Agree completely.
My point was, with regards to the CiV discussion, that an argument I read over and over is that the game post-patch will now feel more 'balanced' or it has been 're-balanced' etc.
I very much doubt it. Experienced players will just find new ways to exploit the game post-patch, a new patch will be designed to counter this and the cycle is endless.
Perhaps we should focus on making the game more 'fun' and 'playable' instead?
I think the "Balance" thing is all about game mechanics itself, not really against AI, and a fun game must be a balanced game, and that is when I as a player can choose my own path and playstyle.
Pre-patch, I was forced into Theocracy, National College, etc, because they are clearly the optimal choice, so there is not really much choice in this game. I do not know if June/July patch will fix this problem, but it seems decent enough.
This game has already evolved greatly from its release state, and I am pretty confident that it will find a balance point when no more major upheaval in game mechanic will occur.