You got 2 choices:
1. go to a gaming site like :
www.zone.com
www.heat.net
there u download the specific site software & then get into various gamerooms & there the game starts automatically when the players in the room decide to start.
2. Find someone to play with(gamerequest at www.icq.com)or simply search in your icq white pages the words aoe ror & so on.
Now one of you (2-8 players) must host. The one who hosts the game must give his IP to all the others.
If u host:
select multyplayesr then the type of conn u have, then create & u wait
If u join:
select multyplayer then the type of conn u have, then insert IP & press show games (or vice versa i don't remeber) then join the game that should appear on your screen.
For method no2.
U can also find players in other ways listed by me; like the players directory at this site or other
Be carefull who you play with, if you give you IP to a badass hacker he might get into your pc & f... it up.
It is much more convenient to use the no.1 method