I may be wrong, but the impression I have is that all the beta testers just love to play Prussia on VH and attack everything in site.

Hence the name “Prussian Mafia”.

Not everyone enjoys fighting every AI faction on the first turn. It is no longer about being able to build an empire based on trade to finance armies. Income has to be based on taxes and only what can be supported can be built. It is to costly to have troops. It is barely possible to up grand your economy and hardly worth the investment. Navies are too expensive to bother with.

Only the Central European factions or perhaps the Indian factions are viable. Far flung regions are not worth holding. It only increases the number of potential enemies.

If you cannot build an economy that will support your armies and navies what is the point?

In my current campaign I can not afforded to build a one stack army and a fleet to take the Pirates on…I certainly cannot take on the Cherokee, French, and defend the sea lanes!