One of the best "almost-real-time-strategy".
It a kind of some reverse "rock paper scissors" in a different way. In example: As a said, you need to have the tools to your settlers became workers. At the begging you start with only a scythe (necessary to grain and cut crops, of course) and you're planning upgrade your crop stocks building a new farm. So you'll need first, an Iron and a Coal mine to produce the raw materials for the tool... then a maze is been created: The Coal Miners like bread, to produce bread you'll need floor and to produce floor you'll need grain. After you'll have the coal you'll need iron ore to smelt. Iron miners like meat, meat is produced by the slaughterhouse, this that need goat (or pig) and these animals need grain and water to grown and be ready to turn into a delicious piece of pork. Then... you have everything... built a ironworks and smelted iron ore into iron bars... then built a toolsmith to create the so desired new scythe to improve your grain crops. If you're reading it, you might be confused... but actually in game... this is superb and really test your "economic strategist" skills. It's really funny when you'll master it... but later you will become tired of. It's like that: Playing an almost complete settlement is really funny, forging hundred of swords for hundred of soldiers with plenty of raw material rocks... start from scratch can be very boring. This a game you'll need to master first before enjoying. So, if you, AoE player like challenge... try it. If youre familiar with games like this (Zeus, Pharaoh, Caesar) it's kinda of expansion in your skills. Nonetheless, it's a great game.