[Pickles]

"1) Most importantly, diplomacy becomes *the single* most important factor in the game once initial expansion is over. It doesn't really matter how well you manage your empire, or how well your armies fight. It only matters who is allied with who. Effectively, diplomacy becomes the game and the entire game becomes micromanagement overhead."

I have made this point myself, in conversation, but was countered, a lot, it is the most important factor but not the only one.

I agree with Norfleets rebuttal of the rest though, with the added point that it does not seem not that easy to specialise as part of an ad hoc team in this game as you cannot share knowledge or search provinces for one another or coperate militarily etc. Pre arranged teams are different.

Pickles