Civilization 7: The Game-Changing Features You Won’t Believe Are Here!

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Fans of the Civilization franchise, who’ve enjoyed a decade-long journey within “Civilization 6”, are excitedly preparing for the launch of the long-awaited “Sid Meier’s Civilization 7“. Similar to previous installments, this 4X game strives to preserve the essence and appeal of its predecessors while offering significant improvements. Unlike past games, civilizations and leaders have been individually defined, and warfare has undergone a major transformation. Some methods of winning in “Civilization” have been phased out altogether.

It’s still uncertain if all the adjustments in the anticipated game, Civilization 7, will satisfy fans of the series, but Firaxis appears optimistic about the product they’re producing. Game Rant had an opportunity to converse with two developers from the team, lead designer Ed Beach and executive producer Dennis Shirk, discussing these changes and the features players can anticipate upon the game’s launch. For your convenience, this interview has been condensed for conciseness and clarity.

How Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 Shaped Civilization 7

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve picked up some significant insights playing Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 that have undeniably shaped my expectations for the upcoming Sid Meier’s Civilization 7. The strategic depth, balanced gameplay, and immersive storytelling in Civ 6 have been instrumental in molding my gaming preferences, and I eagerly anticipate these elements being further refined in the next installment.

As a dedicated gamer diving headfirst into the world of Sid Meier’s Civilization series, I must admit that the genesis of our work on Civilization 7 was rooted in a deep immersion within the gameplay mechanics and intricacies of Civilization 6. Our team had been tirelessly honing and refining the game for over five years before its release, followed by additional years dedicated to post-launch support.

There were aspects of Civilization 6 that we adored, elements that truly resonated with us as players. However, there were also areas that, despite their success, left us yearning for something more, something that would elevate the gameplay experience to new heights. Thus, our journey towards crafting Civilization 7 began, with the goal of addressing those points while preserving the essence of what made its predecessor such a beloved title in the gaming community.

The primary issue isn’t exclusively about Sid Meier’s Civilization 6, rather, it’s a critique of the 4X genre as a whole. The concern lies in the overwhelming number of units, cities, and resources that these games require players to manage. By the game’s end, one might feel compelled to continue playing, but equally likely is the desire to exclaim, ‘This is too much to handle! I don’t want to invest time going through each turn.’

The game Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 didn’t quite live up to expectations for me. For example, I was thrilled with the builder gameplay, which I had advocated for in Sid Meier’s Civilization 6, but by the end of the game, even I grew tired of them. Our main aim with Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 is to revamp the game. We discovered that dividing it into segments we call Ages was an effective way to achieve this. This allows us to pull back certain elements, start fresh, and simplify others. So far, players are finding it easier to complete games of Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, which is encouraging and has us quite enthusiastic about the direction we’re taking.

Question: Could you tell me about those builders you spoke of earlier? What events led to the decision where you said, “That’s it, we no longer need your services”?

Beach: Building structures wasn’t initially something we aimed for in Sid Meier’s Civilization 7. However, reflecting on our previous game, Sid Meier’s Civilization 6, the builders themselves weren’t seen as an issue. What we did notice as a challenge was the excessive number of clicks required to complete a turn and the high volume of transactions a player had to manage.

One fundamental principle in creating Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 is making choices that matter, or as we put it, impactful decisions. This might seem ambitious, but our aim was to ensure that every action taken by the player felt significant instead of mere routine management. With this concept in mind, during the development process, David, who headed our economic design at the time, proposed an intriguing idea: ‘Let’s eliminate builders and explore whether we can link the selection of the next improvement to city growth events. This way, we can observe how it feels.’

Initially, I was hesitant, but we gave it a try and found that it wasn’t flawless; there were certain aspects that needed adjustment. Specifically, we had to fine-tune the user interface to ensure clarity in all its functions. After making those improvements, we were taken aback by the number of people who expressed skepticism about the game, saying things like, “I wouldn’t enjoy a game without builders or workers.” However, the overall response has been overwhelmingly positive. We conducted extensive focus tests on this game, and it has proven to be quite robust even without builders or workers.

In addition, a significant alteration in Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 is the separation of leaders and civilizations. Why did this change ultimately become necessary, and what benefits do we anticipate for players with this fresh perspective?

The concept we were heading towards in our game, similar to ‘Sid Meier’s Civilization 6’, was the idea of leaders overseeing multiple civilizations. It seemed exciting, and players might enjoy customizing their own leader abilities alongside civilization abilities. However, we considered incorporating this feature into ‘Civilization 6’, but ultimately decided against it as we hadn’t yet balanced the game to accommodate such a change. The game was designed with each Civilization-Leader combination being equally strong in relation to all other pairings.

