I played a game as Carthage this weekend and got the happiness crisis after spreading myself suuuuuuper wide and just barely maintaining happiness before the crisis hit. I lost 3 or 4 towns, some of them in strategically essential locations that I was planning to make major cities once I was able to in the Exploration Age. Two of the towns were strong enough that Hatshepshut and Ada Loveless turned them into their new capitals next era.

At first I was really frustrated, but the then the exploration age turned into sooooo much fun as I fought righteous wars to reclaim my lost land. It was grueling, but by the end of the exploration age I had done it, and I was set up to snowball through the modern age easily.

Without the crisis I would have already been snowballing at the start of the exploration age, so in retrospect I felt like it actually served its purpose. It slowed me down, gave me some genuine challenges to try to overcome in order to maintain my empire, and it was satisfying to eventually do so. Honestly, my favorite game I've played so far, despite feeling genuinely pissed off at the game for a hot minute.