Out of what could only be described as sheer boredom, I recently reinstalled the strategy game Rise of Nations. My dad picked this up for free at a conference he attended years ago, and I remember playing through it quite a bit at the time. But I now see why I uninstalled the game: I really suck at it. I've never been a fan of strategy games, mostly because I can never figure out how to win. Oh sure, I know the winning conditions, but getting there is another story. On the easiest difficulty setting, I have no problem beating the computer. But ramp up the difficulty just one notch (to the "Easy" setting) and I immediately enter a deadlock. The computer's army gets too large, and no matter how large I try to make mine, I can't turn the tide. Out of frustration, I end up cheating and dropping nuclear bombs on the enemy, wiping out their entire population (an act which is surprisingly enjoyable).

I'm certain that the word "strategy" has some part to play in beating the computer, but I apparently don't have that ability. Give me fast and furious action please. This strategy stuff is for the birds.