2K Games Announces Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords.

[Willem]

Originally posted by padillah
If there's no way to get out of it and it doesn't give any bonuses then I'm lost why any AI would agree to it.

Because the alternative would be their destruction. There could be other reasons for them to do it as well though, like facing imminent destruction by another civ and they're hoping for protection.

And it won't be like they're giving you all their cities. They'll still be able to carry on doing their own thing, but in certain areas they would have to obey you. It certainly won't be an extreme a situation as the E. European nations faced under the Soviets.

[armchairknight]

Given how good Civ 4 is, Warlords doesn't have to do so much for me to be happy. I'm looking forward to the bit more of everything approach, but even more to the Vikings.

[Paddy]

Originally posted by Nikolai
Profits do not neccessarily equal readiness, but I think we can expect a good piece of work from Firaxis.

Indeed

[Alexander I]

As long as there is new content in Warlords, I will be more than satisfied. Amazing how Friaxis makes me satisfied with less (compared to Civ3 expansions).

[Son of David]

Civ4 is my 'girlfriend substitute' - but you guys who have women know what it's like - sometimes you have to try out new positions to get the same enjoyment as you used to.

That being said, if nothing is instrinsically different - I might have to find a new 'girlfriend' altogether.

[Generaldoktor]

Vikings!

Girlfriend substitute??

(Come on man, we're only on this world a short time, don't waste it all away. Although Ages of Man is pretty cool if you need something new... )

[Zoid]

Originally posted by Son of David
Civ4 is my 'girlfriend substitute' - but you guys who have women know what it's like - sometimes you have to try out new positions to get the same enjoyment as you used to.

That being said, if nothing is instrinsically different - I might have to find a new 'girlfriend' altogether.

This is quite an apt comparison, girlfriends can go crazy just like the AI does sometimes. You just cruise along thinking everything is great. You share the same religion and civics and your deals have always been fair and forthright. Suddenly, BOOM! You´re at war. Apparently the close borders sparked a bit too much tension...

[Alexander I]

My girlfriend is a CivFan (my fault ), but since she's a student history teacher, I guess it's ok. She recently even joined Apolyton. Gotta love Civ.

Who needs a surrogate when the real thing is even better?

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Since this game is called "Warlords", and the three already revealed Civs (Celts, Carthage, Vikings) were all "barbarians" to the "civilized" world, I feel comfortable predicting that the other three aren't "major" civilizations. No Babylonians, no Dutch, not even Canadians.

My guess would be the Huns, a Central/South American tribe (Mayan/Aztec/Inca), and a North American tribe (Iroqouis/Souix/Navajo).

[player1]

Maybe comeback of Zulus?
Considering that all other revealed civs were in previous games.

[Yosho]

Originally posted by Willem


I don't think you'd want to become a vassal state yourself, it's used for civs that are weaker than you. You would have the choice of either destroying them or turning them into vassals.

Well, you might want to offer to become a vassal state in order to make peace, if you're losing the war..

If it works anything like it did in real life, a vassal state probably has to pay some gold every turn to the state that controls it, and probably automatically has to go to war if your controlling state is attacked. (shrug) There are times I've given more then that to an AI and still ended up winning. I imagine there are times when you would be willing to become a vassal state.

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous
Since this game is called "Warlords", and the three already revealed Civs (Celts, Carthage, Vikings) were all "barbarians" to the "civilized" world, I feel comfortable predicting that the other three aren't "major" civilizations. No Babylonians, no Dutch, not even Canadians.

My guess would be the Huns, a Central/South American tribe (Mayan/Aztec/Inca), and a North American tribe (Iroqouis/Souix/Navajo).

Ther Huns would be very difficult, as they didn't actually found cities. Don't get me wrong, they're fun to play, but since the game is Civilization, they'd really have to revamp the engine to have playable Huns.

And Carthaginians were only called barbarians by the Romans during the Punic Wars as a smear campaign. Everybody in the Mediterranean knew they wer a Phoenician colony, and everybody wanted a conection to that trade network.

P.S. Your anti-Babylonian talk frightens me.

[monkspider]

i've actually considerd the idea that they might hold Babylon and some other popular civs back for the next XP. Perhaps they will do a "near-east" themed XP with Babylon, Sumeria, Turks, Byzantines, Hebrews, maybe Hittites...

It actually could be a good strategy sales-wise to hold back some of their most popular civs for future XP. Perhaps a third XP could feature the far-east: Koreans, Siam, Khmer... Who knows?

[Son of David]

Originally posted by monkspider
Perhaps they will do a "near-east" themed XP with Babylon, Sumeria, Turks, Byzantines, Hebrews, maybe Hittites...

That would be delicious. I'd gladly hold out for something like that. Throw in some Biblical and Mesopotamian scenarios and that would be a seller.

Only problem is, by the time they get round to releasing a third expansion the game will be very old and not selling many more units.

They will probably be working on Civ5 by then, and then we'll get the same old, same old civilizations in the vanilla Civ5 that we always get in a new vanilla civ game. Capitalism is so boring!

[Willem]

Originally posted by Son of David
They will probably be working on Civ5 by then, and then we'll get the same old, same old civilizations in the vanilla Civ5 that we always get in a new vanilla civ game. Capitalism is so boring!

It could be awhile before we see a Civ 5. In an interview with Sid, he mentioned that the plan as of now is to take a break from Civ for awhile and work on other things instead.