[lch]

The Heims ignore indies, and not just because they're all stealthy, but because they waltz through them, no matter how many you throw at them. So dabbling with the indy strength favors the Heims and makes it harder for the others to expand, instead.

I think easy research is more for blitzes and this map is large enough to see lots of powerful magic later on, unless you want to have 9 in everything at late game, but that's just my opinion. Easy research might help to develop Heim counters more easily, too, but don't crap your pants about the Heims too much, there's still diplomacy to take care of them.