AOE 3 was great for variety especially if you liked all the civs and they game tended to be fairer in that you can come back in it.
AOE 2 was great if you liked to perfect core skills like micro, economy, build orders etc. Brutal game, if that boar killed your villager in AOE2 you're tempted to resign as its very hard to come back once behind unless you can pull off an epic raid in the third age or something.
Tease.