I'm 15 years old, post very rarely, play dominions 1 very actively and never win because of the standards I set to myself ( keeping taxes at a reasonable level, keeping people happy, never touching the luck scale, etc.)
I guess Dominions is just a huge immersive adventure to me, it doesn't really matter if I play with maximum efficiency or aim to win, as long as I have fun.
I live in Helsinki, Finland and know several people of the age 13 who play dominions eagerly. Maybe getting into games like Dominions at this age has something to do with our common cultural heritage