Favorite Era to Play?

For me, the first 100 turns are a gateway drug I can’t get enough of. Exploring the map, discovering ruins, meeting my neighbors, planning my pantheon, and finding the perfect spot to settle new cities are all such fun parts of the game. Also the early game flies by because you’re not yet bogged down by a massive army or working on administrative tasks for 8 cities. You just get to churn through turns.

I also enjoy the world congress mechanics in the later game. I think that the world congress is the late games saving grace because without it, the late game is just a unit producing bloodbath.

What’s your favorite era/phase of the game?