I agree with you 100%,
@Myne.
I recently started a new city (I have three accounts and this new city is under the name Lemon J Wren) and had forgotten the limited ability to use the MA, the lack of timers, waiting on enough goods to finish a tech research, etc. And don't forget, too, if you get a good building from an event, they are frequently too big for a baby city to place. This city got the Amuni ships (I think it's called that) and there is really no place to put a 4 by 5 square building in a tiny town. So smaller event buildings for small cities would be helpful.
I also can't help but think all these artificial limitations drive some new people away, which obviously contributes to the dead cities issue.
Also, while my FS has offered repeatedly to give unfair trades, I have turned them all down because while some Elvenar players are amazing in their ability to measure game efficiencies and plan ahead, I am not. I'm much more of a "Where am I stuck? Not enough Goods? I should work on improving that." So i can see, where
@Yogi Dave mentioned already, where unfair trades can obfuscate a city's deficiencies and contribute to bigger problems later on.
Finally - the need for players to join fellowships for greater benefit is its own challenge. New players definitely benefit from joining, but my tiny new city struggled to get into a good fit. None of the obviously more successful FS's wanted my new city with its terrible numbers and the ones that would accept my city barely understood the game. "Perks? What are those?" Finally got an invitation by a neighbor to join a middling FS and all is well, but, again, it isn't an optimal gaming experience.