There doesn't seem to be much strategy in advancing your civilization. Moreover, the rules of the game impose an inherent limit on how large your empire can grow, which is always disappointing. The fun part in the game is in acquiring and trading commodities, which are received according to the number of cities you have in play. You try to get several of the same commodities so you can trade them in for civilization cards, which advance your nation. I think this is a poor game.
Diplomacy is a far better game.
Diplomacy is Avalon Hill's classic game of conquest. The goal is to capture 18 of the 36 supply centers on the map. The trick is that no single nation has overwhelming force, and it's very difficult to get such force gathered under one flag. What it also leads to is back-stabbing. The rules of Diplomacy are very simple, involving simple moves of fleets and armies, and supporting rules to take over territory.