This is very tough...
Well...
Let's see...
C3 is a matter of love at first sight. I loved the hardcore planning needed for a perfect city. I liked the military aspect also. (C3 is like your first love, when you are young and have the time to deal with all difficult aspects of an early relationship.)
Pharaoh is ... BIG and BETTER...
(With Pharaoh, you are now ready for a more mature relation you are not going to make the mistakes of the past. This is the one you'll remember for the rest of your life.)
Zeus liked it, but to me it lacked the momuments.
(It really is a sad that it has to come after Pharaoh has made you totally dependent...)
Emperor. It's perfect. So perfect that the need to plan very carefully each move kind of got lost because the game is more forgiving.(This is the one! The one that you'll spend the rest of your life with...but the spectre of that old love is always around.)
So the order of favorite to least favorite (they are all my all time favorite games)(only Civilization 1 and Master of Orion/Magic come close)
1- Pharaoh
2- Caesar3
3- Emperor
4- Zeus
Now I'm going to shoot myself for trying to compare this remarkable games.
G
"Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."
-Gildor Inglorion