It's the best game EVER! I love it. It's about these different civilizations who conquer one another to see who thrives at the end. There are a lot to choose from (Britons, Celts, Chinese, Japanese, Mongols, Persians, etc, etc,) and each civilizations have unique capabilities and strategy. You pick one and you start off the game in the Dark Ages where it's pretty much cavemen time. You advance by gathering resources and building your town or civilization at the same time, protect your town from other civilizations. Advance your military and technology to give you a fighting chance. You go through different ages until you advance no more. Than its' all out strategy on how to defeat the other player. You control every move from gathering stones to marching your troops. I like to advance from two or three fronts if I can (due to limited resources-unless I cheat).
The Age of Empire 3 should come out during the second half of this year (summer, fall, or winter time?). It's fun.