It's funny how the top reviews, which all call the game a classic, are themselves 15 years old now. A lot has happened in that time, and many fantastic games have come out which were inspired by this game or at least inspired by its legacy, and many have managed to do everything this game does but simply much better. Including the 2022 remake of this game.
So I think it's necessary to say, especially among all the reviews still praising this game to high heaven, that there is truly no reason to play this one today, and that it has aged quite poorly.
The game takes like 30 turns before you can even get a large enough army to fight your first battle, the sound effects feel like they'll break your speakers, and the graphics are... interpretive.
Back in its day it was a good game, and very impactful, but unlike games like Age of Wonders 1, or the early Civilization or RTS games, there is genuinely nothing you're gonna get out of playing this one today, other than some hearing damage.