1. What is the most widely used civilization on the zone?
2. Are there any strategies I should know about that are used a lot?
Answer to 1:
For random maps, out of experience, I'd say shang and assyrian are probably used the most, pretty much because most people play hill country and other land maps.
On sea maps like medit and conti, the minoans, hittites and occasionally yamato and shang are dominant.
In regular death match, I think hittite are used the most, because of their 200% siege hit points, and their brilliant archers.
In foot war death match, I think choson are used most thoroughly because of their tower range and powerful legions, and also romans because of cheap towers, and 33% faster attacking legions.
Overall ,on any map, i'd have to Hittite are the most versatile, their ships have good range +4, their siege is probably the best in the game, and in the late game, their archers are only rivalled by the fast firing assyrians.
So if your looking for a civ to start off on, hittite is probably the way to go, because you can choose them for almost any map and go pretty well with them.
Answer to 2:
Firelegions got it pretty much summed up. The most common strategy used by newbies-inters is probably the fast bronze, a bit like a fast castle in aok, except much more risky ,due to ungarrisonable TC's, so the players just ban tool rushing, which in my opinion, is utter crap because it just means the player cant handle it.
Inters-Experts tend to go more towards tool rushing with armored clubmen/axemen and sometimes slingers, so watch out for them.
Water maps, try Blitz's strategy, its probably the best around.
Good luck ,and I hope to see you on the zone!