France: too weak in the game? (given the current province lineup)

[Maladin]

I prefer to use Sakers to garrison ports myself because the enemy tends to sort of sink any ship I put in a port. Though maybe I merely misremember.

Each time I played with France, I get rid of my American holdings for Flanders and hard cash as soon as turn one so that I can focus on Europe and only on Europe. That is right, not even a trade spot. I scuttle all my ships except for one in each fleet; the admiral near Canada to bring the priest back to Europe, the admiral in the Channel in case I need to sneak invade the British Isles and the last ship in the Mediterranean Sea to send troops to Corsica to end Genoa.

The game feels a little fairer that way.

I will have to try these "new and improved" starting conditions on Hard and Very Hard, though... when the game interests me enough again.

A little more on topic, AI France is easier to end than Spain and Britain. Both of them have islands among their home territories so, as long as the AI refuses to use naval invasions, they will never be defeated by fellow AI nations. The only major nations which are (theorically) defeated as easily as France are Prussia and Maratha since they, too, have only two provinces in their home theatre, and even then I never saw them ended by the AI.

EDIT: Oh. Right. Dragoons. The complete lack of repression-happy units does not help.