FTA and 2(3) actions on first turn

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Well, the key difference from chess is that players have 5 wits per turn (+bonuses) and not a single move like in chess. Right now, considering how short the game is, the second player will always be on the defensive with players of similar strength. Of course, this difference is less pronounced with bigger maps.

But, there is a simple way to balance the game, and that is to give the first player fewer wits (2 or 3) on the first turn. And it is so simple that I don't see any reason not to implement it right away. As there appears to be both an initiative (more actions) and first-to-act (aggressors advantage), I think 2 is the best choice.

There will still be opening theory and different openings as first and second player, but no player will have to be on the defensive from the very beginning. The only bad thing that could happen is that the game becomes more or less stalemated because the players are too equally balanced. But I don't think this is likely, given the nature of the game.