I kinda like the snails. There's a sublime sense of the ludicrous in having a statue of a snail.
This is only the 2nd time I've hit a true stopping point that lasts more than a day or two, at least as far I remember. So it's not terrible. And I could resolve it with a mere $20 USD. But I'm stubborn that way - still not sure I want to give Inno that much money for my time. I'm a consultant, usually I get paid for my time.
By comparison, Grepolis was extremely difficult to play competitively without spending at least $10 a month - but for that $10 you got a ton of value in making your play more enjoyable on a regular basis. Here, it's pay to get snails that you'll be dissecting in another month or three, or pay to get an expansion that is sort of a "place it and forget it" kind of deal. And it's not $10 that I need, it's $20 (no, I'm not buying a snail, just trying to catch up on expansions before they next race hits and I'm even further behind).
So maybe the real issue is that the game isn't structured in a way that gives players the option to buy something that gives value over time - making them feel like they got their money's worth.
But I haven't spent on this game yet, and I'm a top 50 player. Which means I can't say that anyone is being squeezed out.
Still... I'd love a way to get a few expansions faster. I need 9 more to fill the existing grid and I'm closing in rapidly on 1 per month based on scouting time. That's really really slow.