You might want to try out the demo while you wait; it has the same interface and basics, although both the number of turns, the nations you can choose, and the magic you can research are limited. You'll also want to find Saber Cherry's "newbie" thread at among the sticky threads in this forum.
The game has a LOT of options; you'll probably find some combinations match your temperament and playing style better than others. Not all choices are equally good all the time, but most things have uses some of the time...
Oh, BTW -- the demo lets you check out descriptions for even the spells you can't research. Might want to browse them to whet your appetite.
