One Civ 6: Gathering Storm Mechanic is a Must-Have for Civilization 7

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One Civ 6: Gathering Storm Mechanic is a Must-Have for Civilization 7

Highlights

  • Civilization 6 set a new standard with 50 countries, but Civ 7 could push boundaries with climate change mechanics.
  • Firaxis should focus on challenging gameplay tweaks for Civilization 7, like penalties for CO2 emissions.
  • Civilization 7 aims to launch in 2025 with new art styles and potentially exceeding its predecessor in content.

As a long-time fan of the Sid Meier’s Civilization series, I’ve seen how Firaxis has continuously pushed boundaries with new leaders and mechanics. The introduction of 50 countries in Civilization 6 was impressive, but it’s time for the franchise to tackle more pressing real-world issues like climate change.

Sid Meier’s Civilization tends to go the extra mile to include new influential leaders and mechanics in its additional content. The most recent installment, Civilization 6, took the franchise to lands it had never ventured before through its DLCs, bringing the number of countries in the game to a record-setting 50. However, the impact of this post-launch content goes beyond adding a new face to the stacked lineup of history’s well-known figures. For instance, Gathering Storm was best known for the range of dynamics it introduced to Civilization 6‘s meta. With Civilization 7 fast approaching, one of Gathering Storm’s crowning features — climate change — should be one of the first things on Firaxis’ checklist.

In 2016, we welcomed the release of “Civilization 6.” Though Firaxis has consistently provided new content up until late 2022, fans have been eagerly anticipating the next installment in the franchise’s history. The official confirmation of “Civilization 7” for a 2025 launch has put an end to speculation, leaving us with the summer game fest 2024 trailer as our latest source of information. If past trends hold true, we can expect a larger roster of leaders and civilizations in “Civilization 7.” However, this alone may not be enough to generate significant excitement. “Civilization 6” introduced the climate change feature, which could potentially make a big splash if refined further.

Climate Change Could Be So Much More in Civilization 7

Discourse about climate change and its impact on global warming has never been more significant than it is now. As a result, it was anticipated that some video games would incorporate this issue into their gameplay. Firaxis Games set the trend with the Gathering Storm expansion for Civilization 6 in 2019, featuring numerous environmental changes like blizzards, volcanoes, and floods. While these alterations greatly affected the strategies of coastal and desert nations, they took a backseat to more eye-catching elements such as the World Congress and scenarios like The Black Death.

The climate change feature in Gathering Storm didn’t spark much controversy because it failed to significantly alter players’ fundamental strategies. While natural disasters like flooding and tornadoes might create short-term chaos, they don’t fundamentally affect long-term planning and can usually be managed with relative ease. For example, the primary concern of the climate change mechanic is the rising sea levels. However, this has limited consequences for civilizations situated far from the coasts, and players often accelerate their coal usage to harm coastal districts of opponents without much personal consequence.

Gathering Storm’s Climate Change Gimmick Needs a Touch-Up in Civ 7

In Civilization 6, dealing with increasing water levels was manageable if addressed promptly. Constructing flood barriers early served as a long-term defense against this issue. Contrary to popular belief, cities themselves wouldn’t drown but instead, only tiles, districts, and wonders would be affected by the encroaching waters. Despite this, Gathering Storm expansion’s climate change didn’t leave a significant mark on Civilization 6. However, it provided enough intriguing features for Civilization 7 to build upon and enhance the franchise further. To begin with, flood barriers should no longer be considered the ultimate solution for preventing environmental damage.

In the current version of “Civilization 6,” players can significantly increase their CO2 emissions without consequence, hidden behind protective barriers. Removing this shield would lead to a more collaborative approach among players, as they work together to prevent catastrophic levels of emissions. To achieve this, penalties for overproduction and the placement of certain wonders could be implemented in “Civilization 7.” Climate change would then become a significant challenge, as it did with the game’s seven-phase natural disasters in “Civilization 6.”

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2024-07-26 19:35