Civilization III Update

Firaxis Games has launched the official Web site for Civilization III, its upcoming addition to Sid Meier's popular Civilization strategy game series. The game will be published by Hasbro Interactive, and although no official release date has been announced, Firaxis says that it has already completed a playable prototype. According to the developer, Civilization III will feature several improvements over the previous games in the series, including greatly enhanced combat; advanced animation, art, and sound; and an extensive set of multiplayer options. An improved interface is also included.

According to Firaxis, the team is working to make combat in the game more interesting and realistic. To this end, a number of additions and adjustments are being made. Nations can now produce gifted leaders, who can help change the course of history through their leadership either on or off the battlefield. The zone of control rules have been revised to account for technological advancements, so now mobility and ranged weaponry help determine what units can enter combat in surrounding terrain. Another change included in the game is that ranged units like catapults, battleships, and artillery can now attack enemy fortifications like fortresses and city walls. The use of bombardment can give direct-fire units an attack bonus.

The developer has also released several images of some of the units included in the game. In addition to 3D rendered images, a number of wireframe images are included to show off the detail used in the 3D models. In addition, a group of flash animations can be found on the official Web site, which is linked below.

We'll have a complete preview of the game as it gets closer to completion.