Oh, and locket, I'm not understanding how a techer is hurt less than a casher or farmer if all three are forced to carry more defense. If the techer carries enough military to create an extra million per turn in expenses, that is funded by his sales. For the casher, it comes out of his per turn income, and for the farmer, it manifests itself as increased consumption of the commodity he sells. All three still suffer the same loss in production of one million dollars per turn.

But.. even if there's something I'm not seeing here, and the techer does have a distinct advantage on expenses (military tech, I guess maybe?) in the long run it doesn't change much. If an overpowering advantage exists, then more and more players flock to that strategy. The result is that the market quickly becomes satiated with tech. There's more supply and fewer people buying. As that happens, the advantage for the techer is lost and goes to the other strategies. That's the ebb and flow of the free market. It is a natural, healthy and beautiful thing. It is also one of the unique features about this game that I think makes it fun.