Civ 3 and it's expansion are must haves. Be warned, Civ is a turn-based strategy game; if you've never played a game like that, just know it's much much different from games like WC3 or StarCraft.
But that doesn't mean Civ isn't the best game I've ever played.
I know what you said, but I can't leave without mentioning Age of Mythology (AOE3). It's changed a lot from the previous game and it's much more similar to WC3, though still quite different. There's a lot less emphasis on micromanagement and more on fighting, especially with all the myth units and god powers.
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