Interesting write-up, I've tried XCOM2 but never did finish it sadly. As for my opinion on the question you asked at the end of your article, I'd say that learning from others greatly boosts your learning speed initially - as the saying goes, we got to where we are by standing on the shoulders of giants. Once you've reached a high enough level, learning on your own can become more beneficial since you've already learned what you needed to form your own opinions. Still, there is always room to learn from others even when you are a thought leader in your field, so I'd be hesitant to try to develop my thinking all by myself.