Pax Pamir 2E — I understand the rules… but I have no idea how to actually play well

I picked up Pax Pamir 2E because it seems like exactly my kind of game — I love stuff like Inis, War of the Ring, Star Wars Rebellion, Spirit Island, even heavier/weirder things like Primal.

I’ve played Pax Pamir 3 times so far (1x vs Wakhan, 2x two-handed just to learn the system)… and honestly: I’m completely lost strategically.

Not in a rules sense — those are fine.

But in terms of what I’m actually trying to do to win? No clue.

•	Everything feels very constrained

•	I constantly feel like I can’t do what I want

•	I don’t see clear strategic paths or priorities

•	I don’t yet “feel” where the interesting decisions are

And because of that, it hasn’t really been fun yet (which I’m okay with — I know this isn’t really a solo-first game. I just wanted to get a feel for the game before we start playing it in our usual 3-player group).

So I’m asking people who get this game:

•	What are actual viable strategies or approaches?

•	What should I be focusing on early/mid game?

•	What are common beginner mistakes?

•	How long did it take until the game “clicked” for you?

•	What makes the decision space interesting once it clicks?

Right now it feels opaque rather than deep — I’m trying to figure out if that’s just the learning curve, or if I’m missing something fundamental.

Curious how others experienced their first few plays.