PBEM?

[PashaDawg]

It's not hard but it can be a bit laborious. You just need to figure out a system to keep track of the emails. Filters are good for that. Also, there is a way to semi-automate the outgoing emails to players. On a Mac, I use the "automator" function. I know that some other players have figured out a way to automate things on a PC.

If you are going to host, you'll probably want to keep the first game small so that you don't get bogged down with too many emails, etc.