Conqueror is a turn based strategy game that is played in a browser window against other human opponents or the computer AI. The players take the role of a European noble who controls a kingdom around 1000 AD. The task is to expand the kingdom by building armies, researching and conquering regions.
The starting positions on the map are well balanced normally and the first task of the player is to expand his kingdom while making it productive at the same time. Regions with more peasants can recruit more soldiers and pay more taxes which becomes essential in mid- and endgame.
Soldiers have to be paid if the local population cannot sustain them, this is normally the case if the amount of soldiers x 10000 exceeds the population. Payday is every Winter and it is essential to keep an eye on the costs to avoid deserters.
Conqueror is not an overly complex game but it takes a while to get used to all the possibilities and find a good mix between conquering new provinces, pleasing the local population and improving your main provinces by increasing the population and cultural level.
The game is fun when played against the computer AI but excels when played against human opponents. A game can take from 30 minutes to about 4 hours and between 2 and 16 players can participate.
My suggestion would be to start a password protected game against the computer to get a feel for the game and try multiplayer later on or play a multiplayer game against your friends immediately.
Reminds me of The General, a Russian game with similiar game mechanics but with more bars and charts than graphics.