How Civilization 7 Rethinks The Series' Structure

As someone who has spent countless hours strategizing and conquering civilizations in the past, I must admit that the prospect of Civilization VII is both exhilarating and daunting. The new Commander units and refinements to gameplay mechanics have certainly piqued my interest, and the promise of a fresh approach to an old favorite has me eagerly awaiting its release.

As a dedicated fan, I’ve always marveled at the intricate layers of history. This was a fundamental principle that guided Firaxis as they conceptualized Civilization VII, the upcoming installment in their iconic 4X strategy series. You see, civilizations don’t stay stagnant; they rise, they fall, and new cultures emerge, adding their own chapters to the ongoing narrative. With Civ VII, Firaxis is committed to making our historical voyage more dynamic than ever, mirroring how civilizations naturally evolve and adapt over time.

A significant aspect of this innovative method involves dividing the historical narrative into three separate phases, or what I’d call “epochs”: Antiquity, Discovery, and Contemporaneity. Each epoch roughly aligns with milestones that veteran Civilization enthusiasts would recognize, but the introduction of these periods aims to enhance the gameplay flow by offering a sense of progression and accomplishment as you complete objectives within each epoch. These achievements will influence your future choices as you transition from one epoch into the next.

According to executive producer Dennis Shirk, enthusiasts of Civilization VI relish the Antiquity phase of the game. Some players may continue until the challenges become too tough or the game becomes congested, at which point they decide to restart and try a different approach. Others prefer to see their games through to the end. Yet, there are those who aim to do so, but find themselves unable to adapt their strategies in time as the world evolves around them, missing out on opportunities for victory. The Age system was designed to address this issue by dividing the game into segments, not just in terms of Stone Age to Space Age, but allowing new players to establish personal milestones. This way, players can shape their own direction and flavor during the game.

In the game Civilization 7, there are four primary routes to winning, which correspond to the traditional victory conditions: Science, Wealth, Warfare, and Arts & Ideas (Culture). The goals for each path may shift depending on the Era, and some additional win scenarios have been incorporated into this updated system.

From the very beginning of your temporal adventure, you can set the stage for your triumph by subtly steering towards it. As you advance, a sequence of mini-challenges will present themselves, offering advantages as you overcome them, providing a boost for the next leg of your journey. However, it’s essential to note that you aren’t confined to a single route. You have the freedom to explore various paths and discover new possibilities in the later stages, depending on how you decide to navigate your experience.

In Civilization VII, it’s significant not just that we advance through the eras, but also that you’re no longer tied to a single civilization for the entire game. At the start of the game, you select your civ, but as you move into the Exploration and Modernity phases, you can opt for a new civilization with distinct characteristics. The civilizations available to you are determined by a complex system based on achievements during each era. For instance, if you excel in horsemanship during an earlier era, you may have the opportunity to transition to the Mongol civilization during the Exploration phase.

“Shirk explained that this approach allows players to engage various civilizations at their peak strength. Previously, one had to play a civilization and wait until the Modern Age to unlock unique units like the Zero Fighter. However, in this new system, each civilization you explore is at its zenith. As you progress through different game chapters, you receive fresh additions alongside the familiar items you’ve kept with you. For instance, when playing an Exploration game, you might find the Roman Forum standing right in your city center because it was something you had built earlier and still benefits as intended.”

As a dedicated fan, I’m thrilled about a game-changing feature in this new iteration of Civilization: the leaders you choose won’t necessarily belong to the same civilization they were historically associated with! This means for the first time, we can select our leader independently, adding an exciting layer of strategy to the game.

Despite the potential that this system showed, unfortunately, I didn’t get to witness its full realization personally. During our demonstration, we were introduced to a fresh game set in the Age of Antiquity, but the options for civilizations and leaders were quite limited at the outset. Consequently, I missed observing the shift into a new Era, which typically involves selecting a new civilization based on achievements during the Antiquity period.

