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Hm. Only thing I know to tell you is to go to the forums here from the main page and start asking questions, reading FAQs, downloading the multitude of patches, et cetera. The people are generally helpful.

• Historical events related to things that happened in the various countries.
  
• Very open-ended, sort of like Civ. You can try to conquer the world, colonize, whatever, or set your own goals.
  
• No graphic violence. You see little men fighting, but there's no blood (it's rated E, I think).
  
• A lot of people who play this game really get into learning about the history of the country or countries they play.
  
• It's cheap by now (I've seen it for $10), since the sequel has come out. It also runs on fairly out-of-date hardware (although it does consume a lot of disk space)- my (1998) old computer ran it with no trouble.
  
• I've heard of people playing it over LAN's, although I've never done that myself.
  
• There's an excellent forum at europa-universalis.com
  

If you like that, you might like this: Europa Universalis 2. The game is bloody fantastic. It's already gone to the sweet spot pricing between new release and bargain bin, but if you like a deep RTS, the game is very worth it.

Ah god damn it, got the link wrong :( Here

However, my suggestion for some good PC games are: System Shock 2, Planescape: Torment, Grim Fandango, Deus Ex, Chessmaster 8000, Diablo 2, and considering the great reviews, I have high hopes for the Unreal Engine based Clive Barker's Undying. Perhaps I can get scared out of my pants again for the first time since System Shock 2?

Swedish gaming companies are actually making quite a lot of good games lately. I find they have a lot of great gameplay and "soul". The graphics are often a lot simpler too, but because of that reason and a serious lack of polish (bugs, weak AI and so on) they are rarely distributed in the US. Your loss.... Some of the better ones have made it of course, like the big budget Ground Control. Check out Clusterball too, I like that for once it is non-violent without being for kids like Nerf Arena. If you are a die hard strategist, you must check out Europa Universalis. I think you are going to see more interesting PC games coming out of Europe the next couple of years, Central and Eastern European countries are beginning to have a vibrant gaming industry too. See the recent games like, for instance Serious Sam or Hidden and Dangerous, and more stuff than I can count from Russia.

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Your students will really have something to chew on there. The presentation and interface is really simple, but the economic, diplomatic, strategic and even religious models are extremely complex. A knowledge of economics is necessary, and so is a grasp of history. Computer Games Online gave it 4.5 stars and had this to say: "Europa Universalis plays simultaneously at many different levels and constantly demands a great deal of situational awareness. It's more Imperialism than Civilization, though more complex than either. The economic system is the heart of the game. It's robust enough to accurately model development from the late Renaissance all the way through Mercantilism to early Colonialism. The game nimbly keeps track of a staggering amount of minutiae such as the inflationary effects of excess liquid cash, intergovernmental loans, trade policies, and a comprehensive list of commodities. While this sort of micormanagerial detail will usually fall below your radar in terms of management, it can have a serious impact on your foreign policy and statecraft. You will not feel bogged by these details, however-they are simply available for consideration whenever needed. "

Strategy Gaming said: "So what we are left with is a massively complicated game interweaving elements of religions, politics, colonialism, conquest, technology, and militarism taking place on a multifaceted map with layers of trade relationships, alliances and political relationships, while the map is constantly being expanded through exploration - in short, there's literally something for everyone. Wars, as is the historical fact, should typically be the last resort as their cost and consequence make the gains rarely equal the expenditure. A good player will be able to keep in mind the different venues of competition, and a weather-eye on their predicted opponents in each of these areas. Keeping ahead in this game is an extraordinary challenge, and I found myself constantly pausing the game to issue orders. The only thing I haven't been able to test in this beta is the multiplayer, but the developers have made it clear that it's been kept in mind. They are clearly aware that no matter how good the AI is - and it is, believe me (I confess I've actually asked one of the programmers if anyone has won the darn thing...and this is in beta) - this game will shine most brightly with humans running each of the player states."

And pc.ign.com: "I'm glad to see that the religious aspects of the game are equally important. Each nation has a particular religious identity (various types of Christians, Muslims, Sunni, Shia, etc.) and that identity influences the way other nations treat you. During the game, a few historical events will shift the religious balance to one side or the other. After the Reformation, for instance, Catholic countries can convert to Counter Reformation Catholicism. If a Counter Reformed Catholic nation defeats either a Protestant or Reformist nation, the Counter Reformation Catholic country can force the defeated nation to adopt Counter Reformation Catholicism as part of the peace settlement. And this is just one small example of the depth of the religious model in the game."

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