14 DAY TRIAL // Aspyr Media, the Mac-game publisher making headlines last year for firing half of its staff, has announced the release of a digital download version of Civilization IV: Warlords for Mac OS X. The expansion for the original Civilization IV is also available for download. Both are exclusively obtainable from Aspyr's Game Agent store, according to a report by Inside Mac Games.
The report in question sheds light on Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Warlords, explaining that the title is the first expansion pack for Firaxis Games’ Civilization IV, an acclaimed, turn-based, strategy computer game released in 2005. Typical to the expansion pack are eight unique scenarios, giving players the chance to change the course of history with the help of their new “warlord” unit. All off the game's key features are mentioned in the report as follows:
Warlords – A new great person type called the Warlord will be an indispensable asset to any player bent on world domination. Vassal States – You no longer need to obliterate an enemy to defeat them. Conquer your enemies and subjugate them to your rule. Game Scenarios – The expansion will deliver eight new historical scenarios spanning Alexander’s conquests through Genghis Khan’s dominance of Asia, in addition to other scenarios that challenge the way that you currently play the game. New Civilizations – Six new civilizations will be included, giving you even more options when planning your domination of the world. Civilization Leaders – Ten new leaders will be provided, including leaders for the new civilizations as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations. Leader Traits – In addition to the many existing leader traits in Civilization IV, two new leader traits accompany the expansion. New Wonders – There will be three new awe-inspiring wonders, all contributing new benefits and culture to your civilization. Unique Buildings – Players will now be able to construct buildings unique to each civilization. Units, Resources, & Improvements – Many new items not available in the core game will be introduced in the new scenarios. Core Game Tweaks and Additions – Expanded features and gameplay tweaks will be made to the core game.
Aspyr asks Mac gamers to note that not all Macintosh computers and their respective operating systems are supported. To ensure that Civilization IV: Warlords at least runs on your computer, you will need to be running Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) on a Mac with a PowerPC G5 processor clocked at 1.8 GHz, with 512 MB of memory, and ATI Radeon 9600 graphics at 64 MB. For multiplayer, an Internet connection is required (broadband connection). The CD drive rounds up the list of minimum system specs required on your end.
To ensure a good experience with the game, you will need an Intel processor running at 2.0 GHz, 1 GB of memory, a 128 MB graphics solution and all of the additional requirements mentioned above. As with most games, Intel integrated video chipsets (GMA 950) are not supported. To play Civilization IV: Warlords, the full version of Civilization IV is required, Civilization IV: Warlords costs $29.99 to buy. Visit Aspyr’s GameAgent site here to download the game now.