Civ IV info, pics

By Ellie Gibson Published 19 May, 2005

New features, modding options.

Sid Meier - well, someone who works for him, anyway - has unveiled more details of the latest instalment in PC real-time strategy series Civilization IV. There are some new screenshots, too, which can be found here.

We're promised “faster-paced fun” this time around, with streamlined gameplay, greater accessibility and an easy-to-use interface designed to appeal to diehard RTS fans and newbies alike.

There's a new, flexible Tech Tree, designed to give you more strategic options when expanding your empire, plus more Civs, Units and customisable armies. Units can be promoted for bonuses when attacking or defending on specific terrains, added visibility and increased withdrawal chances.

Other features include the Great People points system - make good use of your talented Artists, Tycoons, Prophets, Engineers and Scientists, amongst others, and you'll earn points which can be used to acquire free techs, start Golden Ages, or increase output.

There are now seven religions in the game, which can be researched in the same way as technologies - they're top for keeping your citizens happy and creating more wealth.

As you discover new techs, civic options will become available - so you can choose between open elections and hereditary rule, for example, or decide whether to allow slavery or let everyone run wild.

Multiplayer modes are available over LAN, net, PBEM and Persistent Turn-Based Servers. There's also a new Team Play mode for both the single and multiplayer games which provides a new way of setting locked alliances, resulting in shared wonder effects, visibility, unit trading and shared territory. The wonder movies are back, too.

If you fancy a bit of modding there are plenty of options, including a powerful map editor - with XML and Python support - and all-new community tools.

Civilization IV is due out later this year.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (28) Latest comment 7 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Genji #1 7 years ago

    Wait... it wont be turn-based???
    /shoots self

  • stonedben #2 7 years ago

    "the latest instalment in PC real-time strategy series Civilization IV"
    I see two problems with that statement:
    1) Civilization IV is not a series
    2) Civilization has never been real-time

    Someone been partaking in too much free E3 alcohol? ;-)

  • matt__jon #3 7 years ago

    3) One "l" in "instalment"

  • Scimarad #4 7 years ago

    /imagines realtime CIV game

    /head explodes

  • deepmenace #5 7 years ago

    whats this tho:

    Multiplayer modes are available over LAN, net, PBEM and Persistent Turn-Based Servers.

    It must be turnbased!?!

    PBEM RTS would surely crash the even the most monsterous of all exchange servers...
    Edited by deepmenace at 20/05/05 @ 08:46

  • Roamer #6 7 years ago

    If this is real-time, I ain't buyin'!

  • bionutz #7 7 years ago

    Bring it on the NinDS!

  • marilena #8 7 years ago

    It's not real time, hold your horses. It's just that Ellie has no freakin' idea what Civilization is.
    Edited by marilena at 20/05/05 @ 09:41

  • President_Weasel #9 7 years ago

    Thank god for that.
    (the not-real-time thing, not the 'they assigned someone who has apparently never played Civ to cover this' thing)

  • riz23 #10 7 years ago

    Hmm that's not good. Major credibility loss in full effect. Everybody should know what Civilisation is. Go and get a copy of Civ 2 immediately and feel your life slip away Ellie. Hurrah for Civ 4 tho'! But I want Alpha Centauri 2!

  • MoFo #11 7 years ago

    Me thinks the pissed at E3 excuse is more likely than not having played Civ.

  • marilena #12 7 years ago

    I'm quite convinced that Ellie isn't at E3. And anyway she made a pretty big confusion in a news item about Heroes of Might and Magic V, too.

    Me thinks EG isn't very good at PC gaming. There's always KG, of course, but I don't think we'll see him doing the news very soon.

  • Universal_Hamster #13 7 years ago

    Heres a question: Why does everyone seem to think civ 3 is a lesser work? Whats wrong with it? I loved both...
    CIV FOR DS! Please!

  • red_devil52 #14 7 years ago

    This one sounds great and if it is real time i won't be buying it. That's what AOE is for.

  • marilena #15 7 years ago

    I like Civ 3 too, but there are parts of it that I really don't get along with, for instance the more limiting scientific tree. The fourth game gets that right, with multiple paths and a lot of freedom

    And it's turn-based, stop worrying.

