sometimes the dark bishop is better placed on e3 than f4 or anywhere else. in position 2, the dark bishop might as well be shooting a gun straight into concrete, all those pawns are on dark squares and the bishop can't do anything for a long time. Also, in diagram 2, 4. d4 would seem to be a better move
As white, i typically play (though it varies in response to black's moves)
1. e4
2.Nf3
3. Bc4
4. d3
5. Nc3
6. Bf4
7. 0-0
Sometimes I move my biship one space further and exchange it for a knight early on, forcing my oponent to double a pawn (if applicable).
What are some flaws/ strenghts of this type of opening? It seems to generally defeat newer players but chess veterans beat it fairly easily it seems.
Typical opening (ignore black's moves)