The action begins as players are crowned king of one of 13 powerful civilisations, including Vikings, Celts and Japanese. Players must lead their people over the course of 1,000 years, from the fall of Rome up to the Middle Ages, in search of total dominance and control of the world.   The survival and prosperity of the civilisation is dependent upon the player's skill and tactical expertise. Crucial decisions must be made on the allocation of resources, technology planning and military development. Players will travel through time on their ambitious path of victory by seizing control of enemy civilisations and building and defending wonders of the world.   'Age of Empires 2' successfully recreates the epic nature of the original and pushes the real time strategy genre to astounding limits.