lemme explain the gamey part because i am one of those who dont like it
that means that you discover the best combo and everyone plays it. that includes min/maxing. while it makes a good thing for short games, for large games, when you have 8 players with all races the same (none, rock; optimally min/maxed; all going for PPB/NSP ASAP etc) the game simply becomes... not as fun, i think.