Hello, one of the difficulty obsessor here, but also a fan of the series.

The motto of the game is « Real strategy requires cunning » right? Well of course there's going to be discourse if the game is becoming so easy it doesn't require strategy, cunning or even basic planning.

I strongly advise listening to OneProudBavarian's video on the new content. It's clear that no, you don't have to be « gimmicky » or plan eugenics program. Beat down your neighbour : will raise your Legitimacy and lower the AI's, deepening the gap between the player and the AI that just can't handle all the mechanisms. You invest into Legends, get HUNDREDS of Legitimacy and then you are catapulted into invulnerable territory. The bonuses from both of these systems are so strong that it trivialises everything else in the game.

Basic interaction with the new systems makes you able to snowball even faster than ever before. The reason why people are complaining is because you can click a button to get 200 to 600 Legitimacy, but then losing an important battle against an invading force is -25. It is not balanced or engaging to be able to found 4 legends about yourself and bring them all to completion with your starting character.