The March-edition of Swedish PC Gamer has a 6-pages preview of Civilization 5. I suspect that most of the info has already been presented on this forum, but since several here have asked me to summarize the article, I will try to give an overview. I guess hearing the same information with some new words may easen your Civ 5-addiction... 
About Civ 5:
About 50 persons are currently working on the game, which has been in development for over two years, but is now reaching the final phases.
About Sid Meier:
PC Gamer talks a little with Sid Meier. He said: "It is always a challenge trying to find new ways to improve Civilization and at the same time keeping what made the game addictive and fun in the first place. It has always been our philosophy to listen to the players and follow what happens in the modding community and then merge them with our own ideas and even if we are working on console- and Facebook-versions of the Civilization-franchise so has always Civilization 5 been a return to the heart and soul of the franchise."
Hexagons:
The game has a new engine composed of a hexagons. Jon Shafer thinks this change is good, since it gives you lesser options of movement but each option is therefore more important. It also means that for example mountains and forests can have a more natural pattern.
Graphics:
The graphics will have a completely new style- Art-deco, inspired by games like Grim Fandango. It is designed by Russel Vaccaro. The environments, like forests and oceans, will be a lot more animated than in Civ 4.
Sound:
The game will have an advanced sound-engine, which will change sounds depending on if you are in the hills, the forests or on the ocean. It will also have a large soundtrack.
Panzer General:
The new hexagonal change is specifically useful in the new, improved combat system. Now you may only have a maximum of one unit in a hexagon. This includes the cities. Shafer says that Panzer General was the main inspiration for this change into a more tactical battlefield. The new system forces your units out of the cities and out into the terrain, forming natural frontlines and taking advantage of good defensive positions.
Bombardment:
Some units may attack other units more than one hex away, for example archers.
Terrain:
Hills give defensive advantages. Your units can see and shoot farther there.
Leaders:
You will now see leaders in full view. They alsp talk in their native language. Firaxis has resurrected the extinct language of quechua (used by Inca). However, all leaders will have their lines subtitled in English.
City states:
These are small, AI-controlled civilizations. They never grow big and doesn´t desire to win. The player must choose if he is to be friendly, indifferent or hostile towards a city state. The attitude you has towards a particular city state will have a big effect on diplomacy. If for example your units is approaching a city state that have friendly relations with another civilization, he will warn you, and if you ignore them, there will be consequences.
Barbarians:
The barbarians originate from a barbarian city and will get more advanced units later in the game. You need to wipe out all barbarian cities to get rid of the barbarian hordes.
City expansion:
Borders does no longer expand in large areas, but one hex at a time. Remote hexes like marshes, forests and mountains will be harder to acquire.
Economy:
You can invest money in your neighboring hexagons, for example trying to acquire an important resource before your opponent.
Research:
You can also sign a research-deal with another civilization. This way, both civs will cooperate to reach the new technology and both will gain it when the discovery is made. This was included to encourage cooperation between civilizations.
Diplomacy:
The civilizations will have an all-new advanced AI. All opponents will have fixed characteristics. Based on this unique personality, every AI-player will have their own agenda, which the AI will use to plan how to best play to win the game. But there will also be a certain randomness to avoid having the AI be too easy to predict.
Conclusions:
PC Gamer was impressed with what they saw. They think the new graphics was a real facelift for the franchise, and the interface is greatly improved. They also thought the soundtrack was brilliant. They conclude:
"Judging from the gameplay-sequences we saw, Civilization 5 will make no fan of the franchise disappointed."
About Civ 5:
About 50 persons are currently working on the game, which has been in development for over two years, but is now reaching the final phases.
About Sid Meier:
PC Gamer talks a little with Sid Meier. He said: "It is always a challenge trying to find new ways to improve Civilization and at the same time keeping what made the game addictive and fun in the first place. It has always been our philosophy to listen to the players and follow what happens in the modding community and then merge them with our own ideas and even if we are working on console- and Facebook-versions of the Civilization-franchise so has always Civilization 5 been a return to the heart and soul of the franchise."
Hexagons:
The game has a new engine composed of a hexagons. Jon Shafer thinks this change is good, since it gives you lesser options of movement but each option is therefore more important. It also means that for example mountains and forests can have a more natural pattern.
Graphics:
The graphics will have a completely new style- Art-deco, inspired by games like Grim Fandango. It is designed by Russel Vaccaro. The environments, like forests and oceans, will be a lot more animated than in Civ 4.
Sound:
The game will have an advanced sound-engine, which will change sounds depending on if you are in the hills, the forests or on the ocean. It will also have a large soundtrack.
Panzer General:
The new hexagonal change is specifically useful in the new, improved combat system. Now you may only have a maximum of one unit in a hexagon. This includes the cities. Shafer says that Panzer General was the main inspiration for this change into a more tactical battlefield. The new system forces your units out of the cities and out into the terrain, forming natural frontlines and taking advantage of good defensive positions.
Bombardment:
Some units may attack other units more than one hex away, for example archers.
Terrain:
Hills give defensive advantages. Your units can see and shoot farther there.
Leaders:
You will now see leaders in full view. They alsp talk in their native language. Firaxis has resurrected the extinct language of quechua (used by Inca). However, all leaders will have their lines subtitled in English.
City states:
These are small, AI-controlled civilizations. They never grow big and doesn´t desire to win. The player must choose if he is to be friendly, indifferent or hostile towards a city state. The attitude you has towards a particular city state will have a big effect on diplomacy. If for example your units is approaching a city state that have friendly relations with another civilization, he will warn you, and if you ignore them, there will be consequences.
Barbarians:
The barbarians originate from a barbarian city and will get more advanced units later in the game. You need to wipe out all barbarian cities to get rid of the barbarian hordes.
City expansion:
Borders does no longer expand in large areas, but one hex at a time. Remote hexes like marshes, forests and mountains will be harder to acquire.
Economy:
You can invest money in your neighboring hexagons, for example trying to acquire an important resource before your opponent.
Research:
You can also sign a research-deal with another civilization. This way, both civs will cooperate to reach the new technology and both will gain it when the discovery is made. This was included to encourage cooperation between civilizations.
Diplomacy:
The civilizations will have an all-new advanced AI. All opponents will have fixed characteristics. Based on this unique personality, every AI-player will have their own agenda, which the AI will use to plan how to best play to win the game. But there will also be a certain randomness to avoid having the AI be too easy to predict.
Conclusions:
PC Gamer was impressed with what they saw. They think the new graphics was a real facelift for the franchise, and the interface is greatly improved. They also thought the soundtrack was brilliant. They conclude:
"Judging from the gameplay-sequences we saw, Civilization 5 will make no fan of the franchise disappointed."
Quechua is as alive as Basque, Uyghur, Berber, or Coptic. It's a minority language, but it's most definetly alive. Peruvians, Bolivians, and Ecuadorians would LOVE to meet you in a dark alley........
