....therefore you cannot overlay your situation on thers, also different people have different play styles, playing as effective as possible is not the only way people like to play....And thats what the game is all about, enjoying yourself, no watter what your play style is.
Hey, CW...please keep my remark in context,okay? I was replying directly to Philiplessis, knowing
his playing style and preferences.
I do have some concern for newer players. When they're enjoying the Wonders process, trading KP, and progressing through Research either slowly or rapidly without the city power to upgrade equivalently...they're not making independent choices, they're following along the broad path Inno has laid down for them.
We also followed a path laid down by Inno...and are in a good position to evaluate the pros and cons of following. Fortunately for us, it led to strong cities. Even the folks whose creativity dominated have relatively strong cities! And we saw that following the path toward premium buildings often ends in regret, since Inno didn't make it fully apparent that the items had built-in obsolescence.
So, where is this new path of Wonders and MA likely to lead? Inno is showing us: it's leading players to a shortage of expansions, a shortage of all components necessary for upgrades, and a shortage of basic buildings. We know this, because these are the new premium offerings. Inno creates the demand, then offers the supply.
Really, I'm not critical of alternative playing styles, or having fun. I'm concerned about what will happen when the new guys slam into Dwarven Age with a city that can't perform?
I guess you're correct to reference "overlay your situation on others". The situation isn't so much about playing style, though...it's about following the Pied Piper and ending up feeling like an easy mark.