Everything has its pros and cons. The non-immediate hosting times is actually one of the reasons that Dom3 is still alive on my machines.
There are plenty of games that play fast. And they tend to get me in trouble. Luckily they only tend to last about a month on my machines before Im tired of them.
Dom3 allows me to play on huge maps, with many more "players" in the game than most. It shares the computer well with other programs running so I dont have to END the game in order to check on other things then go back into the game. The long hosting times make sure I check my other work, check on things in the house, do my chores, stretch once in awhile. Even remember to eat and sleep.
Personally I would be willing to see things put back into the game that were removed due to hosting time considerations. Id be willing to put up with even LONGER hostings for the sake of more events, smarter AIs, more map options, etc.
Altho I must admit that I have an advantage. For really large and long games I can have a server do the hosting work. It hosts much quicker and doesnt tie up my desktops CPU while doing it. If you want, I can set one up for you. Ive had people who have played single player games on my server that have run over a year.