So you downloaded this game, and are getting into it. Now what?
Well, the game is basically the Windows version of the popular iOS game Clash of Clans, and follows the same basic principles. Upgrade buildings, train army units, attack other players. If you haven't visited the forum, you really should! It is a great resource to post questions and such(Of course, you can always post questions in the comments below!). Here is the link to the forum:
The goal is to upgrade your buildings and amass crowns. You amass crowns by beating players when you attack or successfully defending an enemy attack. We'll get to attacking and defending another time(I'll post the links here in the future).
This post is simply meant to provide you with an intro to the game, and to that end I won't repeat much of what has been said by others.
If you want to know the cost of a building or unit upgrade(For instance, you are Age 8 and want to know the cost of a Level 2 Musket Tower), feel free to check out the AoE:CS Wiki
Whether you are new to this game or a veteran, I cannot stress enough how important it is to join an alliance. Watch Signal troops, advice, protection, all these things are advantages of being in an alliance. Since you usually don't want to attack or be attacked by alliance members, it means that there are a few less people trying to attack you(thank god Lizenzkrone is in my alliance!).
Buildings:
I saw someone once post something to the effect of "Don't worry about upgrading resource production buildings. Attacking is where you get most of your resources!". Don't heed that advice. When you are attacked and enjoy a 10hr peace treaty, when you sleep, when you're on vacation or whatever, your resource producers are vital. Currently I am Age 8, with fully upgraded resource producers(Farms, Mills, Quarries). I am getting 110,400 Food and Wood, and 44,372 Stone per day. Without doing anything. That's great! So yes, I don't like losing defenses and getting a 10hr peace treaty, but at least at the end of the peace treaty I've gotten alot of resources! Always upgrade your resource production buildings. It's totally worth it.
If you are wanting to check out some popular defenses, here is a great post from the forum on various defensive layouts!
The post covers commonly used layouts and defines them historically, great read :)
So you now have some resources to help you on your way. For those who are already more familiar with the game, rest assured: more advanced content to come! For those are newer to the game, I hope you enjoyed the post!
Questions? Comments? Violent reactions? Comment below!