For what it's worth, a "tutorial" which eliminated some aspects of the game might help. In Civ1-4 the player has maybe 25% of the choices he'll have later, and he is gradually introduced to many options. In Paradox games, the player confronts more like 75% of the options he'll have later, and it's easy to be overwhelmed. A tutorial can explain game mechanics, but also give the player some reason to think he'll eventually get a handle on the game. Having a version with a limited order set might help that.