In starting with “Sid Meier’s Civilization 7“, our intention was to provide players with additional customization options. To achieve this, we structured the game in chapters from the get-go, which allowed us to plan for specific civilizations like eight Chinese, three Indian, or varied paths through Western Europe. We wanted to avoid frequent leader switches, so the link between a leader and their civilization had to be adaptable to maintain logical pathways. From the beginning, we felt that this approach was likely for “Sid Meier’s Civilization 7“, and since then, we’ve been experimenting with different combinations during focus-testing. This eventually led us to the current historic pathway system, where players need to unlock civilizations in a way that makes sense based on their leaders after some adjustments. Overall, we are very satisfied with how it turned out.

Is there anyone newly appointed as a leader in the game, whom you both feel players will be thrilled to play with?

Shirk: Ed, you should talk about Harriet Tubman

Our team deeply admires Harriet Tubman as she holds a special place in our hearts since we’re located in Maryland. If you’re not familiar with the intricacies of US history, Maryland is home to numerous museums and heritage trails on the Eastern Shore, across the Chesapeake Bay from us. Harriet Tubman is prominently featured in these sites, making her something of a local hero for us. Moreover, we were able to design unique skills for her that aren’t typical for leaders, such as espionage or recruitment abilities beyond the usual political realm. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to include her in this iteration.

My gaming style leans towards the less exciting. I’m particularly fond of Hatshepsut in ancient Egypt because I enjoy history and her location near navigable rivers gives me a strategic advantage. It’s also a secure place to play. As for personal connection, it’s Tecumseh. Our alliance with the Shawnee tribe creates numerous interactions, and we’re planning to visit again this weekend for the opening of their language center. That experience was truly extraordinary, and I believe gamers will find it intriguing to delve into it.

Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 is Shaped By Its Age System

Sure thing! Could you give us a brief overview of the different eras in the game and what activities or events occur during each one?

In the context of this game, each era presents its unique style and gameplay mechanics. For instance, during ancient times, your initial focus primarily lies on the half of the map where your base resides, often characterized by a large landmass with potential offshore islands. However, we also offer other map types such as fractal and archipelago for diversity. You’re initially establishing your city setup and determining the road connections between them. This includes identifying your neighbors and fostering trade relations. One aspect I appreciate about our age system is the integration of economic victory, but it manifests differently across eras. In the ancient era, you strive to create a thriving Silk Road within your empire, attracting traders from neighboring lands. Although military conflict may not be as prevalent as in modern times, there’s usually a struggle for territorial expansion.

In the early stages of the game, the map unfolds rapidly as you can now traverse oceans. For me, the most thrilling moment in a Civilization game has always been those initial 20-30 turns when you’re navigating the map, discovering what’s nearby, and identifying your rivals. However, I believe we’ve introduced some of that same sense of discovery and exploration to the mid-game with the current Exploration age setup. Since you’re aiming to expand across the seas and build a global empire, you may not delve deep into distant lands, but settling coastal areas and exploiting exotic resources from faraway places is crucial in the Exploration era. I find this appealing because it adds a new dimension to that part of the game, keeping things exciting and fresh.

In essence, the modern era is quite intense and demanding, as it involves grappling with industrialization, preparing for potential conflicts like World Wars, and often dealing with rival factions vying for control of resources. It appears to be the climactic finale in a trilogy, much like the conclusion of a game such as Sid Meier’s Civilization 7.

As a gamer, I’ve often found myself immersed in games with distinct eras, and I can’t help but wonder why you chose the specific three ages and their names that we see. What was the thought process behind this intriguing division of history?

Beach: It’s intriguing since we’ve hired several renowned historians since the release of Sid Meier’s Civilization 6. As one might expect, it’s challenging to confine their vast knowledge into neat, compact packages. We explained that we needed this for each historical chapter to have an epic feel, starting small but escalating as you delve deeper and the conflicts intensify, culminating in a climactic battle. The book then concludes, and before venturing into the subsequent book in the trilogy, there’s a brief respite or pause.

To better understand if certain patterns or sequences (story arcs) existed in history, we examined events from 4000 BC up to the present day. Interestingly, we discovered that several empires fell around the same time as Rome’s decline, not just limited to Western Europe but worldwide. This observation served as our foundation for our first chapter.

Defining a clear boundary between exploration and modern times was more challenging, but there were significant shifts following numerous revolutions like the American Revolution, French Revolution, and the toppling of monarchies in the early 19th century. These events provided a suitable dividing line.

