Overview
Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is an expansion pack (for the 2005 turn-based 4X strategy game Sid Meier's Civilization IV) developed by Firaxis and published by 2K for the PC on July 23, 2007. The second expansion pack for Sid Meier's Civilization IV, Beyond the Sword adds several new gameplay mechanics, including corporations (a late-game equivalent to the "religion" mechanic), enhanced espionage, random events (including random "quests"), colonization (in which maintenance of overseas cities can grow to a point where the cities break off into their own vassal state), expanded victory conditions (mainly the Space Race and Diplomatic conditions), enhanced AI, and optional advanced pre-game setup phases (in which players purchase cities, units, buildings, and other improvements with a certain amount of gold prior to the game beginning).
The expansion also includes ten new civilizations (each with their own leader), six new leaders (for existing civilizations), new units (including new regional art styles for some units), new buildings (including new Wonders), and new technologies. It also added twelve new scenarios (custom mods made by either the Firaxis team or by fans), ranging from historically accurate ("Rhye's and Fall of Civilization" and "WWII: The Road to War") to medieval fantasy ("Fall From Heaven: Age of Ice") to space exploration ("Final Frontier").
This expansion also includes all additions from the first expansion pack, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords, with the exception of its eight unique scenarios.
Tech Tree Modifications
The first major change in Beyond the Sword is the technology tree. Keeping with the "Beyond the Sword" concept these changes are concentrated mainly in the later stages of the game with a few mid-game changes as well.
New Technologies:
Advanced Flight
Era: Modern
Requires:
Effects:
- Obsoletes Stable
- Can train Gunship
- Can train Jet Fighter
Aesthetics
Era: Classical
Requires:
Effects:
- Can construct the Parthenon
- Can construct the Statue of Zeus
- Can construct the Shwedagon Paya
Laser
Era: Modern
Requires:
Effects:
- Can train Mobile Artillery
- Can train Mobile Sam
- Can construct SDI
Military Science
Era: Renaissance
Requires:
Effects:
- Can train Grenadier
- Can train Ship of the Line
- Can construct Military Academy
Stealth
Era: Modern
Requires:
- Advanced Flight
- Composites
Effects:
- Can train Stealth Bomber
- Can train Stealth Destroyer
Superconductors
Era: Modern
Requires:
Effects:
- Can construct laboratory
- Can construct Research Institute
- Can construct SS Thrusters
Tech Tree Changes:
Computer
Requires Plastics
Fiber Optics
Requires Computers or Laser
Robotics
No longer directly requires Plastics
Espionage
While espionage and spies existed in Civ IV before Beyond the Sword, this expansion takes that system and expands upon it. The first change is that in addition to money, culture and research you now have espionage points that are tracked for your civilization. Much like culture and research, you can select what persentage of your civilization's income is spent on generating espionage points each turn. As well, you'll generate espionage points from various buildings and civics automatically.
The ultimate goal of this system is to use your espionage points against other civilizations through active or passive effects. Passive benefits include being able to see your opponent's cities and what technology they're researching. Active effects usually require a Spy unit infiltrating another civilization's cities and conducting some action that reduces the number of points you'll have available. These actions can range from "Poisoning the Well" to stealing technology. The cost of both passive and active benefits depends on how many points you have vs your opponents.
Corporations
Corporations are sort of a late game religion. Once you've researched the Corporation technology various Great Persons can found one of seven corporations. But in order to build a corporation you need to have it's additional prerequisite technology. For instance, to build "Mining Inc." you'll need to have research Railroads. Once you have those requirements you'll need one more thing, a city with the appropriate resource(s) to consume. After you've found the right location, move your Great Person there and create the Corporation's HQ just like you would construct any other Great Person building.
After a corporation has been founded, it can be spread by the Corporate Executives unit to other cities. Once the these units arrive at a city, with the appropriate resources, the controlling player will need to pay money to add the corporation to that city and yield the benefits.
Aluminum, Inc.
Requires:
Consumes:
Benefits:
- 3 research per resource consumed
- Makes aluminum available
Cereal Meals
Requires:
- Refrigeration
- Great Merchant
Consumes:
Benefits:
- 0.75 food per resource consumed
Civilized Jewelers
Requires:
Consumes:
Benefits:
- 1 gold per resource consumed
- 4 culture per resource consumed
Creative Constructions
Requires:
Consumes:
- Aluminum
- Copper
- Iron
- Marble
- Stone
Benefits:
- 0.50 production per resource consumed
- 3 culture per resource consumed
Mining Inc.
