I picked this up a couple of years ago and I am still playing it now.

The graphics aren't great, but is just simply the gameplay of this game that makes it so excellent!! You can just keep playing and playing!

There are different ways of winning a game of scenario, depending on the mission settings. Their can be conquest where you destroy all your opponents and you can also have more friendly ones, such as exploration and capture artifacts and gaining control of anicient ruins.

The game starts with just a town centre and a few villagers normally, and you use them to forage for food and resources needed for your civilisation to grow. As you get more villagers you can get more resources and advance to different ages, The Stone age goes to the The Tool Age for example, where you have the ability to build new buildings and beeter units/soldiers.

You have the ability to play as one of about a dozen races, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. During the different scenarios you have to work out their weaknesses in order to complete some of the more difficult levels.

You can play a deathmatch where you start with all the resources you need to build a decent civilisation and get straight into combat against your opposition and working with your allies

This has to be the best online game I have.
It is best played using MSN Gaming Zone, where there are usually always about 200 people playing it. The graphics aren't overloading anyones computer which means it is possible to play a game with 8 people and have no lag!!

It is a great game offline but online its improved dramatically, you can play harder opposition, and there are new options such as higher pop limit.