Civilization 7 Devs Compare New Features to Civ 6

Highlights

Civilization 7 aims to shake up its legacy with new Leaders and Ages, Crisis system, and Legacy Paths, offering fresh gameplay experiences.
The game draws inspiration from real-world history to create engaging systems like the crisis system, allowing players to shape emerging cultures.
With redesigned units and gameplay mechanics, Civ 7 offers a more granular and immersive experience, delivering unique units that last throughout ages.

As a seasoned gamer with years of Civilization under my belt, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for Civilization 7. The new focus on emergent cultures, legacy paths, and granular unit types truly speaks to me as a player who loves to delve deep into the intricacies of each civilization.

2025 promises an exciting lineup of games, with Civilization 7 being one of the most eagerly awaited titles. However, it’s not just Civilization 7 that has gaming enthusiasts buzzing; Grand Theft Auto 6 is also on the horizon. Despite their differences in gameplay and target audience, both games are highly anticipated. In the case of the Civilization series, the upcoming release, Civilization 7, aims to innovate by introducing substantial alterations to Leaders and Ages, along with a host of new features like the Crisis system and Legacy Paths.

Of course, Civilization 7 is built on the foundation the franchise is known for, meaning several decisions were informed by elements of Civilization 6 and every game before it. Game Rant recently visited Firaxis Games in Baltimore, Maryland to spend a few hours playing Civilization 7 and also briefly spoke with executive producer Dennis Shirk and game designer Carl Harrison about the new features in Civ 7. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

To gain a comprehensive grasp of the content discussed in this interview, it would be beneficial to peruse our

A: What’s your approach when developing the seventh primary installment of the series, excluding side games and such? As you reflect on the past and work on this new project, how do you manage to keep the creative spark alive following so many previous titles?

It’s great being surrounded by history enthusiasts here, as there’s always something to spark creativity. One of our key features is the crisis system, and one of its sources of inspiration could be the Fall of Rome, for instance. Although Rome as an empire no longer exists, its influence can be seen worldwide in various forms and cultures. The concept is that significant events like the Fall of Rome or World War 2 tend to occur during each era. Interestingly, we haven’t incorporated this idea into a Civilization game before.

As a game developer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the creation of the crisis system for Civ 7 has been one of the most intriguing and challenging projects I’ve ever encountered. The inspiration for this unique feature came from observing real-life crises throughout history and how they have shaped civilizations.

Civilization 7 Devs Compare New Features to Civ 6

If we were adhering strictly to the same format as Civilization 4, 5, and 6, this would simply be an upgrade, or Civilization 6.5. However, instead of creating a sequel that follows the familiar pattern of its predecessors, Ed opted for a fresh start by diving headfirst into uncharted territory with the mindset of “Why not try something new?” This approach excites me because players will have to view the game with a clean slate this time around. There are no preconceived notions about how to play or win Civilization 7; it’s an open field, inviting innovation and creativity.

Harrison: Not only are we all historians, but we’re also game enthusiasts. The fact that we find pleasure in playing this game makes our work even more exciting. We’re constantly thinking, “What if we tried this? What if we did that?” and that’s what I love most about it.

Working as a producer, I often find it challenging when brilliant ideas come up so close to the end of the project. Yet, when they do, it’s like discovering a gem – “Wow, that’s amazing! We need to give it a shot.”

As an enthusiast, I’ve noticed a shift from individual leaders to broader representations in Civ 7. Could you share some insights on how these new leaders are chosen during the development process?

In every game, there will always be characters who are greatly admired by fans, figures who were once extremely popular and essential to our player base. If these characters aren’t playable as X, it could lead to disappointment among the fans, as Sid pointed out. This was evident in Civilization 5 when we released the game without Genghis Khan. After receiving criticism from Sid with his comment “What?”, we realized our mistake and released Genghis Khan for free the following month as an update. This incident highlights the importance of including these fan favorites, as they form a crucial part of the game’s foundation.

