Civilization V

 An incredibly good friend of mine was so kind to get me Sid Meier's Civilization V on Steam for my upcoming birthday, and, for the first time, I've actually sat down to give the game a chance. I haven't played a Civilization game seriously, before -- I've just watched people play. Games with too much micromanagement and having to be quicker than your opponents just threw me off, like Starcraft. I'm never able to construct buildings and units fast enough to be able to defend from an attack. Civilization seems completely different than that.

 Firstly, it's turn-based. Hallelujah. I don't have to worry so much about speed so much as "which strategy am I going for", which is what I'm more suited to. Secondly, you aren't forced to be super-aggressive and focus on slaughtering your opponents to win, which I love. You can win culturally or diplomatically. Hells yes. Of course... I'm sure that most players opt to kill and murder ruthlessly, so I'll probably be killed, regardless... but it's cool that you can win by being a defensive pacifist.

 I'm sure those of you who are familiar with the series are like "Um, yeah. Duh. Idiot.", but please keep in mind I've never really played a Civilization game before. I'm regretting it immensely.

 It's fun, it's beautiful, and the only things I'm unhappy with are the lack of animations (I've been told that's a multiplayer-only thing, though. That's the only mode I've played thus far) and just how damn long the game takes, even with it set to "quick" settings.

 Regardless, I'm incredibly thankful that I have this game... my fear of real-time strategy games is being abolished. Maybe I can find a game to help alleviate my fear of FPS games, too. Fallout: New Vegas or Borderlands, perhaps?

(Edit: Yes, I'm aware that Civilization isn't an RTS... but it's helping to work me toward them. Thanks for pointing out my mistake in referencing game genres, John. :P )