itch.io

Yes, I think you have picked up on the constraints the game mechanics impose on winning strategies.   You are essentially choosing what to focus on, then figuring out how to avoid losing while you gather the resources needed to accomplish your next goal.  Personally, I think the fun part about these games is figuring out what to do first.  Put another way, most real world conflicts have an optimal strategy that makes sense given the constraints involved.  Maybe the Allies should have landed in Belgium instead of Normandy, but they would need to win the battle of the Atlantic and establish air superiority first.  Maybe night bombing works better than day bombing for establishing air superiority, but neither can happen if U-boats are sinking  your oil tankers in the North Atlantic - planes need a LOT of gas.  So, battle of the Atlantic in 1942, strategic bombing in 1943, and invasion in 1944.  I am not sure you could pull off WWII in any other order!  But a strategy game is a safe space to try things out.

Anyway, yes, you need a lot of activists in this game.  I think figuring out how to build a big supply of people willing to engage in civil disobedience and risk their lives is part of the challenge of the game.  I think that has been true of most non-violent movements that seek big changes.