I don't think intellect has much to do with whether or not you'll like a sub sim. I'm sure there are plenty of brilliant people with no interest in gaming whatsoever and even if they did play they might be more intrigued by certain browser-puzzle games than historical simulations. Who knows?
What I do think it's about is temperment. If you can sit still and get absorbed by the concepts or narratives in books, feel transported into whatever you're reading about, then you'll probably do well with a more contemplative game like a subsim. Most of the traction doesn't happen in the nervous system but somewhere in the frontal lobes as you imagine what's going on. Subsims especially appeal to players that love immersion because while no game can really foist an immersive atmosphere on players they can inspire players capable of being immersed to slip into another world for a while. And a game that's so dependant on clues, incomplete information, and audio over visuals sets up a mindscape like no other.
I agree with the fellows who say it's about the story the game presents, not explicitly, but through gameplay. You really feel yourself in the role. There are other kinds of games that do this but I always find simulations with dynamic (or semi-dynamic/randomized) campaigns hold a special place in the pantheon of immersive experiences. The other sort of games that can pull this off for me is strategy games with roleplaying elements. Also huge amounts of room for stories to spontaneously generate out of raw gameplay and for the imagination to go to work and create an experience that's far more than the sum of its parts.
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