So how much stronger or different is it that you get a Wish instead of getting a card costing up to ? I suppose that generally the Wish is a little stronger because you can choose what you need right when you have it in your hand; but I would think that 90% of the time you'll take the same card you would have taken if you had to chose back when you got the Wish instead.
On the other hand, it has a minor drawback in that you can draw a Wish dead, and if you do, you've delayed that card yet another shuffle. If you were going to gain an Action, that doesn't matter much,because that Action would have been drawn dead anyway. But if you were gaining a Night, Treasure, or Victory card, that could matter a lot.
As a whole, Wish seems like an odd card to have; do people find it actually plays much different from "gain a card costing up to "?
The flexibility is the main draw. If I have a card that needs to be just that, for the purposes of scoring (e.g. Landmarks, or various alt-Victory cards), innate functionality (player token is on it), or for maximum functionality (e.g., gain a Gold to your hand if you needed those $3 for a Province or Colony. However, if you already have that, then get another card that gives you extra buys, or that gives you VP tokens)
Also nice for effects that look at # of gains (e.g. Monastery.. a bit thematic too
)
Unlike Overlord, you use it to gain Duchies if it's late enough in the game. Overlord can't copy an empty pile, nor can Wish gain you a card from that same empty pile, but if it's a card you'd like to use again, that helps with that. Other players can shoot to empty a pile to deny you copying it.
As you may suspect, other card games have this too...
Ascension... I've gained cards to my hand, even lesser ones for the sake of synergizing (e.g. one specific "meh" card will let me transform)
7 Wonders... Halicarnassus (build a card for free from the discard) has been used to fill in voids in your tableau (e.g. more science, 1-up on military, or get the last card in a set)
For people who have actually played with Wish: how does it compare to Overlord?
Aside from the obvious differences like Wish being one time only, getting them, Wish getting non-actions and $6-costs.
Well, there are really no other differences than the obvious ones.
But how do they play? How much of a difference do those differences make?
Above post of mine should cover this. Also add that one is earned, while the other you go into Debt for (as 8 Debt isn't quite chump change even if it is affordable via Debt's system).