Requires:
Consumes:
Benefits:
- 1 production per resource consumed
Sid's Sushi Co.
Requires:
Consumes:
Benefits:
- 2 culture per resource consumed
- 0.5 food per resource consumed
Standard Ethanol Co.
Requires:
Consumes:
Benefits:
- 2 research per resource consumed
- Makes Oil available
Colonies
Beyond the Sword also adds the ability to allow your cities in far away lands to break off and become independent nations. After this occurs the city essentially becomes it's own civilization as your Vassal, with it's own leader. This frees you have having to pay the maintenance costs of a city so far away from your main empire while allowing you to maintain some sort of control over it.
Victory Conditions
Two of the game's victory conditions have been modified. The Diplomatic Victory has been expanded to include a religious victory through the Apostolic Palace relatively early in the game. Much the same as the Diplomatic Victory via the UN, a civilization requires 75% of all votes to complete this condition.
The other change is that the Space Race portion of the game has been expanded into it's own mini-game. After launching a Space Ship for Alpha Centauri, the game turns into a mini-civilization game where players must then control that ship during it's flight. To help make the end game more interesting, players are no longer required to build all of the Space Ship's parts. While this may allow you to launch sooner, it may also result in your ship taking longer to reach Alpha Centauri.
Random Events
The final game changer included in Beyond the Sword is random events. Much as the name suggests these can be events such as a volcano erupting or a tornado hitting your city, but can also appear as missions for you to complete.
New Civilizations
Babylon
Leaders:
- Hammurabi - Aggressive, Organized
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - The Wheel, Argiculture
- Unique Unit - Bowman
- Unique Building - Garden
Byzantine
Leaders:
- Justinian I - Imperialistic, Spiritual
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - The Wheel, Mysticism
- Unique Unit - Cataphract
- Unique Building - Hippodrome
Dutch
Leaders:
- Willem van Oranje - Creative, Financial
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - Fishing, Agriculture
- Unique Unit - East Indiaman
- Unique Building - Dike
Ethiopian
Leaders:
- Zara Yaqob - Creative, Organized
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - Hunting, Mining
- Unique Unit - Oromo Warrior
- Unique Building - Stele
Holy Roman Empire
Leaders:
- Charlemagne - Imperialistic, Protective
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - Mysticism, Hunting
- Unique Unit - Lands-knecht
- Unique Building - Rathaus
Khmer
Leaders:
- Suryavarman - Creative, Expansive
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - Hunting, Mining
- Unique Unit - Ballista Elephant
- Unique Building - Baray
Mayan
Leaders:
- Pacal II - Expansive, Financial
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - Mysticiam, Mining
- Unique Unit - Holkan
- Unique Building - Ball Court
Native American
Leaders:
- Sitting Bull - Philosophical, Protective
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - Fishing, Agriculture
- Unique Unit - Dog Soldier
- Unique Building - Totem Role
Portuguese
Leaders:
- Joao II - Expansive, Imperialistic
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - Fishing, Mining
- Unique Unit - Carrack
- Unique Building - Feitoria
Sumerian
Leaders:
- Gilgamesh - Creative, Protective
Other Traits:
- Starting Tech - The Wheel, Agriculture
- Unique Unit - Vulture
- Unique Building - Ziggurat
New Leaders
America
Abraham Lincoln - Charismatic, Philosophical
Celtic
Boudica - Aggressive, Charismatic
French
De Gaulle - Charismatic, Industrious
Greek
Pericles - Creative, Philosophical
Ottoman
Suleiman - Imperialistic, Philosophical
Persia
Darius I - Financial, Organized
New Traits
Expansive: 25% worker production
New Buildings
Customs House
Requires:
- Economics Technology
- Harbor
Effect:
- 50% intercontinental trade route yield
Industrial Park
Requires:
- Industrialism Technology
- Factory
Effects:
- 2 sickness
