I started playing this mate during lockdown, used to love Civ2.
Can't say my hours match yours but its such a great game and levels are so deep.
I just do random leader etc so i'm not always doing the same thing. Religious route seems so fucking tedious though, culture/science/domination way more fun.
yeah religion is a ballsache the micro management is a bore i did it once just to get the achievement i am now close to 7000 hours according to steam