Okay, which one of you freaking psychopaths designed the Bosporan campaign start position?!?!?

1) My main army starts near the nomad settlement along the Don River. Is this the intended expansion direction? NO! Because the settlement is poor and even if you bring an entire army to garrison it, you're still in the red, meaning you take extra attrition from civil unrest once you conquer it. So now you're literally trapped in a terrible place, you're still going in dept, and there's nothing you can do.

2) Okay, plan B is go for Chersonessos to the west. However, there are two wandering armies in that region, plus the garrison. So you have to beat them and lay siege. But guess what happens - 8 MILLION Scythian horse archers appear to ruin your day. And horse archers in this game are an absolute nightmare that basically are immune to arrows, yet carry AK-47s with sniper scopes. Everything you own is now dead.

3) Use your spy to sneak into the city. Spy dies. Save scum until he lives and opens the gates. Storm the city. Is everything good now? Nope, a rebel army spawns a turn later and lays siege to the city. Now you have to fight your way out.

Why. Why does everything have to be freaking Dark Souls.