We will know when we are over 7WD. It will be when the minor inconvenience of set up outweighs the depth and involvement of the play.
That will be a ways off.
Last night, I was a little behind in points and Meg had the war token literally on my door step.
The next two cards available were a three shield sitting on top of a two shield, both well within her purchasing range, but not mine (loaded as usual) and a science card that she would not be interested in usually.
Game over normally*.
I had just played Anubis, deactivating my own Wonder (12 coin and a repeat turn), so I rebuilt it using the war card, giving me another 12 coin to fill my depleted coffers and a repeat turn.
Then I built another wonder (Great Library) entirely with coin, drew the Law Progress Token (bringing me to 5 Science symbols) and then had another turn.
I looked longingly at the last needed Progress card, which I would have to buy as well**, but I was a single coin short!
Looking desperately for an answer, I remembered I had Astarte and her seven coin/VP sitting off to one side (with Aphrodite, my only hoarded VP assets of any consequence), so I was fully costed out, buying the last card to win a Science victory with only five cards to play and the enemy “at the gates”!
That is the power of the Gods and highlights the added options available to you!
Other games have come down to Mars pushing the war token the last step, the Gate card allowing another Science victory or Minerva holding off the enemy just in time etc.
This expansion has really made the game more open and balanced.
Meg still does not take Progress cards/tokens nor look for Science victories, but in her own words, “If it falls that way, I will follow”, something that was never going to be the case before.
It would be an exaggeration to say we use the Gods more often than not to win games, but it would be a total lie to say they do not have a small influence at least on most games.
*Of note is how she got there. Mars, Piraeus and a free to her two shield card coming from near nothing in the third age. As she said later, without Mars her Wonder and a couple of lucky cards, there was little chance of a military victory so late in the game, but without Mars, it was very unlikely as the turn sequence was in my favour. Again the Gods come into play.
**My habit of taking commerce cards biting me again without funds.