Definitely one of the best and most addictive games I've ever played.
So, on to the gameplay! Being a strategy game, the entire gameplay revolves around finding a successful way to smash your opponent out of existence. You start with just a few villagers and a town center and expand your village to become a thriving city complete with a Temple, Government Center, Archery Range, Barracks, etc. Over time, your opponent may feel themselves strong enough to attack you, and by this time you should be ready with your own counter-offensive force. I'm not gonna go into the specific strategies to use for this game because some of the fun is thinking up your own ways for conquest.
This is definitely one of my favorite games in the world, and in my honest opinion, it is better than all the others in the series. Should the game get remade with better graphics and more modern technology implemented into it, Age of Empires: Rise of Rome could be one of the best RTS games ever.