Based on my launch experience (some of the patches and dlc change up the game a ton):

It’s not that hard to pick up once you figure out the UI. But also most of the game is fucking around with different inputs until you get the results you want e.g. building up enough infrastructure so you can set up paper mills so you can set up universities so you can expand the intelligentsia so you can start passing liberal laws, etc. In the late game everything becomes kinda automated and you end up just kinda sitting back and enjoying your little communist utopia.

The biggest points of friction were all the “gamey” elements they put on top of the simulation, which end up with weird results like France balkanizing into a million different states after the Paris Commune or World War 1 starting because Brazil declares war on Argentina. But I dunno how fun a pure simulation would be so idk