“There’s also a dynamic commonly seen in 3+-player strategy games where, if there’s one superpower close to reaching the power level of everyone else combined, then everyone-else will ally to bring them down, maintaining a multipolar balance of power.”
This does seem to happen at time (think Peloponnese war or Westphalien peace Europe), but local hegemon who have eliminated all their competitors also existed (Roman empire, or post WW2 USA).
“There’s also a dynamic commonly seen in 3+-player strategy games where, if there’s one superpower close to reaching the power level of everyone else combined, then everyone-else will ally to bring them down, maintaining a multipolar balance of power.”
This does seem to happen at time (think Peloponnese war or Westphalien peace Europe), but local hegemon who have eliminated all their competitors also existed (Roman empire, or post WW2 USA).
Your first point, however, is spot on.