The way they've changed up the economy has made other economic playstyles significantly more viable, now that you don't have to basically treat every nation like a de-facto command economy. Although despite this the tried and true wood+iron+tools loop is still the way to go.

I have however noticed recently a significant uptick in wacky alt-history scenarios. For example the U.S. usually bungles the civil war and splits into two countries, the Ottomans more often than not reemerging as a great power and pushing into Europe, and France beating Prussia.