Like the previous entries in the series, Age of Empires III has you progressing through eras, which in turn dictate the buildings and units you can produce as well as the shipments you can receive. Obviously, you'll want to dash through the ages as quickly as you can to get your evil imperial mitts on cannons and guns. Fortunately, the support of your nation makes time fly.

It also makes for a brand new card-based experience system. After a skirmish or mission, your country will gain experience points and convert them into levels for your city. You can then choose new shipment options from a pool and add them to a deck of up to twenty shipment "cards." These twenty then dictate what shipments you receive.

Now, card-based systems aren't the most exciting things to talk about and they certainly aren't new, though they're a surefire way to add depth to just about any game; more and more developers seem to be catching on to this all the time. What makes Age of Empires III different is that this system of leveling up and collecting cards will apply to every sector of the game, not just the single-player Campaigns. You'll create a profile for skirmish matches that will benefit from the experience gained in those battles, turning Skirmish mode into something of a Campaign without a plot. You can set up the battles that suit you, fight them, and then use your new toys to customize your nation in a way that fits your play style.