@ nafod

More aggressive AI by its self does not make a better game. Just like spam invasions don’t.

I can understand the fears.

But I am sure the Devs want to keep the game true to what they started with, minus glitches of course.

Most of the changes I have read about seem well thought out. Perhaps the cost and upkeep may be factional. Some of the poorer factions strain under the costs as they are now until late in the game. I am thinking of Spain in particular here.

Lower economic yields are hard to fathom for some of the poor countries. Until a faction becomes a trading powerhouse most are in trouble.

I know when I played Austria and Spain that I needed to tax exempt most of what I had for a long time and it makes military development almost impossible. Even building early trade fleets was a bit beyond my means.

There are a lot of playing styles and player goals.

From my point of view, the game doesn’t need to be harder. It is just a matter of getting thing to function the way they were meant to.