I know the AI need extra cash but i think they went to the extreme, i find funny you all people ask for realism but when it come to this you forget about realism, make it hard, but belivable.
We want realistic results. Because we are moding game that warks totaly different then real life sometimes its necessary to use unrealistic means to get more realistic autcome.

What is more realistic Player faction steemrolling every other faction just because player plays as it, or making it difficult for player to forge empire?

History tells us that forging empires is not easy, and this is realism we want to achieve.