it's not "huge" compared to the British empire
Britain built its empire more slowly, while not trying to control a massive portion of Europe, and without relying on foreign intermediaries it just fought the world's largest war against to maintain. Germany goes from very modest holdings in Africa and the South Pacific to policing most of Europe, controlling a massive portion of Africa and Southeast Asia, and providing massive logistical support to regimes around the world. All without the benefit of decades or centuries of continued rule. They're not the same.
Nobody that ever claimed this ever actually showed any data that proved this
Lol, data? I don't recall anyone ever citing garrison numbers for anything in this subreddit. I doubt you or I would be able to meaningfully interpret them even if someone did. This is, shockingly, a casual forum about an alt history game mod. If you'd like to write a PhD dissertation the topic yourself, however, you're certainly welcome to.
What should they have done? Demand massive reparations from the CoF?
Occupy their industrial zones? If they did that do you think you could
craft a more realistic scenario where Germany is actually weaker than in this KR timeline?
I have no idea what you're going on about here. Kaiserreich isn't a realistic scenario to begin with, but that's also not a problem. Germany is fine as is.
That's the thing, for as much as people claim colonies are too big AND a net fiscal drain, removing them from Germany would make Germany stronger because many people use colonies as the excuse why Germany would be weak, not a sign they are unrealistically strong.
This whole sentence makes no sense. When you say "stronger," do you mean in terms of gameplay or lore? And are you distinguishing between those meanings when citing these "many people?" Because it doesn't seem like it, but again, you're not terribly clear.
It's highly confusing to me because these 2 camps never talk to each other, colonies are both a fiscal drain but also a sign Germany is unrealistically strong.
What are you confused about? Alright, some people think Germany is too strong. You don't specify whether you mean that Germany wins too often or is just too strong in lore terms, but I imagine plenty of people feel one or both ways, even if I don't. And any of those people, or wholly different people, might also reasonably note that Germany's wildly overextended colonial empire requires some suspension of disbelief from the player.
But that observation isn't dependent on thinking Germany is too strong in game. And as for people who think Germany is too strong in the lore, that's just support for their argument. Where's the contradiction?