Advanced Starts: When starting the game in any era, this new option allows the player to purchase components for an already-developed nation.Random Events: New random events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens will challenge players to overcome obstacles in order for their civilizations to prosper.Espionage: Now available much earlier in the game, this expanded feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend their government’s secrets.Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources. Corporations: A new gameplay feature, similar to religion, allows players to create corporations and spread them throughout the world.The expansion focuses on adding content to the in-game time periods following the invention of gunpowder, and includes more general content such as 11 new scenarios, 10 new civilizations, and 16 new leaders. Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is the second official expansion pack of the critically-acclaimed turn-based strategy video game Civilization IV.
