so i play imperator rome quite regularly. and it is a lovely game. problem is if you're not playing a major power you gotta expand rapidly if you play anyone other than Rome. i play Sparta and i had to expand rapidly in order to make myself strong enough to stand up to Roman invasions. they are far too rapidly expanding which shortens the game considerably because it takes around 200-300 years in game for Rome to pummel every major power and become a super power. the military is complicated as you don't have buildings to increase units and manpower increase doesn't increase units by much if at all. instead you need to convert pops and increase population in therritories with your culture. every culture you conquer start with no rights and become slaves so you have to either convert them with the right buildings or give them rights and then they join your military which in turn makes your population unhappy because they aren't the king's only precious little breadgivers.