Gamespot Review is pretty much on the money, except the reviewer missed one interesting aspect...
The workers can be set to automatically collect them, and then deliver them to your home town building, which then become additional weapons you can give to the fighters you create. Considering that at the top end of fighters, each guy can cost 1500g each, but with the free weapons, the cost become just based on the fighter type you choose.
Even with the cool freebie weapons, the game is still wildly difficult at certain parts. I am at the 7th (?) map on the Sparta campaign, and I'm looking for cheats to get past it. Here's the situation... relatively small group of premade toughies, and an almost empty slate to build with. That's all good, if you are given the time to build up, but you don't. Build walls and towers, build barracks and such, build upgrades... as fast as you can, because the bad guy heavy hitters are on their way to trash you way too quickly. Now just as you almost completely obliterated is when you are to get your hero to escape on the new arrival ships. Too bad your town is completely surrounded, and your hero will never make it to the bottom of the map. No chance at all.
If I could reduce the difficulty a bit, or find some good cheats (haven't looked yet), this game would be quite fun. Bigger maps and more flexible gold gathering could make this a real winner. If the bad guy AI would largely ignore the peons a bit more, so they can gather fallen equipment better, was a setting option, it would be even better.
To summarize; this game is definitely something to check out... but I'd suggest getting Gametap to run it (which is how I have it). That way, when you get frustrated, you can go vent on an easier game.