monumental resource problem

I've got a few games that have very few resource producing provinces.

I do recall it being announced, but I can't find it now to refer to.

Does make the game very slow and rather dull as it takes so long to do anything at all.

I have heard the 25 player map has very different resource production levels than other maps, so I would play accordingly.

Here's two possible solutions to this problem:

1. You're playing the balanced 50-player map. Check around and perhaps you have a good production of some other resource.

I know that in the 25 player map, Germany starts with ridiculously small rare materials production, but if you do a quick Anschluss of Poland and Lithuania, or Belgium, you will soon be alright.

Similarly, Finland has insanely high rate materials production but is lackluster in food and goods. You could take Karelia or Sweden, and fix those problems.

These production values force you to either trade or invade ruthlessly-invade to get the materials you need, or trade your strong resource for your weak resource-for examples Germany, I could sell goods or metal for money on the market, and use that money to buy Finland's rare materials, of which he will have a huge surplus.

2. You are playing a historical map (25 player world, 10 player Europe, etc.)

These maps tend to be less balanced, because obviously real history was not very fair (read: Polish pilots highly valued by the RAF, because they knew a thing or two about fighting Bf109s with old 1920s and early 30s planes). In that case, your low goods production might reflect that area's real output during WWII. In that case, again, you can invade or trade, but you're less likely to have a surplus production of some other resource, making trade harder.

If you've ever tried playing as Tibet...well...have fun with that nonexistent production. The good news is that China's relatively undefended western flank is open to your...4 militia and 1 infantry.