[Lazy_Perfectionist]

If you're not enthusiastic about these hypotheticals, consider staying in smaller games. 15 provinces per player, max, 8 players or less.

Smaller games do have some advantages over large in fun factor. While I'm trying out a large game (for curiosity's sake), I'll probably return to playing in smaller games once thats done.

I haven't seen huge, 100 pearl factories in the games I've played in so far, though I expect that may (I'm not certain, now) change with the Big Arse (20 player) game I'm starting up, and will almost certainly be something to keep in mind with one of the 72 player megagames.