Round table

Guys, considering the incredibly long playtime for a single game, why did people start playing on Large or Huge maps instead of, say, Medium?

Well, the playtime isn't *that* bad, especially during the gameplay phase: on a Small map, you can often reach your opponent by turn 117 if you set that as your goal (you can do it even earlier, but that would require a restart). On a Medium map, it's impossible not to reach your opponent in the first week, meaning the battles will mostly be fought with starting armies. Plus, it's a one-way street: whoever gets the better starting resources wins.
Large maps are a bit better in this regard.
On Huge templates, there's usually somewhere to retreat to if things go wrong.