Balance Issue? (From a total newb)

[Omnirizon]

nations aren't balanced, even though this is an MP focused game. LA Ermor is often banned from MP games, so is LA Ryley and sometimes EA Hinnom. Other superpowers are Mictlan all ages, Sauromatia, Ashdod and Gath, and some iterations of Vanheim, Marignon, and Pythium.

Despite all that, for not making all nations carbon copies, balance is pretty good. Aside from those named above, and with some weak-considered-nation exceptions, most nations are relatively well matched.

For SP, once you've learned a few tips and tricks and how to use magic, you can mop up any number of opponents with even the weakest nations on even 'impossible' setting. The AI is just really terrible.

Don't bother with playing SP to 'learn the basics' because you really won't learn anything useful. Jump into MP and watch see how other players put stuff to use and learn from that; its the only way. The only reason to do SP is to test initial expansion strategies.