I played Empire Earth.. I returned it the second day.. this game is *very* shallow. As the years pass, the AI becomes totally wacky. It's a game that won't have your interest long. If you care more about quantity vs. quality, or more about looks than gameplay, then it's your game.
I played Civ3.. well.. you know the problems.. cartoonish compared to Civ2.. Civ2 had a more serious, epic feel.
And then I played Europa Universalis II. And I found strategy gaming paradise. This is what a deep, epic strategy title should be like. Civ3 and *especially* Empire Earth feel like cheap toys compared to it.
ilias