Indeed I was
Europeans have a general characteristic of pacifism which can sometimes be unhealthy... this is just what I observe.
i think you make a decent point about the prelaunching in alliances, but if you think what the alternative is (no prelaunch) and the effect it would have on the game (drastically changing the players' flexibility and life style, which would be very unattractive to alot of people) I think its a no-go.