PersonOfInterest

To me the critical factor on this topic is pacing. WoM, for example, was too slow and I'd often lose interest in the first quarter of a game. I'm only now into my first game of FE at normal difficulty and monster density, etc. I've played for a couple hours, thereabouts, and have 3 cities and one outpost, along with two champions to support my sovereign. My exploration has found other places to develop new cities, but there are dangerous beasts lurking in those