I think the early game, is challenging, but I think it has to be that way. Your company got ambushed, you lost a lot of your better and equiped man, and now, you have to forge your name through the world. That’s not piece of cake.
It’s true, sometimes it can be frustrating, and it’s not always your fault, but the map seed and random event also have great influence in that.
And guess what? In my opinion you have to retreat more. When the battle starts, if you see they are more, and better equipped, just run for your life. It was a hard lesson for me, but I learnt.
