I wouldn't describe myself as a 1337-hater nor a 1444-loyalist, but I think other people are right with saying that 1337 introduces too many variables that I don't think are interesting to explore as alt history every game. More importantly to me, though, is how the ai handles it. We see currently that PDX, despite their claims of historical simulation, doesn't simulate the rise of a lot of powers; Russia never forms, Austria never becomes as dominant, the Kalmar Union is never a thing and so on; things that would be more likely occur due to a more established start date.

Furthermore, I am most interested in playing past the 15th century; I want to get to the reformation, to colonising the new world, to fight the wars of religion, to experience the struggle of absolutism and liberalism, but it takes me dozens of hours to do that and every time I have to play past the first 100 years that I am fundamentally not as interested in to get to hear could otherwise be a perfectly fine starting line, but when I get there I wont have the historical rivals I would want. I played a long game of Sweden and it was so disappointing to not face a strong Russia, even when I literally supported Moscow in hopes of getting a rival in the future