I've been playing on Aegis since October of 2004 now and it's been impossible to pull away. This game brings a whole new meaning to the term "addiction".
Why do I love it so much? I don't even know where I would begin to start. The players are great, I've made many friends through the forums. I saw a review from someone who mention that it was dark and unfriendly. It couldn't be farther from the truth. Many of the players I come in contact with are kind, intelligent people who are happy to help out, or just to engage in pleasant conversation via msn.
The mechanics of the game keep it running. Developing your province, building it up, and going on to figure out your strategy. You can either be a full on explorer, or you can go to war and conquest the lands of your enemies.
If you're an aggressive type, then this game is great as well. For all the times that I was cranky and needed to let off steam... many many provinces got hurt. Badly. Many many egos were crushed on the forums. It was quite therapeutic.
It's an interesting hybrid between Civilization, Risk, and Sim City. Not only can you wage war, and build, but you can also join a kingdom of other provinces. Kingdoms are great to grow in, and help you network. Kingdom diplomacy can be just as useful a tactic as direct offensive action. Just pick your kingdom carefully, else you may inadvertantly wind up on someones death list.
The apex is to become Emperor/Empress. Once you have the highest score in the game and plan your Emperor's Palace (ooo, fancy) you retire with the status, and the game restarts. You start again from scratch.. except you have all your prior knowledge, your friends to help you, and some special new troops to help you defend yourself.
All in all it's a great game. The best MMORPG I've ever played.
