Civilization V has recevied a patch today, as announced on Firaxis's forums. The patch has a laundry list of changes and fixes to the game, including fixes for a few glaring issues such as lengthy AI turn times and uncharacteristic behavior, military unit changes, and the different benefits for various city buildings.

We gave Civilization V a favorable review and remain fans, but a number of big issues have come to light in the first few weeks since the game's release. Players' main complaints have been about the AI—that they are often illogical, refuse demands when a massive army is poised on their borders, and will behave in a way inconsistent with their images. Gandhi, for example, has often emerged as an intolerant and ruthless warmonger. For a version of Civilization that puts such a heavy emphasis on diplomacy, this has proved to be a sizable stumbling block.

Several fixes attend to the AI's sometimes illogical diplomatic and military behavior, and there are some new diplomatic interaction options. Many mechanics of military units have been changed, from their number of moves to their attack penalties against each other. A few buildable structures, especially happiness-producing ones, have had their stats altered.

The game has only been out about three months, but the list of changes is still fairly staggering. Firaxis is likely trying to shape up the game before the release of two new civilizations, Spain and Inca, and a DLC pack due out soon. While the patch is free, unfortunately, the new content will run US gamers $7.49.