Well I have put in hours of play in the game and I like it.  Not nearly as addictive as Civ4 but well fleshed out and truly enjoyable.  I warn you be ready before you declare your Independence!

 My 10 year old son and I have played the multi-player and we tried two games before we ended up playing something else.  This is not because of any game issues, I found it enjoyable, but because there wasn’t enough combat for someone his age.  Sure you can fight each other but it is limited, the Indians offer little resistance as long as you are careful not to anger all of them at the same time.

Plus until you learn out to use the import/export with your wagon trains moving your goods around can get a little over whelming.    Over all I highly recommend this game to anyone that enjoys Sid’s games.