I greatly enjoyed the one accelerated start we did, for the following reasons: It was interesting and very informative to see how we all handled an identical situation--we can learn and evaluate different stratagies. It was interesting and informative to see how someone else started the game, city sites, wonders built/started, techs researched, etc. They may not have been my choices, but if someone else chose them, they must have had a good reason, so I'm forced to think about why. Doesn't mean I have to agree with those choices. A very small advantage so early in the game, but it does cut down a little bit the time to play, a major concern for some of us. We've had other games that forced us from our favorite strategies (last month's bloodlust was my first ever), accelerated start-up is just another way to force us all to deal with different strategies then we're used to. That doesn't mean we have to adopt those strategies, but we can learn from having to play them a bit. I think that is one of the underlaying reasons for GOTM in the first place, to learn different strategies, learn from each other, and improve all our games. I certainly do NOT want an accelerated start-up all the time, or even frequently, but an occasional game begun by Matrix or Thunderfall, or maybe you, Stormerne, and saved at a crucial juncture for all of us to deal with would be a very good thing which I am highly in favor of.
