromancer expansion is incredible though. IMO AoW3 was not a strong game at release and took a big hit in popularity. I've mentioned Age of Wonders 3 a few times as another game I'd like Civ developers to use an inspiration. What we get instead is a strange mix of tactical combat like in Civ V and automated combat in Civ IV. I think I'd like the combat better with direct control over the units during the fight. It seemed to me that the devs of that game were trying to find middle ground between Civ V and Civ IV. On the "weird" side of EL for me is the combat system. The game also of course has unstacked cities, with wonders being placed directly on the map. I wonder if seeing this in action is how the developers of Civ VI felt it was okay to reduce warmonger penalties in the early game. I like how in EL all civs actually begin in a "Cold War" state with each other. Whether that game really inspired them or not, I think they were worth taking.
Endless Legend had some good ideas that I'm glad to see make their way into Civ VI.