My thought is that the weight of this game and the difficulty in teaching others is HIGHLY exaggerated. I read one review and they explained it perfectly: It is not a COMPLICATED game, but it is COMPLEX. The mechanics are very easy; how actions and guilds work are relatively simple and the rule book is very clear. What is not clear is EXACTLY what to do to win or even get points. But, if you ease yourself, and other people in to the game, the learning experience is NOT hard, and can even be fun and inspiring to watch it start to click and then begin to formulate strategies you'd want to try on future games. I can tell it's a game that requires a bit of investment (a.k.a. 2-3 games to really grasp and have your own strategy), but I personally love that. The components are amazing. I set the game up and just stared at it for awhile because there is SO much to take in on the map. I HIGHLY recommend this game. It is well worth the investment.