Fate of Venterra board game- preview | first impressions

About Fate of Venterra, from BoardGameGeek:

The War Begins... The mystical maelstrom which protected Venterra through the ages has suddenly vanished. As word spreads nations from around the known world hurry to amass their forces. Legends tell of Venterra's untold wonders and destructive magic, the likes no mortal has ever seen. Fate of Venterra is a war game set in the fictional land of Venterra. A game of pure strategy, with no dice and combat randomizers, every move you make matters and can decide the outcome of the game. Lead one of 5 different factions, as you build buildings and recruit units on your path to victory. You must conquer the wilderness, build up your army, crush your enemies, and pursue quests to spread your influence and gain power. The end goal is to be the player with the most influence by the end of the game and establish your faction's sovereignty over the land. Blood will be spilled.... this is the fate of Venterra. -description from the publisher