I haven't played since before Patch 1.1.0.6 - 1.1.0.8 but I have heard some similar cases resulting after this patch. Basically when I get in the game menu and start a new game, the game doesn't launch. All of the buttons on the menu disappear but the new game doesn't actually start, all I see is the background of the menu with the music still playing. I have reinstalled the game twice, and even tried it without other mods enabled (which all of them are said to be compatible with Enderal) so the only thing I can think of would be that the patch did something?.
NOTE: I saw someone else say in a different post that they waited it out, I sat here watching a movie while it was doing this... two hours or so and it didn't start.