FTA and 2(3) actions on first turn

[Xpander]

I decided to check the forums recently after the patch and the changes to the Foundry to see if there were any threads on the forum about what's being called FTA. Having read all the responses so far, I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks going first is totally different than going second on the same map. It seems that the response of the creators is going to be on a case by case basis and it's an issue they are watching, which is good and the correct response in my opinion. 

One thing that is absolutely clear is that, if you're going second, what you do depends on what the opponent does to a certain degree. This is true pretty much the entire game, except on turn one for the first player. What is not obvious is that if this actually gives P1 an advantage?  I don't think any sort of metrics or anecdotal evidence will settle that question. There are a lot of variables and it's hard to create a controlled environment for this kind of thing. Correlation does not mean causation as the stat buffs like to say. Changing the starting wits or anything along those lines is pretty extreme without hard evidence of a problem. I think looking at specific cases as they come up is a lot easier to prove and fix, hence the changes in the last patch. 

Still, I would be interested to hear results of internal testing, perhaps two equally matched players playing a 100 games on the same map or something like that. Any volunteers?  lol
I'd also be interested to hear about 2v2 since that is not at all discussed and it's a different animal compared to 1v1. 

All in all, great game and great job to OML. You guys have achieved perfection!