What I observed, however, was how Civilization VII subtly directs players towards their preferred objectives in an impressively natural and understandable manner. I picked the Roman Empire as my starting civilization, focusing on boosting Culture influence since it had the most advantageous passive bonuses among my options. Over the course of numerous turns, I established connections with neighboring civilizations, accumulated Wonders, and the mini-quests kept me mindful of how my actions influenced the direction of my gameplay. With a bit more time, I believe I could have achieved my Culture milestone for the Antiquity era and had an advantage for the next phase, Exploration, in terms of victory conditions.

As a gamer, I find that different age groups tend to gravitate towards specific aspects. The thrill of exploration, for me, is like setting sail across uncharted seas or expanding the horizons of my virtual world. It’s not just about discovering new lands; it’s about the excitement of encountering fresh gameplay systems and civilizations. That’s what I love about these Age containers – each one offers a unique set of challenges, a new civilization to interact with, and novel gameplay mechanics to master.

Pursuing a cultural victory was by no means an easy task. As I tirelessly strove to be the most influential civilization, I found that my neighbors were predominantly militaristic. It soon became evident that relying solely on influence and alliances would not suffice; I needed a strong military to defend myself from civilizations that flatly rejected my cultural influence as a symbol of peace. In Civilization VII, another significant new feature comes into play: Commanders. Whether for military conquests or safeguarding your precious Wonders, Commanders are crucial.

Leaders are unique entities that provide a beneficial influence over their surrounding area. They have the ability to gather other units into a unified force, forming a single, harmonious unit. These leaders accumulate experience points (XP) and can advance in rank, unlocking additional strategic commands. However, unlike hero units found in games such as Warcraft 3 or StarCraft, they do not fight independently. Instead, they serve more as a mobile command center for your armies, coordinating synchronized assaults and facilitating specialized troop movements–akin to the Great Generals in Civilization 6, guiding the tactics of your forces effectively.

Game designer Carl Harrison expressed a desire to alter the approach to game promotions, making units more vulnerable and easier to eliminate. This change aims to create larger, more exhilarating player conflicts while reducing the disappointment when losing high-level, heavily promoted units from past games. Now, the Commander accumulates all promotions and distributes them among other units, so if a frontline unit is destroyed in battle, it’s not a significant setback for the player.

Shirk pointed out that gamers of Civilization VI may identify with the challenge of maneuvering a massive military force through a constricted mountain path. He also highlighted that discovering chances for improvement was a major factor in creating the latest Commander units.

How Civilization 7 Rethinks The Series' Structure

One significant factor was also involved – we decided to assign the Commander to lead that five to six units. This way, they can move quicker. If there’s an enemy unit stationed at that pass, they can utilize the overrun ability granted by the Commander to the group, clearing a path on the other side and then deploying swiftly. It significantly enhances the fundamental aspects of maneuvering, or gathering armies together and strategically positioning them for defense or future use, creating a sort of tactical treasure chest for when it’s needed.

In Civilization VII and its subsequent expansions, there’s a strong echo of the past games, particularly the Civilization series. For instance, Shirk pointed out that natural disasters, which were well-liked by fans in the Gathering Storm expansion, are also part of this game.

Shirk stated, “The previous games have had a significant impact on us.” This isn’t just a positive influence, but also one that made us aware of our fans’ expectations during the development of this new game. They know what we’re producing and how we’re doing it, and in which sequence. That’s when we thought, ‘This time, we’ll do something different. We want to present them with a fresh perspective on the game.’ I believe so.”

In my opinion, Civilization VII invites a fresh perspective, regardless of whether or not you can switch civs during a campaign. The influence of these changes is evident from the game’s onset, offering new objectives to pursue and clear guides for progression. For veterans of the series, there’s an overwhelming amount of complexity and potential combinations to explore. Just like real history, Civilization games are constructed in layers, and this one seems to be pushing forward significantly from Exploration to Modernity.

2024-08-21 00:40

How Civilization 7 Rethinks The Series’ Structure

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