No argument from me but you might get some arguments from new players when they try to build and building is sooooo slow because they do not have the right resources for the towns they are building or what about the maps with nothing on them just dropped off in the middle of nowhere--you are probably a pro at this and know how to deal with it but do you think someone just buying the game at release is going to hang around when building is slow as molasses and they are getting crushed by mobs and can not build up armies to take them on? Not everyone reads the froums and will know what to do and i think this new patch is asking for trouble --people want fun not tedium--that's just my 2 cents
Just my perspective, but first towns aren't that slow to build, and most starting spots are pretty decent. (I consider 4/2/1 good. With Pariden or any customized race that has the scrying pool, it's truly fine.) I would expect a new player to start at a much lower difficulty level, where everything is easier. And the focus isn't on watching a first town grow, but on sending out pioneers to find new, good building spots, while your sovereign and first champion look for challenges, gain traits, open goodie huts, do research, learn spells, run quests, etc. There's more than enough going on to keep things interesting, for what my opinion's worth.