Different. Not really good, not really bad.
During my short experience playing Black and White, there were some cool features in it, and some neat ideas, but lots of things that need to be improved. Lets start with the good.
Like I said there are some cool things in here, that I hope will carry over to other games. For example, the cool way you move around by clicking on the ground and pulling yourself forward. Also, one of the coolest things you can put in a game (if put together correctly) is the fact that there are very few menus! The way you build buildings and stuff.
I am sad to admit that there are a few bad things in this game as well. For one all the people in the game (your worshipers or whatever) look like inbred cavemen. And this was actually one of the good things, but it also was a bad, the way you drag the ground to move around is incredibly difficult to get used to. Not just the moving straight part, but if you are trying to turn, you have to move your mouse off the screen, in the direction that you want to turn, the hold ctrl+alt+win+2+F1+L+Page Up to turn. Just Kidding, but the way you are supposed to turn (with the mouse that is) is not very comfortable, nor does it make any sense.)
In the end your best shot at playing this game is if you buy the awesome LOTR RTS Game + B&W + B&W 2 + a couple other games which I think they sell at best buy.