I got AOE 3 for X-mas and i've been playing it alot since then. I haven't played an online game, only over LAN against my brother and dad and single-player skirmishes to get a feel for the game and to get better micro skills.
So my questions to you guys is basically, what do you beileve is the best civilization for a noob to play with.? I can beat the computer on hard mode consistantly, but that isn't saying much since many people tell me the AI in this game is uber retarted. I've been experimenting with the French and Russians lately. Russians seem kind of week but I am really liking the french. They seem to get out to a slow start but later in the game, around the 3rd age, they are a real power house.
Anyways, just wanted to get an opinion from better players on what a good civ for a noob would be.