I don't remember where I read it, but one of the consequences of the developers using a custom engine to create the game was the loss of the ability to utilize the world builder, and the ability to have a "global" view. Remember in Civ IV when you'd zoom out far enough and could see the "Earth" and rotate it about. I don't care much for the latter, but the short answer to your question is due to the custom engine they developed to create the game, not simply to prevent you from creating a legendary start, as I initially had believed.