The essay Advice for Emperors describes how to build mechanics that support both casual and competitive players:

Different players approach BlogNomic in different ways, and while an Emperor doesn’t have to ensure that all of their concerns are equally met, it is helpful to carry certain archetypes in mind when considering the mechanical flow of the ruleset.

At a default level, you should aim to ensure that there is a simple starter mechanic that any player can perform without having to understand the whole ruleset. Holding a ruleset in your head and modelling how it works is a skill, and a rare one; most players want to dip a toe in and see where it leads. Having a single, simple action that new players can perform that doesn’t require them to understand second-and third-order knock-on effects will act as an on-ramp that will allow casual and new players to engage with the game. Those players won’t always actually be competitive, but that isn’t the point. The point is for them to be involved, and to give those players who do want to play to win a complex ecosystem in which to operate.

Add the following as a new Mandate:

A Plan should contain at least one simple dynastic action with straight-forward effects on the gamestate as well as the mechanics to include more complex dynastic actions and effects.