Civilization V

Sid Meier’s Civilization V, developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games, is the fifth installment in the popular turn-based strategy game series. Launched in September 21, 2010 in North America, Civilization V captivated players with its revamped gameplay mechanics, hexagonal tile system, and one-unit-per-tile rule.

Throughout its lifetime, the game has been enriched with several expansion packs and downloadable content (DLC) that introduced new civilizations, leaders, and gameplay features.

The base game introduced several innovations to the series, such as:

  1. Hexagonal Grid: The square grid system was replaced with a hexagonal grid, allowing for more strategic and realistic gameplay.
  2. One-Unit-Per-Tile: Military units can no longer stack, requiring players to devise new tactics for positioning and warfare.
  3. City-States: Non-playable city-states were introduced, providing opportunities for diplomacy, trade, and conquest.
  4. Social Policies: The new social policy system allowed players to customize their civilizations by adopting various policies, offering unique bonuses and shaping their playstyle.

Expansion 1: Gods & Kings (June 2012)

The first expansion pack (after several DLCs), named “Gods & Kings”, with 9 new civilizations as well as features like religion and espionage, was released on June 19, 2012 or June 22, 2012 in Northern America and the rest of the world (respectively).

It focused on religion and espionage, adding depth to the early and middle stages of the game. Key features include:

  1. Religion: Players can establish their own religion and spread it throughout the world, gaining benefits and influence over other civilizations.
  2. Espionage: The espionage system allows players to conduct various spy activities, such as stealing technology and influencing city-states.
  3. New Civilizations and Leaders: Gods & Kings introduces nine new civilizations and leaders, including Carthage’s Dido and the Netherlands’ William.
  4. Enhanced Combat: The expansion revamps the naval combat system and adds new units, such as the Great Admiral and the Privateer.

Expansion 2: Brave New World (July 2013)

The second expansion pack, “Brave New World” was released on July 9 2013 in the USA, and on July 12th, 2013 in the rest of the world, featuring more civilizations and new concepts like ideologies.  It focuses on culture, diplomacy, and international trade, significantly enhancing the late-game experience. Main features are:

  1. World Congress: The diplomatic landscape is transformed with the World Congress, allowing players to vote on global issues, enact resolutions, and compete for a diplomatic victory.
  2. Trade Routes: International and domestic trade routes offer economic and diplomatic benefits, encouraging players to establish connections with other civilizations and city-states.
  3. Cultural Victory: The revamped culture victory relies on accumulating tourism by creating great works of art, literature, and music, and discovering archeological sites.
  4. New Civilizations and Leaders: Brave New World adds nine new civilizations and leaders, such as Brazil’s Pedro II and Morocco’s Ahmad al-Mansur.

DLCs: Additional Content

Civilization V offers a variety of DLC packs that include new civilizations, scenarios, and map packs. Some notable DLCs are:

  1. Spain and Inca Civilization and Scenario Pack: Introduces the Spanish civilization led by Isabella and the Inca civilization led by Pachacuti, as well as the Conquest of the New World scenario.
  2. Polynesia Civilization and Scenario Pack: Adds the Polynesian civilization led by Kamehameha and the Paradise Found scenario.
  3. Korea Civilization and Scenario Pack: Features the Korean civilization led by Sejong and the Samurai Invasion of Korea scenario.

For more information about in-game features, please see the links at the bottom. To get a feel for the game for free, try out the Civilization 5 Demo or the Gods & Kings demo on Steam. Please note that Steam is mandatory for Civ5. You can also find the related manuals in different languages here.

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For external information about Civ5, please see the following links.

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