I unfortunately did not get into the beta for Age of Empires Online, but I have watched quite a few videos and read some articles on it. It is still a RTS and it is still in the same time period as the most of the other Age of Empires (roman/greek), but now it's sporting a hefty multiplayer centric gameplay instead of a focused singleplayer game. I must say that it does have an attractive art style, but it looks like a mix between the last Settlers game and Age of Empires 2, which is probably a good thing. The game is going to be released August 16th and at the time of release the only playable races will be the Egyptians and the Greeks, but during the holiday season they plan to add the Celts and the Persians. One of the most important aspects of Age of Empires Online, is that the game is going to be free, but how free will it be? I'm not sure, but I expect heavy amounts of micro-transactions. I am fine with micro-transactions, but not when they upset the balance of gameplay and that may only be determined once the game is released.