You can opt to take direct control of every aspect of combat or just let the game handle it for you. And while the hiring and outfitting of champions for battle is just as important, players will have the opportunity to form alliances and interact with the game's other players. Some of these players will be gods. You can obtain the help of a deity by performing certain quests. It is presumed that you can set them off in exactly the same way.
Gods are such a prickly lot.
Throughout the game you'll make use of wizard towers. These can be designed to your own specifications to emphasize and supplement your particular style of play or the needs of the situation. A barracks will allow you to recruit troops while a builder's guild supplies siege weapons and erects your own fortifications. Those wizards of a more nurturing sensibilities will likely provide ample temples to the general population. These temples preserve the general health and provide you with mana needed to cast spells.