This isn't 1v1 or 2v2 or 1v1v1v1v1. This is a game that balance is more important then trying to kill everyone right away. Let's face it there are NO CARDS, so any armies you do use are being spent so use them WISELY. In a multi-player standard game, yes, it would make sense to take someone out of a bonus or try to kill someone early; however, when your playing with 3 other teams sometimes it just doesn't make sense to do rash things. It fucks up the balance of the game and could lead to one team running away with it early. For example, In WWI Ottomans Empire I help the Mecca bonus. Another player decided to wipe me out of that bonus and take it for themselves. Yet, they did not realize that another team was set up to wipe them out and take the bonus, so now neither my team nor the person who cleared me has that bonus and the other team is gonna win the game cause there is no one to keep them in check. Another thing is that there are two people on one team. So it would make sense to do things as a team. RIGHT. RIGHT. Some times it also makes sense to leave a bonus or an area because that area is gonna be a hot bed for other teams trying to take a bonus or clear a region. Once again, NO SPOILS so you want to keep your troops while not wasting any needlessly.
Another point is LOOK AT YOU DAMN LOG. If you weakened one team pay attention to the other 1 or 2 teams. Since you have lent your focus to one team you are neglecting the others so follow their log. I understand it can be hard on fog but there are some tall tail signs that a team has grabbed a bonus or going to grab a bonus. A good example is if the other team as killed a teammate or has taken a neutral. Unless they are total noobs and have no clue what they are doing, this wasn't on accident. They most likely cleared a region and started killing each other or a neutral for the one or two regions that are left for the bonus.
Another thing one can do is build in different areas and wait. You don't need a bonus in the first 3 or 4 rounds, in fact, you probably don't need a bonus until later (depending on size of map and how many players). Sometimes it makes sense for you to build on one or two spots wait for someone to clear an area or take a bonus, while they are weakening themselves(because there are no spoils) and then BOOM you smack the piss out of them, say thank you, and now you have enough armies to grab and hold that bonus.
Now I am sure I have other things to say but they have not come to fruition yet, so please make a comment and maybe I'll remember what else pisses me off about bad play.
