Yeah, here are the TI games we played:

* The 2nd ed game at SoCal GenCon, which is a 100% different rule set mechanically. Played 7 hours under buzzing lights, 8 PM - 3 AM or so.
* I think we played like, one turn of 3rd ed at the subsequent SoCal GenCon (when it came out), with me reading the rules while playing.
* Started a game on the carpet at my first apt in SF. Everyone was tired from the drive up.
* Me and Enron played a game while visiting Ja-el (pre-WoW addiction and subsequent rehab in the Philippines). Note that since 3 players is the worst number for this, or indeed almost any wargame, the results were predictable: me and Enron squabbled over a few systems the whole game, leaving Ja-el to build up an immense fleet of war suns and then crush us for the win.

So I'd argue we haven't "played" TI3 as such, more that we've hung out in its vicinity and then not played it.

But it is fun! It's not without its downsides: it is pretty much a full day (well, with repeat plays you can get the time down, but for first-timers it's pretty long). You need to use the first expansion to patch some problems in the base game. But, there's nothing that quite delivers on theme like it does and I guess that's why I keep coming back to it. You really feel like you're participating in a space epic. There isn't that much downtime for what it is (Aeryk you are probably thinking of 2nd ed which DID have lots of downtime; in TI3 you are never more than a minute or two from doing something). And, there are a lot of interesting things you can do. You can be warlike, you can put a lot of effort into researching shit, or you can try to be a political figure.

Anyway I'm not even sure when we would play -- definitely not Cabin Collins, that's for sure! But sometime maybe. Unless I hate it after playing it tomorrow!