EE1 is very much like Civilization, only in real time and with campaigns. Very nice campaigns, I may add. It's example of edutainment, how it should be done :) When defending against Napoleon at Waterloo, or smuggling Russian party leader under potatoes through military checkpoint, it is always fun ... and sometimes more. When I played for Britain and heard Henry 5th famous St. Crispen's Day speech, it was really wonderful moment.
Other players said much about AI, how is cunning and all and it is truth ... problems show, when you start play custom game. Because IT'S CHEATING! ... and it is doing so stupidly, that every player should be able to see it. For example resources: I started from 1st epoch and worked every colonist to the ground, to be able rise to another epoch ... only to find that AI is able to do so every time, when I did WITHOUT tapping its resources. Yes, pumpkin patches and grain fields were virgin, not one unit of food was harvested. Metals and stone were not mined, too, only to the end some peasants/drones started mined them.
And another thing: some units in the frigate/destroyer class have bonus against submarines, which will be fine ... problem is, that every unit have this bonus (also sentry towers on beaches), it doesn't matter, if it is frigate from Drake's epoch, or ultramodern Aegis class cruiser ... and it is really sad, when renaissance galleon sink your nuclear submarine with her guns. And yes, she was able to catch submarine, her speed was amazing :)
Result: Campaigns are very good and I really enjoyed them. But custom/skirmish games are only for those, who will be able to ignore issues, mentioned before. If you are not able to ignore them, buy Empire Earth II :)
P.S. EE1 had much more impressive atomic explosion, than EE2. So it's probably another point for this game :)