This is the only game I've really played in a year. It's great!
It's a real time strategy, like Age of Empires or Warcraft, but it's the most different RTS I've seen in a long long while -- that is, the long stream of good games like Starcraft, AOE, AOE2, Empire Earth, etc that are all basically the same. Rise of Nations is significantly different in many ways -- it plays fast and rewards builders more than many games. Greatness.

Plus it has a diplomacy-based Conquer the World campaign, and anyone who's played Diplomacy knows that it's the best board game ever.

Except that Diplomacy isn't won and lost on caffeine addled nerve reactions.

RTS bleurgh.

Anyone that's played Diplomacy knows that the board is the least important facet of the game.

I tried to play without the board once. It didn't work too well.

You just lack imagination.

I blame TV and Video Games.

I lacked somewhere to keep the little boats. We tried sticking the armies in our ears and noses but Russian started to complain they ran out of places to keep theirs. Turkey had some suggestions but that just started another fight.

The boats go between your toes. Thilly Thausage.

That was suggested but vetoed on the grounds of Italy's dubious personal hygiene.

I don't like foreign men. Especially not papists.

never mind the fact they just need to "accept Christ." the fact that they take orders from Rome makes them into some sort of terrible heathen.

I know just how it feels to be a member of the One True Faith trying desperately to reach the unenlightened masses :cry:

so I beseech thee to take this chance to be Saved! http://www.gristianity.net

I've actually only played Diplomacy on a board once, the vast majority of my games have been by email.

Still, Rise of Nations makes good use of it, and is among the best games ever.