To be honest, I have only played just afew times with VH campaign setting (back with version 0.81) as the KH. I found out trough my personal experience, as well as reading from the forums, that in VH the AI gets an extra money cash (10.000 mnai, IIRC) as well as more agressiveness. This means more armies in less time and, consecutively, more factions becoming superpower early on.

Now imagine an AS or Ptolemaioi becoming a huge superpower before any other smaller factions surrounding them (Pontos, Armenia, Baktria, Pahlava) could propery develop any infrastructure or/and raise any able army to mach their aggressors. What is the logical consequent of something like that? Lesser factions dying more easily and having more power-hungry superpowers.

That's the exact reason I prefer Hard instead of Very Hard, as the AI is less aggressive (though not passive), doesn't get the 10.000 mnai bonus (meaning no infinite stacks or very powerful enemies early-on), meaning you can have a more balanced and slow gameplay. Of course there are people who enjoy the carnage and want to play difficult, I have no problem with that at all.

Maion

P.S.: Another thing you get in VH, is aggressive rebels. They tend to even attack your armies or/and cities, but appearantly only rebel armies that are present from the beggining of your campaign, according to Foot IIRC.