As an enthusiast, I’m diving deep into unexplored territories, not just to cover every corner of the world, but to amplify voices that are often overlooked – from hidden industrial pioneers to cultural leaders who have left a significant impact, yet remain under the radar. Unveiling these intriguing figures and incorporating them into our game is an exciting prospect. Carl and his content design team, being the experts they are, spend their days collaborating with historians to discover and fill these hidden gems of content.

Harrison: We’re not only interested in lesser-known facts; we also appreciate well-known ones that we haven’t explored yet. It’s exciting for us to incorporate them, saying “This is amazing! We’ve never done it before!” It’s delightful to be able to include such representations or add-ons, whatever they may be.

Q: What was the driving factor in your civilization changing with every age?

The idea behind it is derived from Ed’s talk about London. This concept resembles how Rome evolved, spreading its culture far and wide, and eventually influenced other civilizations. In Civilization 6, if you choose a civilization whose unique traits are modern, you’ll have to play the initial three-quarters of the game as an ordinary civilization player. Your distinctive features won’t become available until the real-world power that this civilization possessed actually emerged. With this scenario, you’re playing civilizations during their peak powers, which corresponds to how they were in our world. For instance, Rome reached its zenith of power, but then it fell, transformed into something else, and other civilizations rose up.

In this game, as you’ve shaped a powerful horse-centric civilization like Rome, it could foreshadow the emergence of a new culture similar to Mongolia in the next era. You’d then take control of the Mongolian civilization at its peak, enjoying unique features such as units, structures, and districts that define Mongolia. However, there will come a time of crisis, marking the age transition, followed by new options for the modern age. What arises from Mongolia after this transition? It’s no longer the same as before. You carry your legacy forward, with the central Roman district still present in your city, providing its historical benefits. The goal here is to model and change the way cultures evolve over time in Civilization, as designed by Ed.

Q: We’ve got new units like Army commanders too. Can you talk a little bit about designing new units and maybe how many new units are in Civ 7?

Harrison: Indeed. The magnification power of our microscope for each era has never been higher. We can now focus on specific types of units, and we have a larger number of these units for each era they’re found in, allowing us to examine them in greater detail.

That also applies to our Civ unique units. Because we have a clearer sort of starting point and decline-type ending point, we can say unique units last that entire time. Once you unlock your unique unit, that unit will be with you the whole age. In Civ 5 and 6, your unique unit could be there for just the swordsman, and by the time you moved it across the map to attack your neighbor, it was done. That’s no longer the case.

When you decide to start your game afresh and choose a different culture, the art team has put in a significant amount of effort to create culturally accurate content across multiple aspects. This includes the design of units, unique characters, architectural structures, as well as the details within these elements such as armor variations. They strive to ensure that each element appears fitting for the era and culture you’re playing, investing a large amount of work to make it feel authentic.

As a gamer, I often find myself wondering about the choice of terminology in the game’s design. For instance, when it comes to the legacy paths, they seem quite similar to victories, and in the final Age, they serve as victory conditions. My curiosity is piqued by the use of the word “legacy” here. Why was this specific term chosen?

In Civilization 6, one problem we encountered was that many players could aimlessly play until they decided their strategy. By the time they made their decision, the world had already begun to take shape, making it difficult to achieve the victory they intended. This new feature enables a typical builder-culture player like me to embark on a legacy path from the start, ensuring that my chosen direction is set early in the game.

I’d prefer playing a strategy game centered around cultures, as it allows me to achieve specific milestones in my game progression. This strategy will enhance my civilization’s performance during subsequent ages if I aim for a cultural victory. I don’t simply play without direction and hope for the best; rather, I set objectives that guide me towards success. These milestones not only provide structure but also help me accumulate legacy points. When transitioning through age phases, these points grant me the ability to select advantages like culture or science-related bonuses to carry forward. In essence, the legacy paths offer a focused approach with additional benefits in the chosen gameplay aspect.

[END]

2024-08-21 12:54

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