What a beautiful mess.
At the beginning I really didn't like Clash of Cultures, which was kind of sad because I do love Merchants & Marauders a ton, but the first time I played it felt very slow, uninteractive and passive. I'm glad I gave it a second chance, creating a good engine, developing your civ and responding to opponent's expansion and threats is really fun, and I hear there are expansions coming for the Monumental Edition as well, I wonder what will they add, aside from extra Civs.