Subsequently, we identified the World Wars as a pivotal moment that marked the end of the modern era due to its unprecedented impact across the globe. This event served as our natural conclusion for the modern age.

Beach: While we may have wished for them to be pristine, like the cleanliness required for space travel, it wasn’t until after World War II that beaches became more sanitary. There are occasional imperfections, but overall, they serve their purpose satisfactorily.

Shirk: We prefer not to tie the storyline to exact, fixed points in time as we want it to evolve and change. Ed understands that the setting of World War should serve as a backdrop, an event influenced by the world around it. To be honest, I enjoy the ambiguity of it – whether it occurs at the beginning or early on doesn’t matter much. Essentially, our goal is to create a stage where the characters can explore and interact.

Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 Has Shaken Up Its Warfare and Victories Considerably

A: The concept of commanders is a recent addition, resembling an advancement from the Great Generals in Sid Meier’s Civilization 6. Can you tell us where this idea originated and how it’s intended to transform the warfare aspect of the game?

In our discussions, there was a significant amount of feedback about Sid Meier’s Civilization 6, particularly concerning the management of the “Carpets of Doom” feature. This aspect became challenging to handle over time in the game, leading to unmanageable turn times. The AI struggled with this, especially when dealing with mountainous regions and numerous combat units. We identified this as an area that required simplification to improve decision-making. Brian Feldges, one of the senior designers on the combat systems team at the time, played a key role in addressing this issue.

One advantage is transferring promotions from individual units to commanders, ensuring a consistent leader who can be utilized over time. This commander holds significant sway, allowing you to consolidate multiple units into a single army and swiftly move it as a unified force across the map, avoiding delays caused by congestion. I often position an army strategically near my city, keeping it ready for deployment at a moment’s notice without scattering units excessively.

Strengthening is fantastic now! If you’re engaged in battles far off, as many of us often are, this feature enables you to construct structures back in your cities, direct it to reinforce a particular commander, and it will automatically reach its destination. You don’t need to fret about transportation logistics or potential obstacles en route; the system takes care of everything. This enhancement includes features like mass firepower and mass attacks, making it an incredibly enjoyable addition to larger-scale conflicts. It even benefits the AI side by reducing turn times, making it a win all around. Moreover, with the introduction of naval and air commanders in the Exploration and Modern ages, decision-making becomes more streamlined as it eliminates much of the tedious work, allowing us to focus on the engaging aspects. Essentially, Ed and his team are ensuring that we prioritize what truly matters.

A: To wrap up our conversation, I thought I might mention something intriguing about Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 that hasn’t been discussed yet – a feature you may find interesting!

Beach: Do you have anything, Dennis?

I was pondering the thought just now, and I wished you would have shared your thoughts first so that I could benefit from your insights on this topic since we’ve already tackled quite a few intriguing queries.

Discussing the Beach: There seems to be some confusion about how our novel system for narrative events operates. I’d like to clarify its functioning – when does it activate, and why? Let me explain it. Within our team, we’ve nicknamed this system our ’emergent narrative system.’ The fascinating aspect of it is that it draws inspiration from a feature in Sid Meier’s Civilization 6, which I was directly involved with, but didn’t quite work out as intended – the gossip system. You would see messages appearing in the upper right corner of your screen detailing happenings around the world. In our game, this system will alert you about various events, such as a trader in a specific city noticing that another empire is constructing a wonder, or a trader observing a volcano in a certain location.

In the game “Civilization 6” we investigated, it seemed somewhat overly active or loud. The constant changes and updates were hard for players to focus on and truly interact with. While there were intriguing details within, they often went unnoticed by gamers. For “Civilization 7,” rather than eliminating the system altogether, we integrated the underlying technology that monitored game activities into our new storytelling engine.

If you observe, the game’s storyline is usually set off by occurrences in the game world. It seems your city keeps flooding, and it’s becoming quite repetitive. You’ll typically receive an event about this when it happens. Some narrative events only occur after a specific sequence of circumstances has been met.

As a fan, I’m eagerly looking forward to the launch of our new game engine, as it allows us to trace the number of times specific stories are viewed by players. This post-launch analysis will undoubtedly unveil some fascinating insights into whether players are engaging with these intricate story chains in Sid Meier’s Civilization 7. It’s been quite a thrilling ride getting this feature integrated and functioning, but the excitement lies not just in what we can do to enhance the player experience, but also in imagining the incredible creations that the mod community will craft with it!

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2025-02-05 15:55