Why are the Ptolemaioi such a hated faction?

[Fluvius Camillus]

I don't hate the Ptolemaioi, I hate no faction.

And I hear people about hating them because they become too strong. Well people, that is the reason I am such a blitzer in most peoples eyes. A lot of people keep telling me that blitz ruins EB, well I dont know what you prefer, fighting most factions of the game because AI has not expanded so much yet. Or streams of fullstacks from the same faction over and over again....

~Fluvius

[The General]

I don't hate the Ptolemaioi, I hate no faction.

I don't hate, or even dislike any other faction except for Arche Seleukeia on steroids.

Few things are as rewarding as a game you've been playing for two-three days ruined by an attack by a maniacal Arche Seleukeia that is kicking the doodoo out of everyone (Ptolemaioi, Pahlava, Saka Rauka, Eleutheroi border provinces) and which insists on adding your name to its list of soon-to-be-vanquished foes.

Getting attacked by Ptolemies is something you can anticipate and usually, deal with. Unless you're playing as Hayasdan, it's quite likely you're going to meet them only on one relatively narrow front (the Qarthadastim in Africa, Baktria/Pahlava in Assyria/Mesopotamia, European factions in southern Anatolia) and you can just keep pushing. Trying to defeat Arche Seleukeia...

If only there was something close to the system in EUs, and the occasional period of peace. I admit I do not have the endurance to fight against an endless stream of stacks all the way to friggin' India like in the case of my recently-abandoned Makedonia game.