- Can turn two citizens into an engineer
- 1 engineer specialist
- 1 sickness from Coal, Oil
Intelligence Agency
Requires:
Effects:
- 8 espionage points
- 50% espionage points
- Can turn two citizens into a Spy
Levee
Requires:
Effects:
- River tiles: 1 production
Public Transportation
Requires:
Effects:
- 1 health
- 1 health from Oil
- 2 heatlh from Environmentalism
Security Bureau
Requires:
Effects:
- 8 espionage points
- 50% Defense against Espionage
- Helps thwart rival spies
- Can turn two citizens into a Spy
New Unique Buildings
Babylon
Garden replaces Colosseum
- 1 happiness per 20% culture rate
- Double production speed for Creative leaders
Byzantine
Hippodrome replaces Theatre
- 1 happiness per 20% culture rate
- 1 hapiness from horse
- Required to build Globe Theatre
- Double production speed for Creative leaders
Dutch
Dike replaces Levee
- Water tiles: 1 production
- River tiles: 1 production
Ethiopian
Stele replaces Monument
- 25% culture
- 1 happiness for Charismatic leaders
- Obsolete with Astronomy
Holy Roman Empire
Rathaus replaces Courthouse
- -75% maintenance
- Can turn one citizen into a spy
- Required to build Forbidden Palace
- Double production speed for Organized leaders
- Available for free on Modern and later starts
Khmer
Baray replaces Aqueduct
- 1 food
- 2 health
- Required to build the Hanging Gardens
- Available for free on Renaissance and later starts
Mayan
Ball Court replaces Colosseum
- 1 happiness per 20% culture rate
- Double production speed for Creative leaders
Native Americans
Totem Pole replaces Monument
- New archery units receive 3 experience points
- 1 happiness for Charismatic leaders
- Obsolete with Astronomy
Portuguese
Feitoria replaces Customs House
- 50% intercontinental trade route yield
- Water tiles: 1 income
- Requires Harbor
Sumerian
Ziggurat replaces Courthouse
- -50% maintenance
- Can turn one citizen into a spy
- Required to build Forbidden Palace
- Double production speed for Organized leaders
- Available for free on Modern and later starts
New Units
Airship
Requires:
Abilities:
- 100% versus Naval Units
- Upgrades to Fighter
Anti-Tank
Requires:
- Infantry Technology
- Artillery Technology
Abilities:
- 100% versus Armored Units
- Starts with Ambush
- Upgrades to Mechanized Infantry
Attack Submarine
Requires:
- Rocketry Technology
- Radio Technology
- Combustion Technology
- Uranium
Abilities:
- Cargo Space: 1 (Carries Scouts, Explorers, Missionaries, Spies, Great People
- Invisible to most units
- Can see Submarines
- Can move through impassable terrain
- Can explore rival territory
- Can withdrawal from combat
- 50% versus Submarine
Cuirassier
Requies:
- Military Tradition Technology
- Gunpowder Technology
- Horseback Riding Technology
- Horses Technology
- Iron
Abilities:
- Doesn't receive defensive bonuses
- Can withdrawal from combat (15% chance)
- Flank attack against Cannon
- Upgrades to Cavalry
Guided Missile
Requires:
- Rocketry Technology
- Radio Technology
Abilities:
- Can evade interception (100% chance)
- Can destroy tile improvements and bomb city defenses (-16%/turn)
Missile Cruiser
Requies:
- Robotics Technology
- Oil or Uranium
Abilities:
- Cargo space: 4 (carries missiles)
- Causes collateral damage
- Can bombard city defenses (-20%/turn)
Mobile Artillery
Requires:
- Laser Technology
- Artillery Technology
- Oil
Abilities:
- Doesn't receive defensive bonuses
- Maximum 85% damage on attack
- Causes collateral damage
- Immune to collateral damage from Siege Weapons
- 50% versus Siege Weapons
- Can bombard city defenses (-16%/turn)
Mobile Sam
Reqires:
Abilities:
- Can intercept aircraft (50% chance)
- 50% versus Helicopter units
Paratrooper
Requires:
- Fascism Technology
- Rifling Technology
- Flight Technology
Abilities:
- Can perform Paradrops (range: 5)
Privateer
Requires:
- Chemistry Technology
- Astronomy Technology
- Copper or Iron
Abilities:
- Hidden nationality
- Can attack without declaring war
- Starts with Sentry
- Upgrades to Destroyer
Ship of the Line
Requires:
- Military Science Technology
- Astronomy Technology
- Iron
Abilities:
- 50% versus Frigate
- Can bombard defenses (-12%/turn)
