Civilization IV: Warlords
- August 10, 2006 11:14 AM PST
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Civilization IV was such a fun, addicting classic that developer Firaxis could package air into an empty box, call it an expansion and people would still think it's great, if only because it would give us all another reason to go back and play the original.
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Did Firaxis add giants to the mix? Sadly, no, but units are rendered in great detail
Thankfully, Firaxis did not mail in the new Civilization 4 expansion, Warlords. In fact, not only did they add in a number of new gameplay elements--including a powerful new unit known as the Warlord--they also took it upon themselves to address the original game's single shortcoming: war-mongering.
As great a game as Civilization IV was, fans of military might found it limiting and repetitive from a tactical sense. This add-on, which requires the original game (which you'd be crazy not to already own), enhances the military aspect of the game in numerous ways.
Shiny new toys
Of the new features in the Warlords expansion, these are the most notable:
The Warlord: Also known as the Great General, the Warlord is a unit that complements the game's other Great Persons. Like other Great Persons, this unit has multiple functions. He/She can be sacrificed to create an Academy that increases unit production, or they can be joined to an existed military unit to provide extra experience points and power.
New scenarios: The presence of 6 war-themed scenarios is one of the key new features in the game. These scenarios, which range from Alexander's conquests to Genghis Khan's run through Asia, are an excellent example of the flexibility and power of Civilization IV's Python-based scenario builder. These scenarios feature an interesting blend of objectives. Alexander's campaign is fairly straightforward; you have to conquer a certain number of cities in 200 turns. In the Rise of Rome scenario, however, you have to gain control of five map locations to secure victory. These scenarios offer a nice diversion from standard Civ-style play.
New buildings and Wonders: This expansion features a handful of new buildings, including several new wonders. As an example, the early game University of Sankore allows you to generate research points from your religious buildings. One cool new feature is that the Great Wall Wonder actually results in a massive wall being placed around your entire civilization's borders.
New units: In addition to unique units available for the new civilizations (noted below), the game features a handful of other new units.
The vast research tree offers a plethora of possibilities
New civilizations: This expansion introduces six new civilizations: the Carthaginians, Vikings, Koreans, Celts, Ottomans and the Zulu. Each comes with new leaders. Each civilization also gets a new unique building and units.
Vassal states: This is a new diplomatic feature that allows you to incorporate other civilizations into your own. Think Puerto Rico or, if you're of the Communist persuasion, Cuba. Once a civ has become a vassal state, half of the territory and population count towards your progress towards a domination victory, which could allow you to tip the scales just enough to win.
Improved A.I.: From the moment you begin playing both the open-ended campaign and individual scenarios, it's clear that Firaxis used this expansion to fine-tune and upgrade the game's Artificial Intelligence. A.I. opponents are noticeably more aggressive now, particularly towards the end of a game.
But is it worth it?
All these new features add an extra dimension of gameplay to Warlords that is fun to explore and experiment with, but the expansion isn't perfect by any means.
In fact, one of the most glaring weaknesses is the "bolt-on" implementation of the new scenarios. While the premise for this standalone games are interesting, the resulting gameplay feels like an awkward translation of Civilization IV's primary building blocks. It's difficult to understand how individual research technologies affect your overall progress, and because of this, it's difficult to grasp the bigger strategic picture.
Another minor problem is that, tactically speaking the game still doesn't feel complex enough to make military endeavors rewarding. There's not a lot of strategic depth to military campaigns against the AI. You basically just assemble your units and push them into a stack of other units. With this said, turning your society into a "war machine" is appropriately complex, deeply rewarding, and very realistic.
Despite these weaknesses, fans of the original will find that the add-on is well worth the money. Even if it just gets you to dust off the game and start playing it again (and again and again), it's worth it.
Though it can get a little crowded, the interface is as slick as ever
