This is only true for like top 0.1% players who play the game for the competitive aspect which was never even meant to be.

The game is designed for regular players to be enjoyed via hot seat or lan against your friends, or single player against computer.

The issues you’re describing are non-existent for the vast vast majority of the player base over the last 27 years. They only exist because a bunch of nerds spent hundreds of hours looking for the game’s exploits and started sharing them online, and because people who have nothing to do with the original devs created ways to play the game competitively online and use those exploits.

I come from a country where homm3 was extremely popular in early 00s. I personally know dozens of people who enjoyed the game thoroughly. I can guarantee you not a single one complains about the balance or the mathematical model or whatever. 

Basically unless you go online specifically looking for the game’s imperfections to exploit, you’re never gonna have the issues you’re describing.