by RDewsbery
I don't see the cult tracks as being remotely superfluous. Without them, the priests simply function as ways to get long-term benefits (shipping, dig rate), and whilst there might be some jockeying for how you use your priests early on, there's no doubt that they *should* get used and every player's abilities will be close to maxed out at the end of the game. Whereas with the cult tracks, players have to weigh up how and when to use their priests, especially as the first one dedicated to each track brings in a very handy 3-step boost.There's a little compensation for moving up the track, and a payoff at the end of the game that won't dominate final scoring but will provide sufficient reward that the use of priests for cult track position is a valid alternative to simply boosting something like shipping.Now argue about whether there's too much happening and you might have a point (or maybe you won't; opinions will differ). For me, the fact that the game had a LOT going on means that it's right at the upper end of how heavy I like my Euros - much more to track/plan/choose and my brain would rebel (see Clash of Cultures for a game I never want to play again for being the wrong side of that particular line). How does it stack up against some of my other favourite heavy Euros, like Eclipse? Not sure yet, I need to play TM at least once more.