I think of this game as the ultimate toy soldier set that you dreamed of as a kid- only the toys are alive and intelligent. I've literally spent hundreds of hours playing this game , including more all nighters than I care to admit. If you are a military buff this game can become addictive. You can build whole empires here- either from scratch from the stone age, or with fully developed high middle ages technology (which includes gunpowder weapontry.) You have to build up the infrastructure for your empire including farms, fisheries, mines, and timber. Then you have to build workshops and training schools. Only then can you concentrate on the right mix of cavalry, infantry, archers, and artillery. Just the complexity of the castles and walled towns you can build is fascinating. Yet it is never tedious, you really get a feeling that you are actually building up an empire- your empire for your subjects. And every single individual unit is fully and believably animated. A major advantage of Age of Kings over the earlier Age of Empires is that you can order your fighting units into set formations like squares and lines, instead of just sending a mob into battle. The interface here is unbelievable- the "giant" map actually has the feel of a huge extent of territory- enough for a kingdom or an empire. I prefer this as a single player game- the program is smart and relentless enough to keep you constantly on your toes. Just try playing against 7 to 1 odds with no allies if you don't believe me....