My favorite time period is between now and Q1 of 2001 when Activision finally releases the fixed game.
Ok, now that I've vented, I like the begining of the game. I love the exploration, picking new city sites, and expanding my fledgling empire until I contact new civs. This is (for me) the most challenging part of the game, before I'm well established, when the AI could still feasibly wipe me out.
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Big Dave
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on
me!