Is this game Aurora 4x or Dwarf Fortress deep

[Imortalin]

And is it fun?

[Mormacil]

If it wasn't fun would there be a fifth installment of a niche title that sells on limited quantities? It's certainly not because it's a cash cow.

[CHOO CHOO]

It lacks DF's physical or social simulation, and doesn't generate nearly as much stuff as Aurora.

But it's actually a better game than either.

And it has a completely different theme.

[Chao]

There isn't really a comparison, dwarf fortress and aurora 4x are more simulations, while this is most definately a competitive strategy game. While it is quite deep, most of that depth is in the huge amount of content available, unlike dwarf fortress where the depth is in complexity of the world etc.
For whether it's fun, if you enjoy other multiplayer 4x games, or just strategy in general, you will find this fun. You probably also need a love of ancient cultures to really enjoy it.

[✏pencils✏]

It's fun but it's got kind of a tough learning curve. The depth of experiences you will have will make up for that curve many times over, though.

[Althaea]

Aurora and Dwarf Fortress have considerable depth to each individual mechanic beyond what Dominions can boast. But Dominions has a depth that stems from its width - it's an emergent phenomenon that comes from how countless little mechanics interact with each other, particularly when it comes to competing with other players who are trying to exploit each of them as best as possible.

[ProRic]

In the vast ocean of videogames which are nothing at all like dominions, those two titles you mention are relatively similar to it (although put next to each other, they're nothing at all like it, if that makes sense.)

I would say you'll almost certainly enjoy Dominions 4 if you can really dive into it and understand the mechanics (which took me several tries, lots of YouTube videos and questions, and hundreds of hours).

For a guideline, here are other games I really enjoy myself which I consider 'similar' in some way, although some of those ways are rather meta:

- Dwarf Fortress (World gen, planning, complexity)
- RimWorld (World gen, planning)
- Cataclysm: DDA (World gen, complexity, turn based)
- Civilization (strategy, turn based)
- Planescape: Torment (Complexity, narrative has a similar taste to dominons, RPG elements)
- Master of Orion (strategy, turn based)
- Europa Universalis (strategy, complexity)
- Fire Emblem (tactics, RPG-elements)

I like complex worlds, complex mechanics, and games with turn-based or pause based strategy. If you match up with any significant number of these titles, you'll probably like this game.