On the score vs. turn time issue, you should take a look at the current HOF Major Gauntlet, where the designated victory condition is time victory/score. It is interesting to see players used to quick turn-time victories having to engage in the most convoluted strategies to avoid winning a culture victory before turn 500 (including giving away cities, nerfing their culture and otherwise undermining their game to avoid winning too early).
From my perspective, I doubt the game designers intended for players to go out of their way to avoid winning the game, when victory is naturally presented, in order to get to turn 500 to see how high they can get their score. The game certainly allows that to happen, but if it was intended that you only play for score, why offer other victory conditions?
The answer, of course, is to allow the player to make of the game what the player wants. If you want to see how quickly you can get a science or domination victory on a given map, knock yourself out. If you want to win a game by culture but only after every city on the map has been converted to your religion, go for it. If you want to see how high your score can be when winning a time victory, that's great too.
From my perspective, I doubt the game designers intended for players to go out of their way to avoid winning the game, when victory is naturally presented, in order to get to turn 500 to see how high they can get their score. The game certainly allows that to happen, but if it was intended that you only play for score, why offer other victory conditions?
The answer, of course, is to allow the player to make of the game what the player wants. If you want to see how quickly you can get a science or domination victory on a given map, knock yourself out. If you want to win a game by culture but only after every city on the map has been converted to your religion, go for it. If you want to see how high your score can be when winning a time victory, that's great too.