Settlers equivalent/strategy games.

Hi, I've been a huge fan of the settlers franchise my best memories were of Settlers rise of an empire and Heritage of kings. While I really enjoyed Settlers path to a kingdom I didn't get the enjoyment that I did from 5 and 6 I think this is due to the dumbed down gameplay compared to the predecessors. I am looking for another new game similar to the settlers franchise which I could enjoy as much. I love CIV 5 and Northgard for the games they are. I haven't played Age of Empires or Tropico. So I would love to hear your recommendations. :)