TE begins at the dawn of human civilization and covers human history up to the nineteenth century. The game focuses on constructing trade routes between cities, producing and maintaining goods, and working through historical situations. The game starts out simple, with the player in charge of one merchant and his donkey. From there, the player moves through episodes ranging from relatively short historical occurrences to thousand-year stretches spanning more dramatic technological advances. TE spans four continents, opening in Ancient China and moving westward.
Trade continues across North Africa, Europe and across the Atlantic to the New World.
Instead of Civilization's combat, however, TE focuses on manipulating the economy to outdo the other merchants. A closer comparison when it comes to gameplay would be the Railroad Tycoon series, with the player building a merchant house and pitting it against other houses over a period of time. TE is the first RTS to emphasize the effects of technological change over thousands of years upon the story. The most in-depth example of advancement is the Industrial Revolution, where the player has to be careful of production rates and skyrocketing demand. Victory in the game varies from episode to episode.