I lean to the smaller end - I agree that the less LIs gives each one more time to shine. But I'll also say, there is something nice about adding new LIs to cycle in different kinds of content, pacing wise. Just finished Proud Father and found that it was just starting to get out of hand, but...
It definitely gets better, though I did find myself skipping parts of the dialogue. The story is interesting, but it gets bogged down a bit. That didn't stop me from enjoying it.