You may have reasons but at this point plastic is the only resource that can not be exported or imported .
Second is gifts ( I am shooting my own foot by posting this btw as I use it alot ).
No such thing as a hard map with the ability to start a colony under a charter- my own or someone else and receive gifts even before one building is built .
The guys who collect colony's are not going to like this idea but I think a colony should not be able to receive gifts until it has a Consulate and the gifts should be limited to the consulate lv they have .
Now at lv 5 they can receive and gift the same amounts as anyone and at a lv 5 they played and the colony is grown .
If this idea seams to extreme then even a limit of 5,000 k at start up till lv 2 consulate would help acutely make a hard map hard .
And yes I know they don't have to except gifts but temptation is a hard thing to resist .
Ps I really don't like the idea this would make it harder for me as well but when a hard map is easy maybe it is time to balance the game .