If this were a 10 to 15 turn game this might be an argument. It’s a 35 to 40 game with a massively variable setup, drafted starting positions and radically different “engine” options. All this theoretic talk about 1st player advantage and what a turn is worth means little if you aren’t all the same skill level.
The average player scores 3 points per turn. The best players score 4. Pit the best players against each other and then see if there’s a real 1st mover advantage.
The average player scores 3 points per turn. The best players score 4. Pit the best players against each other and then see if there’s a real 1st mover advantage.