imho Idle Online Universe was kind of boring, although I didn't play it much, so maybe it gets better after awhile. I'm not really looking for a 'social' gaming experience, either. Also, not sure about the 'illuminati' symbols but that seems kind of trivial to overlook if you really want to play the game.

I like CotLI because success depends upon creating effective formations within the various templates built into the missions, using an increasing variety of Crusaders with interacting properties which grow with time and developer input. I also appreciate the humor of word-play, and the occasional sacred-cow-tipping.

I do not subscribe to the highly iterative and boring idol-grinding method you mentioned; instead I opt to press as far ahead as I can each session until I reach a discomfort level from advancing too slowly or using up too many buffs and silver chests. When I hit that wall, I Reset. Perhaps not the most effective method, but it is interesting when your formation has to contact the enemy and certain Crusader abilities come into play. In order to press ahead and defeat the next boss.

In fact, it might be an idea to stimulate gameplay and reward direct Crusader/Enemy interaction with extra gold for health points lost in battle (or something like that)... One might be able to farm gold by setting up a situation whereby the front-line crusaders are taking hits as they are being healed. The gold pays out when the party advances to the next area. If the party is defeated and set back an area, you lose the bonus gold. What do you think?