Units like televangelists and corporate franchises can drain portions of enemy gold or production and transfer it to the player's civilization. Later units can drop from space onto unsuspecting enemy cities. Eco-terrorists and Infectors wreak havoc on enemy landscapes. A quick read through the manual should be enough to help players get a sense of what they'll have to do to win. For instance, all caravans are camels.
More serious problems abound.
Especially on the easier levels, the player's civilization advances at an astronomical rate. That means most Wonders and units will be made obsolete before the player ever even has a chance to give them a try. A good fix here would've been Leo's Workshop from Civ II, which automatically upgraded units. Yet I've found nothing of the sort. Combat is ludicrous.