So, I understand that we're talking about a hardcore difficulty level, and you can set it to medium to make it less harsh with the neutrals. But as I understand it, the AI level will also decrease. As a result, playing on medium will not be interesting, and playing on hard will be impossible.
I added a bit late.
Added 4 minutes later
In my opinion, it's all logical: a person who plays slowly (inefficiently) should choose easier levels, since they play weaker.
I see neutrals as an additional obstacle. You are the main opponent. Eliminating neutrals, even very quickly, gets boring soon. It's monotonous. For a good offline game, you need interaction with a good AI.
