It's impossible to think in a turn-based strategy game and forget Civilization II. It's the best. No more. No less.
Choose a civilization (there are 27 in the game, but you can also customize yours) to lead from the stone age to the most advanced technologies. Do you want war or peace? Plan your cities as you wish.
It's up to you every decision, diplomatic or not, and this is what makes this game so special: There are infinite ways of playing, of doing things. Have you ever dreamed about the Statue of Liberty? Build it. Do you want the Great Walls too? Just build it before any other civilization.
Are you a II World War fan? Just play it in one of the in-game scenarios. Are you creative? Build your own map or scenario to play.
Easy to play, but hard to play well. Play and try to be the best emperor the world ever seen. It's a very complete game, with hours and hours of gameplay without the sense of playing the same thing again.
But be careful: It's highly addictive!