Genre: Sim/Strategy (God Game)

Format: CD

Developer: Firaxis

Mac Publisher: Aspyr Media

Minimum System Requirements: Full version of Civ IV Warlords, Mac OS X v10.3.9, 1.8GHz G5 or Intel chipset, 512MB RAM, 3.5GB free disk space, ATI Radeon 9600 or NVidia GeForce FX5200 with 64MB VRAM, CD drive, broadband connection for Internet play

Review Computer: 1.5GHz 17" PowerBook, 512MB RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (AGP 4X) graphics processor with 64MB of DDR SDRAM

Network Feature: Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (TCP/IP) play supported

Processor Compatibility: Universal

Price: $29.95

ESRB Rating: E

Availability: Now

Official Website: www.2kgames.com/civ4/warlords/warlords.html

You have to respect the people at Firaxis: they create Civilization IV, one of the most complex world-building games ever seen, balance real-world problems with engrossing gameplay, try to figure out how to represent trade, diplomacy, and science, but then come out with an expansion that says, "Yeah, we know you just want to kill each other."

Civ 4 Warlords (C4W) introduces new tribes, new leaders, and unique buildings for each civilization. But the title of this expansion is Warlords: aka the Great General, a new special citizen generated for civs in conflict. Like the other legendary historical figures, the Great General can help you by advancing research, joining the city (to increase XPs for units built there), or creating a special building: the Military Academy, which creates units faster.

But the real meat of the Warlord is the ability to attach him to a unit, making it a leader. In addition to distributing a total of 20 XPs to units in the stack, it gives the unit to which its attached access to a set of leader-only upgrades. But if that unit is destroyed, the leader gets demolished as well.

And once you've brought your enemies to their knees, you needn't destroy them. C4W introduces the concept of vassal states: other civs can recognize your superiority and attach themselves to you either voluntarily (which they can break after 10 turns) or as an act of war capitulation (permanent unless they gain or lose 50% of their land). Vassalage has several advantages: your vassal states must give you resources, you have free access to travel through their lands, and if you go to war with anyone, they will, too. The drawback is that you pay an increased support cost for your own cities while you have a vassal.

Moving away from the combat aspect (booooo-ring), C4W has a few other bennies. For one, all civs now have a unique building in addition to their unique combat unit. These are modifications of existing buildings, with bonuses. For example, the Celtic Dun is a city wall that gives a free Guerilla 1 upgrade to new units (provided the unit can have that upgrade).

Warlords also introduces six new tribes (Carthage, Celts, Korea, Ottomans, Scandinavia, Zulu), ten new leaders, and three new leader traits. Fitting in with the Warlords theme, all of the traits are aimed (at least partly) in conflict: Protective leaders get defensive bonuses for units and cities, while Imperialistic civs are more likely to get a Great General and quicker settler production. Charismatic leaders get more happiness from their citizens, and military units gain experience faster.

In addition to the classic open-ended world-building game, C4W also features a set of scenarios, many of which introduce units not available in the regular game. Most of them are difficult, enjoyable, but don't really match the fun and challenge of the full game. Except for Barbarians.

In Barbarians, you take control of the ravening hordes that seek to wipe out the civilizations. You begin by purchasing your units from a supply of gold, then selecting how much of a head start they get. Now, it's time to pillage and burn! As you trash the improvements and cities of the tribes, you gain gold which can be used to purchase more units to continue your rampage. I have to say, after spending days sweating over the intricacies of a game of Civ, it was a hell of a lot of fun just to tear it all down.

Warlords is a success for the same reason any expansion works: it gives you more of a game you already love (provided you already love it). Those who've already got Civ IV will find it adds a lot of flexibility to a game that already has infinite replayability.

Strengths: More of Civ IV. Lots of new options for combat. Fun Barbarians scenario.
Weaknesses: Non-combat interactions don't get as much attention.

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