If you have lots of spare time and enjoy what I like to call "Epic Strategy" games, this is the one for you. Among my circle of game playing friends, we all agree this is the most addictive game of any type ever published. Microsoft has a real winner in this series--but make sure you have the time to play (requires hours at a crack)!

The Conquerors is an expansion pack, so you must have the game "Age of Kings" installed on your system to install "The Conquerors".

This series (Age of Empires) provides for individual play against computer players, or you can play against other players on a LAN, or even play against others via the internet. I generally play against the computer players.

This is a game is one where you act as the "Divine Influence" over the people of your empire. YThe playing field consists of a map of a user-selectable size. You have the option of playing set campaigns, which draw on history for their circumstances and objectives, or you can play a "Random map" game, where you begin with the bare minimum of 3 villagers, a military scout on horseback, and a town center. This is the type of game I play almost exclusively.

The controls of the game a easy to learn and make gameplay smooth, effortless and natural. On a computer with enough power, the game flows easily (I use a P3 400MHz with 96 Mbytes of RAM.) The controls are so intuitive that learning the basics is easy.

One of the great strengths of the game is the research that Microsoft did regarding the strengths and weaknesses of various empires in history. The avid game player can use this by studying and knowing which types of combatants were most effective for the type of civilization he/she is playing, and also which types are most effective against which enemy types. This adds a dimension to the game that allows students of military history use their knowledge to gain an advantage. However, for those who don't have this advantage, a study of the materials that come with the game can give the same advantage.

A key factor in the playability of games of this type is the intelligence of computer players. Age of Empires has computer players that are a close match for human players, primarily because the computer can see the everything the computer player's empire has explored. Human players are more limited in what they can see at any given time. This is offset by the fact that human players are usually more creative in strategic planning and tactical maneuvers. At the easiest difficulty levels, this makes for a fairly even match for the novice player.

As you become more experienced, you can increase the difficulty in 2 ways. One is by increasing the difficulty level, which makes the computer players generate armies faster, giving you less time to make mistakes and implement plans. At the higher levels, you think the computer is cheating, it generates attacking armies so fast. (The chief designer from Microsoft insists this isn't so.) The second way to increase difficulty is by adding players. The game allows a maximum of 8 players. This is the style of game I like to play the most, because it also allows for diplomacy in the formation of alliances between different empires.

As I see it, there are only two drawbacks to this game (other than the fact that it is addictive to a fault). The first drawback is a software bug that may not be a Microsoft problem. I use an ATI graphics card, and when I play the game, it might lock up the machine, requiring a reboot. This happens intermittently, and is apparently related to the DirectX technology used by the game. Microsoft has numerous questions about it on the problem Q&A database--the solution is supposed to be to get the latest ATI drivers, but so far (after two years of effort), I have been unable to find exactly the right driver to solve the problem. However, I have learned to save frequently, and when I do, this is a problem I can live with. (I also play this on my Laptop, and so far have not experienced a lock up on it, so it probably is related to my graphics card.)

The other drawback is that Microsoft has not retro-fitted the earlier games of the Age of Empire series with the user tools of the later games. For example, in the Age of Kings games, there is a button on the screen that will reveal idle villagers. This was not available in the earlier Age of Empires series, and it is extremely useful as often idle villagers might be hidden behind buildings, walls, etc. I frequently go back and play the earlier version because it starts in the Stone Age and is a different game than Age of Kings. It would be nice if Microsoft would produce some type of patch that would add those tools that make gameplay easier (but are not related to the technology of the era being simulated) to the earlier Age of Empire games.

I was given the first game as a gift because I told my wife I liked epic strategy. Since then, I have either purchased or been given every game and expansion in the series. I will continue to do that as long as Microsoft keeps producing them. This is the best computer game I have ever played.