- Upgrades to Destroyer
Stealth Destroyer
Requires:
- Stealth Technology
- Robotics Technology
- Oil or Uranium
Abilities:
- Invisible to most units
- Can see Stealth ships
- Can intercept aircraft (50% chance)
- Can bombard city defenses (-16%/turn)
Tactical Nuke
Requires:
- Fission Technology
- Rocketry Technology
- Uranium
Abilities:
- Can nuke enemy lands
- Can evade interception (50% chance)
- Requires the Manhattan Project
New Unique Units
Babylon
Bowman replaces Archer
Abilities:
- 1 First Strike
- 50% City Defense
- 25% Hill Defense
- 50% versus Melee Units
- Upgrades to Longbowman and Crossbowman
Byzantine
Cataphract replaces Knight
Abilities:
- Doesn't receive defense bonuses
- Flank attack versus Catapult and Trebuchet
- Upgrades to Cuirassier
Dutch
East Indiaman replaces Galleon
Abilities:
- Cargo Space: 4
- Can explore rival territory
- Upgrades to Transport
Ethiopian
Oromo Warrior replaces Musketeer
Abilities:
- 1 First Strike
- Immune to First Strikes
- Starts with Drill I and Drill II
- Upgrades to Riflemen
Holy Roman Empire
Landsknecht replaces Pikemen
Abilities:
- 100% versus Mounted Units
- 100% versus Melee Units
- Upgrades to Riflemen and Grenadier
Khmer
Ballista Elephant replaces War Elephant
Abilities:
- Doesn't receive defense bonuses
- 50% versus Mounted Units
- Targets any Mounted Unit first in combat outside of cities
- Upgrades to Cuirassier
Maya
Holkan replaces Spearman
Abilities:
- Immune to First Strike
- 100% versus Mounted Units
- Upgrades to Pikemen
Native Americans
Dog Soldier replaces Axeman
Abilities:
- 100% versus Melee Units
- Upgrades to Macemen
Portuguese
Carrack replaces Caravel
Abilities:
- Cargo space: 2
- Can explore rival territory
- Upgrades to Frigate, Destroyer, and Attack Submarine
Sumerian
Vulture replaces Axemen
Abilities:
- 25% versus Melee Units
- Upgrades to Macemen
New World Wonders
Apostolic Palace
Cristo Redentor
Mausoleum of Maussollos
Shwedagon Paya
Statue of Zeus
New National Wonders
Moai Statues
National Park
PC System Requirements
Minimum:
OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
Processor: 1.2GHz Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon processor or equivalent
Memory: 256MB RAM
Video: 64 MB Video Card w/ Hardware T&L (GeForce 2/Radeon 7500 or better)
Sound: DirectX7 compatible sound card
HDD: 1.7GB of free hard drive space
Software: DirectX9.0c
Recommended:
OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/y
Processor: 1.8GHz Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon processor or equivalent/better
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Video: 128 MB Video Card w/ DirectX 8 support (pixel and vertex shaders)
Sound: DirectX7 compatible sound card
HDD: 1.7GB of free hard drive space
Software: DirectX9.0c
Mac System Requirements
Minimum:
- OS: Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher
- Processor: Intel chipset
- CPU Speed: 1.8 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Hard Disk Space: 3.5 GB free disk space
- Video Card: (ATI): Radeon 9600 Video Card (NVidia): GeForce FX 5200
- Video Memory: (VRam): 64 MB or higher
- Multiplayer: Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (TCP/IP) play supported. Internet play requires broadband connection.
- Media Required: DVD Drive Supported Video cards: NVIDIA GeForce 5200, 6600, 6800, 7800 ATI Radeon 9600, 9650, 9700, 9800, X600, X800, X850, X1600
Recommended:
- OS: Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher
- Processor: Intel chipset
- CPU Speed: 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Hard Disk Space: 3.5 GB free disk space
- Video Card: (ATI): Radeon 9600 Video Card (NVidia): GeForce FX 5200
- Video Memory: (VRam): 128 MB RAM
- Multiplayer: Internet (TCP/IP) and LAN (TCP/IP) play supported. Internet play requires broadband connection.
- Media Required: DVD Drive Supported Video cards: NVIDIA GeForce 5200, 6600, 6800, 7800 ATI Radeon 9600, 9650, 9700, 9800, X600, X800, X850, X1600
NOTICE: This game is not supported on volumes formatted as Mac OS Extended (Case Sensitive).
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