  • kencleary #16 7 years ago

    Civ III was also a lot lazier than Civ II and a retrograde step from Alpha Centauri. No wonder movies for example. It amy seem like a small detail but playing Civ II or AC you really felt that the developers poured their Soul into the games. Even the manuals reflected this! Civ III felt like just a re-polished Civ II, adding one or two features but without the love and care. Civ IV looks like more of the same unfortunately.

  • bionutz #17 7 years ago

    From all his work I liked Alpha Centauri the most. That was IT for me. About Civ3 I shall only say that after finishing it on three different levels (with the same nation), I didn't feel like coming back to it afterwards.
    Alpha Centauri though I finished more than 200 times, with different factions on the highest difficulty possible (different endings too). The customizing of vehicles was so cool: the settler unit with antigrav was doing things both on water and on ground, was simply awesome. Alpha Centauri was giving you the feeling that things are happening right now.
    So yeah bring us Alpha Centauri. When shall we get a DOS emulator for the NinDS? I could then run all my oldies but goldies games?

  • smelly #18 7 years ago

    it needs to come with a HUWGE manual like the first one did.

  • FarFromSane #19 7 years ago

    I can't wait to play Civ IV

    I've played the series from the beginning and love it

  • riz23 #20 7 years ago

    re: Alpha Centauri
    I lifted this from the firaxis website. It's Sid talking:
    Question: Do you think there will be a follow up to Alpha Centauri? I just restarted playing it - after having been able to NOT play for a few years - and here we go again; all-nighters when my alarm clock tells me to go to work or get some sleep.
    Sid: We get lots of requests from fans asking us to make another Alpha Centauri…and we’ve been talking about it quite a bit lately. So…it’s definitely a possibility down the road. Go get those Spartans!

    Which of course is all really cool, but if my memory serves me well, Brian Reynolds had the biggest hand in shaping AC and now he is doing his thing at bighugegames with Rise of Nations. I hope Firaxis can recapture the magic without him.

  • Razz #21 7 years ago

    OMG CIV PHWOARRRRRRR!¬!!!!!!!!

    /mouth at froths

  • Scimarad #22 7 years ago

    "Me thinks EG isn't very good at PC gaming"

    Who is? :-)

  • Ginger #23 7 years ago

    "The Xbox 360 "IS MORE POWERFUL" than the PS3! "

    edit: from the article "So, that's Microsoft's analysis. What do you make of it?
    Well duh, if you asked intel who made the best chips, what kind of answer do you think you'd get?

    /loads gun
    Edited by Ginger at 21/05/05 @ 19:57

  • KiLlerKnight #24 7 years ago

    Dave J UK, if you work for MS, go to your boss and ask for some money to advertise properly on Eurogamer please.
    If you are just a pathetic fanboy, go back to your mommy and ask for a cookie and leave us alone.
    And if you are just a moron, well good luck and have a life.

  • Khanivor #25 7 years ago

    Ignore the twat.

    I can't wait for Civ IV. Regardless if it's a lesser version, it will still be better then any other strategy game out there. And hopefuly it will be more lovingly created then Civ III.

    And for gawd's sake, make AC2.
    Edited by Khanivor at 22/05/05 @ 14:00

  • Freddy #26 7 years ago

    I have a problem/question...

    In the first 'preview' of C_IV the designer guy (or something, can't remember exactly) said that they'll slice the economic system so that the game will be more accesible to non-die-hard-fans of the Civ series.

    Does anybody know something about that? If they make it like MOO3 i'd be pretty pissed off... This would be a clear 'marketing dept. imposed issue' as in "make it easyer so every retard can play it"...

    10x to anyone who'll answer (on subjectt :p)

  • Freddy #27 7 years ago

    Agh! Damn it!

    Does anybody know something about this alleged hack and slice of economy system in favour of 'broader market'??

  • Freddy #28 7 years ago

    Finally! Firaxis support answered the email and assured me that C-IV not only will NOT cut back on micromanagement, but will ENHANCE it!

    Weeeeeeee!!

    Long live the fighters of.... good old games!