Is there a game out there like this?

I am a big fan of sim and strategy games. I am looking for some type of game that starts you out basically with nothing and you have to collect resources and such and eventually create a society. Learning how to make things and gathering skills along the way.Alpha Centauri is something similar to what I was thinking. Perhaps being stranded on an island or another planet or something. Actually something similar to Virtual Villagers but a little more in depth and preferably better graphics. I guess I'm looking for a combination of Virtual Villagers, Alpha Centauri, and Spore, or at least something in that basic direction that perhaps I haven't tried. Civ 5 is becoming played out for me and I really didn't get into Spore as much as I'd hoped.Is there a game out there like this?
there's starcraft, warcraft, diablo 2 (to some degree). in diablo 2, you have a tree branch and as you get stronger, you can choose the skills you want to learn.



empire earth. impossible creature. rise of nations. age of empires series.



if you want to get really old school, there's master of magic.Is there a game out there like this?
you can do all that stuff in minecraft, although it's not much like the other games you mentioned.



you start with basically nothing, have to collect resources, can make tons of stuff, build a society if you want. blow up mountains if you want. spend all your time hunting square pigs if you want. build an army of wolves if you want. there aren't really any goals and there's not much reward for doing things except seeing what you can make, and maybe showing off to other people if you're on a server. i don't think anyone will say that it has "better graphics" than any other game though.Is there a game out there like this?
well, there's Robot Entertainment. (filled with former Esemble Studios employees), their games are all the same

Halo Wars (i liked this ALOT!!!!)
Ages of Empires (never had a chance to play this)
Ages of Empires II (this one is great!)
Ages pf Empires III (pretty cool, but the 2nd one is better)
Ages of Empires Online (never played this)
The age of empires series

The stronghold series

those are my 2 favs atm, pretty good games.

nothing beats age of empires 2 ^-^