[eru]

Even with board full of experienced players, every nation can have a bad start every once in a while. Sometimes people do gang up on you at the start.

However, if you play lots of games, and never get off the British Isles, you might want to look for a different hobby.

The game is meant to be hard: after all at most one in seven people can win. (Unless you are a drawmonger and consider that an acceptable outcome.)