Re: Failure to Thrive.
My impression of living longer in MP (from the few games I've played): there seem to be two basically successful strategies 1) to be honest and 'perceived strong' (i.e. not a border-threat, and costly to mess with) so that you don't get directly attacked after the initial expansion phase and you can be a modereate power player in alliances, or 2) rush to an very strong position and then play smaller states off of one another who will give concessions or become vassals in order to not be attacked by you. (I've achieved #1 exactly once, and #2 I haven't attempted.)
Unless EA Agartha gets really lucky right off the bat and uses an awake combat pretender, it seems nearly impossible to achieve either of these positions going into midgame. Partially because Agartha will always be 'perceived weak' and have to fend off early war. (Or fail to...and go down swinging his big slimy fists.)
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