I am nominating Rise of Nations – Extended Edition {RoN-EE} for the 2020 "Labor of Love" award.

Despite its age, RoN has held up well, especially when I am in the mood for a quick Strategic War. A full-scale 1 v 3-or-4 game typically will run 60 minutes {game-time} or less.
Using <Pause> can effectively make RoN-EE a TBS.

RoN-EE is a QUICK-to-LEARN game. Still, Gamer must develop & manage several types of resources & decide where and how to best build and expand one's Nation. There are various types of Victory depending upon the gamer's preferences or play style. There are Territory {% of world controlled}, Wonder Points, & Conquest victories.

Also there are several special scenarios under “Game Rules” that set up alternative types of war; such as “Assassination”, “Peaceful Tech Race”, or “Musical Chairs”. RoN-EE includes several Tutorial & Practice Exercises sub-games that are enjoyable to play separately for a quick RTS fix.

RoN-EE also includes a "Campaign" Mode called “Conquer the World” with several historical scenarios. Gamer may attempt to match the feats of Alexander or Napoleon.
You may want to win the Cold War as either the CIA or the KGB!

MODs are available through and easily installed from Steam's Workshop.

Gamer may choose to play as one of roughly a couple dozen Nations {each with a unique set of units/advantages} and, in single-player mode, may select from among these nations which & how many, opponents to face. OR Gamer may let the computer assign the nations randomly. Difficulty level may be adjusted from “push-over” Easiest to “almost impossible” Toughest. Pick a Map Style & Size and if the “Standard” settings are acceptable that's all you need to start. Otherwise in advanced settings, there are a large number of options including different victory levels, resource levels, technology cost & speed, beginning City status, population limit, etc. Also there are numerous Mods that may be added through Steam's Workshop. I like one that permits more farms per city & options for higher population limits. Gamer may create individualized maps or scenarios with a map/scenario editor.

Cities: Normally the gamer starts with a capital plus 4 Villagers, a Scout, farms & a library to do your research. An alternate start is “Nomad” in which you have only 3 citizens and limited resources with which to explore and find a good site for founding your “Empire's” capital city. Cities create new Villagers who farm the farms, mine the mines & cut the logs to fuel the growth of your Nation.

Generally, found more cities to grow your Nation. Standard “Territory Victory” requires control of at least 70% of the “World”; percentage may be adjusted.
Add logging camps, mines, more farms, caravans, fishermen, temples, universities with scholars & eventually oil wells to facilitate the RISE of your Nation.

Maps: Depending upon one's preference, the RoN World can range in size from Arena {good for a 1v1 war}, through Standard {for a 1v3-or-4 war}, up to Huge {after all RoN was developed by Big HUGE Games!} for up to 8 players.

For earlier conflict {like Ancient Age “rushes”}, use a smaller map for quicker discovery.
On the other hand, a larger map with fewer opponents will result in later attacks due to delayed discovery.

Geography = Map “Style”: There are 2 dozen map Styles available; from Great Lakes, Amazon Rain Forest, Australian Outback, Himalayas, Mediterranean, or New World, etc. OR just let good old “random” make the choice.

Military: Build the barracks, stables, siege factories, forts, towers, docks, air bases, & missile silos that will enable your Nation to overcome your implacable foes. Start with slingers, hoplites, & light horsemen and gradually upgrade them through “research” to assault infantry, anti-tank missiles, & main battle tanks.

Warfare: Create & field your army, air force & navy. Assign Generals with special battle enhancements to lead your armies. Send Spies to infiltrate & learn your foes' secrets or bribe their best units to join your side. Take advantage of the high ground or rough terrain. Dig in your troops on the defensive to reduce “splash” damage. Ambush an infiltrating force. Engage the enemy's army with a variety of “formations” to best take advantage of the situation. Gamer may allow an engagement to proceed on automatic or may choose to “get down in the dirt” & manually assign combat on a unit-by-unit basis to take best advantage of unit strengths versus a foe's unit weaknesses.

Air warfare begins in the Industrial Age with biplanes that may be upgraded to stealth fighters in the Information Age. Bombers are added in the Modern Age and these eventually may be upgraded to stealth bombers.

Resources: Food, Wood, Metal, Oil, Wealth, & Knowledge basically are limitless & renewable. Output depends upon the number of production {e.g, logging camps or farms} and enhancement facilities {e.g., saw mills or granaries} created, & the number of Civilians assigned to a given resource.

Time Line: There are eight stages of advancement from “Ancient Age” through “Information Age”. Each age brings with it unique new features & units.

Technology Research: Building and unit upgrades, as well as Age advancements, are accomplished through research done either through the Library, by Scholars at gamer's University, or at the various production & military buildings. Each type of research requires a different mix of resources & is progressively more expensive as the Ages advance.

Multi-player: RoN-EE may be played MP on-line, but the latest version {v 1.20} appears to have made this difficult if not impossible; v 1.10 still seems to work OK

Graphics: RoN-EE has excellent 3D graphics for its units and architecture. The styles differ for each Nation & are varied for each change in “Age”. Units & buildings are attractively displayed in 3D.

CONs: Army engagements may require gamer to micro-manage units to get the best results. Otherwise, the gamer may fall back to letting “Automatic” handle the engagement.

Amphibious warfare is a bit complex { not unlike the “real thing”}, but it can be quite effective when you pull it off !

Easy to learn, Quick to play, Wide variety of play options. Great replayability !! Build your Empire from Stone Age up to the Information Age! RoN is well worth its cost in terms of entertainment value.