You start off with a single human who is to be the first of your people. Usually your follower starts in the middle of nowhere and its up to you to make the landscape habitable so that your people may prosper. As the game progresses your followers will move through the technological eras, from prehistoric through ancient and medieval times.

Once you feel you are ready you can turn the leader of your people into a hero who will gather up strength from all the followers you have and start a holy war against the opposing people, not stopping until either they, or the hero is dead.

You are however not limited to trying to make things as pleasant as possible for your own people, you can also make life harder for the opposing people, by drowning them, flooding them, creating volcanos, or swamps. Anything to give your own people an edge.

• Wikipedia entry
• Mobygames entry