Some history here:
Empire was the original (now forgotten) wargame. The first version I'm aware of allowed for up to 3 players, either at the same machine or networked with serial cables (my father hosted LAN parties for this game). The computer AI was decent (incredible by today's lax standards). The graphics were all extended ascii characters. The game even allowed for psuedo-realtime by allowing players to be up to 6 turns apart. The original game came with only 4 maps that it would randomly select and rotate.
Empire II introduced graphics and random maps; Empire Deluxe added many new units and features but was released several years too late to capture much attention.
The original game is a true legend and Empire Deluxe preserves the gameplay of the original nicely. However, Civilization and Masters of Orion are the true successors to this genre.
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