Luckily my experiences with super factions has been relegated to only a few, mine included when i play one of the big hitters like SPQR. To be honest, I really like playing as isolated, minor powers and watching the great power politics from a far. This is why Lusotan, Saby'n and Koine Hellon are my favorite. I really enjoy colonizing foreign lands and barbarianizing/arabianizing/hellenizing the lands into my own and using their unique regional auxilaries.