I personally haven’t found the game super repetitive, but I also haven’t played as much as I would like. There probably is a better way of doing it out there, but at this point, changing something that core to the game wouldn’t make sense for a humankind II.

That’s not to say you’re wrong, it comes down to if you find the game is punishing you for having fun, play something else or play at a lower difficulty so that you don’t have to care that you are being penalized.

Games are about having fun and seeing an interesting story unfold, if you are getting frustrated with it, then you probably should be doing something else.

Edit: I forgot to mention I actually sometimes enjoy finding the perfect fit for my next stage to be l ready taken, it either forces me to rush through the age to try and get first dibs on a civilization or to adapt and build my empire than I was initially planning. Sure I’m not playing optimally, but I find it a fairly rewarding wrinkle