Isn't adding 2 foods on desert making it extra easy?
Otoh it might enable other strategies.
Yes, it's easier that way. I think it was a tad too difficult before. The initial route should be a very good one, but i don't want it to rely on being perfect.
You are exactly right with the other strategies: i want the 1 farmers+magus setup to be viable too. It was doable before, but i took like 15 tries to achieve it, knowing every mechanic intimately. So it was too difficult. In the future, we could have difficulty stages for levels like this. Then initially, most people can beat it, but unlock a slightly more difficult start, up to a really brutal one (like the one i described before).