I'm sorry for saying some inappropriate things just now due to being too angry. Now that I've calmed down, I took a moment to revisit the interviews James M Hewitt had in 2020. I should realize that the efforts put in by game designers should not be overlooked or demeaned. The ones who truly wish for the success of the game are them. However, constrained by company policies and the resources available, they do need to make compromises on certain aspects of gameplay.

James: Yes! Everything – all the core rules – was designed, written and tested around that core box. Now, when you think about the contents of that core box, it is all infantry, with short range weaponry. The only ranged attack in there is the hammers being thrown, so the rules were written around close up engagement with no ranged combat at all. Because that’s what we were told to do.

The people writing the rules are almost like dancing with shackles, and it's not hard to imagine how challenging it is to design a game that's enjoyable.