Speculation: Civilization IV?

Before the board got wiped out last time, I was following a thread I had started concerning rumors that were circulating at the time about a new version of Sid Meier's Civilization TBS game.  At that point, the only things known were some rumors of an announcement at a website with a few details such as introducing "civics" to the game amd removing such "unfun" elements as corruption and pollution.  I even added a few suggestions of my own (more detailed tile formats, adding natural disasters such as storms, etc).

Now, though, I'm not sure if these rumors would be true.  Something would've been announced by now, I'm sure.  Would anyone have new details that I may have missed in the intervening months?

Another things comes to mind: if there were something that you would change or improve in this series, what would it be?

I'm sticking by my concept of having a more geographically detailed world rather than the old "squares" that we've had.  There would also be a few features such as navigable waterways (by canoe or galley).

I would introduce canoes with a new technology, Carpentry.  These would be limited to rivers, but could carry one unit.  I'd also add the one-unit capacity to curraghs (those units untroduced in the Conquests ex-pack last year for the new class of Seafaring civs).

I would also use the tech tree to add some upgrade levels to different units, such as the warriors introduced at the beginning of the game gaining a stronger weapon with Carpentry (axe replacing a stone club), and then a small shield (for defensive bonus) with Bronze Working.  Archers would be introduced with Carpentry, then have a stronger bow with Warrior Code.  Spearmen would gain additional hit points with Iron Working and also increase their attack strength, a sort of midway point between the original spearman level and that of pikemen.

Any more suggestions?

i would like technology to be using fuzzy logic. No more light bulbs and all that stuff,  instead the speed at which u research is dependant on undisclosed factors, like whether there is state-funding, or encouring independant investigation.

And make war harder to occur when the empires are large.

Alpha Centauri was such a rocking game, a civ 4 should have the audio quotes to!

But I still have nightmares about Sister Miriam GODwinson and Chariman Yanbg coming to get me and my glorious Gaian mindworms!

I think it will be a while before we see a Civ III, infact i think we are more likley to see another Civ clone of the CtP kind.
Though they deffinitly should take a chapter from AC when they make a new Civ.
And take the military maintanence thing from CtP, and maybe the public works thing too.

R u sure CivIII engine is used for RoN?
oNe is an TBS one is an RTS. How is that possible?