Handle, I play Go, and yea, Feudal looks similar. It's a big board with a lot of flexibility and customization. You have to focus more on general principles than becoming familiar with certain patterns.
Luis, I interpret support as logistical as well. What you've described there is a support hold, not a support move. What I'm saying is if a fleet in Gascony supported a fleet in Western Med to move into Spain, then it doesn't make sense since there's no logistical path to be traced.
Raro, I don't know if you've play serious Chess, but if you do, then you know that Chess is played with a clock. Memorization is needed to make the most of your time. It's not like in Diplomacy where people can take a day or two to make a move every turn. This actually annoys me about most Diplomacy communities where people don't sit down to play games with 5-10 minute turns that much.
Retillion, you're confusing multiple memorized techniques there. In fact, this is a common argument that takes place in competitive racing. Are veteran drivers better because they actually have more skill, or is it just because they're familiar with the race track? Experienced drivers can create a cycle of victories because their performance on tracks proves their performance to sponsors. In turn, sponsors fund their teams and they continue to do better than others.
Lukas, realism in Diplomacy is based on local comparative political strength. Finland isn't being compared to every territory on the board. It's being compared to the territories that immediately surround it.