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[Tnx]

Geez, the AI had some mass spells it used on their archers that made their arrows super accurate.  So.. what's a good/easy early nation for newbies?  I've tried Ulm and Yomi so far.  Ulm seemed very slow while Yomi got destroyed by everything.

[E. Albright]

MA Ulm is generally good for new players because it can be played without a deep understanding of the magic system. They have very good national troops which work reasonable well as a hammer if the new player just views everything the AI throws at them as nails.

Yomi, not so much. Yomi is a complicated nation which may well be looking at some rebalancing down the road.

The giant nations (Hinnom and its MA/LA counterparts, Jotanheim, Fomoria) are fairly good. If a player gives them a decent bless, they can send their sacred giants rampaging about merrily, and even without that they're usually pretty straightforward. I'd avoid Hinnomnomnom at the start, though.

Abysia and Marignon are straightforward to play as well; solid national troops plus strong Fire mages.

The Roman nations (Scelaria, Pythium) are also good starter nations: solid national troops in the legions, plus strong mages. They can give you a good base to start experimenting with some more advanced magical notions. I'd avoid the undead Roman nations, though; Ermor and Lemuria are at once too complicated and too simple to be a good choice when you're just starting.

There are a number of other newbie-friendly nations, but by the time you've messed about with all of these you should be comfortable just picking something at random.

[Edit: Man. How could I have forgotten Man? Man (particularly MA Man) may not be as "blunt" as Ulm, but it's still a very straightforward nation - longbows, spearmen, and knights - that's well-suited for a new player to the point where I'd be remiss not to mention them explicitly.]

[Karlito]

I learned Dom3 playing underwater nations. EA and MA Atlantis/R'lyeh aren't terrible on land, and the AI will have a hard time attacking you beneath the waves.

[Neonivek]

I learned Dom3 playing underwater nations. EA and MA Atlantis/R'lyeh aren't terrible on land, and the AI will have a hard time attacking you beneath the waves.

True, while you probably won't win a game as an underwater race online.

You can hold on for quite a bit before the other races start beating down your door.

[E. Albright]

Underwater nations are more often kingmakers than winners in MP. Having said that, LA Atlantis can be a beast both on land and underwater, even if it's moreso a fully amphibious land nation than a "proper" sea nation. I could see a starting player doing far worse than LA Atlantis for a "learning" nation.

(While I learned Dominions with land nations (specifically Ulm and Marignon, back before there was all this "different ages" nonsense), I learned Dominions MP with Atlantis. There's something to be said for that; as Neonivek points out, even if you're losing you'll at least be able to last a while...)

[E. Albright]

So.. what's a good/easy early nation for newbies?.

Oops, just noticed that one single word.

For EA in particular, I'd say (in no particular order) Abysia, Ermor, Fomoria, Niefelhiem, or Berytos. The other 'hiems or Tir'na'Org wouldn't be awful, either. If you're looking to try aquatic, go with Pelagia or Atlantis.

[Tnx]

I started a game as Berytos and they seem to be pretty good.  The cavalry right out the gate really helps.  How do you deal with the vanheim soldiers that have illusion?  I've only had luck with massing archers and hoping an arrow hits their true form.

[Frumple]

AoE magic would probably help out, there. Forget what vans are resistant/immune to (if anything), but some poison clouds or somethin' would probably help out early, and later you've got plenty for squishing armies. Alternately anything with multiple attacks (there's probably summons, if nothing else) is going to have an easier time dispelling the van illusions.

[nenjin]

Been playing EA Mictlan. Seems like Dominion via Sacrifice only starts rolling once you get ~2 Blood and Jade Knives all around. The amount of overhead for having reasonable Dominion in your land is kind of bonkers. I have whole armies of Blood Hunters, Patrollers and Necromancers doing hotlaps around my empire, jumping from city to city after they take 4 to 5k population over a year or so. It's fun but the fact you have to build it up and maintain it is kind of a drag.

[Karlito]

Growth and order scales help in the long run with bloodhunting. But basically yeah, your dominion is probably going to suck well into the midgame since it's usually more important to turn those virgins into demons.

[Delta Foxtrot]

So now it's 50% off (12,50€):
http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-DOM4TA/dominions-4-thrones-of-ascension

Makes me wonder, why would I buy anything off-sale these days.

[Ultimuh]

Got the game, and It's quite a nice gem among colored rocks.
AT first I did not know what I was doing, as the tutorial required me to read some documents (I don't have a printer at home).
Fortunately, I watched an LP on Youtube to get hang of the basics.
While I am not sure what nation to start playing as, I did try a little bit with the Middle Age's monkey people.

[Delta Foxtrot]

Got the game, and It's quite a nice gem among colored rocks.
AT first I did not know what I was doing, as the tutorial required me to read some documents (I don't have a printer at home).
Fortunately, I watched an LP on Youtube to get hang of the basics.
While I am not sure what nation to start playing as, I did try a little bit with the Middle Age's monkey people.

You'll overcome the hurdles of the interface and general concepts with most nations, but E. Albright made a pretty good post regarding starter nations: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=127417.msg4897214#msg4897214

Personally I'd shy away from underwater and blood magic nations, but that's just me. If you're like me you just pick the nation with lore/background that grabs you and roll away with them.

[Frumple]

So now it's 50% off (12,50€):
http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-DOM4TA/dominions-4-thrones-of-ascension

Makes me wonder, why would I buy anything off-sale these days.

Because you want the company selling the game to get more money from it, mostly. Prevalence of sales lets you kinda' pick your price point -- i.e., how much you appreciate the people selling and/or making the game -- these days, which is kinda' nice. A more stratified humble-bundle type thing, spread out over months and years, ha.

[Puzzlemaker]

I just purchased this game for full price, arg.   

Also:  Holy shit, complicated.