Civilization 7 Promises to Make Every Decision Interesting. New Age System Was „Scariest Change” for Series' Devs
Changing the age system in Sid Meier's Civilization 7 slightly frightened the developers, but Firaxis studio believes it made the right decision.
The developers of Sid Meier's Civilization 7 were also afraid of implementing major changes to the series. Executive producer Dennis Shirk admitted as much in an interview with Techradar, calling the new era system "one of the biggest changes we've made to the game and one of the scariest in terms of changing Civilization, something that's so consistent."
Layers of history
Advancing to the next age with new mechanics is one of the most talked about aspects of the upcoming installment of the iconic series bearing Sid Meier's name. Fans have had some concerns about this system from the beginning. Mainly because it resembled the solution used in Humankind, which didn't gain recognition from players (although some individuals noted significant differences in how this system was implemented in both titles).
However, the developers had already explained the implementation of this mechanic by talking about "building a history on layers." Shirk adds that in the real world, it was unlikely for a single civilization (let alone a leader) not to undergo change "from point A to point B." He cited the example of the Roman Empire, whose traditions survived longer than the empire itself.
That's what Ed Beach, creative director of Civilization VII, wanted to do: show "how the people and the culture traveled and traversed the globe and the influences they had on each other." At the same time, it allowed the devs to separate leaders from civilizations (at least partially, because some characters will be more strongly associated with certain nations).
"Leaders" will have their own unique abilities, developed over the centuries. The devs also wanted to limit the "snowball effect," i.e. the player gaining a huge advantage. This was already mentioned during a recent stream and in the first developer diary dedicated to the seventh installment of Civilization.
The excitement of discovery and interesting decisions
The change to the age system is the biggest change in the "seven" - but by no means the only one. Shirk points out several other new features, including a commander system that will make army management much easier. There are supposed to be more of these "little things" which means that some of the strategies known from previous installments of the series may be less effective in Civilization VII and players will have to get used to it. At the same time, these changes are intended to make “every decision interesting.”
Firaxis studio also wanted to solve another problem of the series. Shirk claims that up to now, players have favored playing through the first 100 turns, occasionally even starting the game anew after exiting the Age of Discovery. Civilization VII is intended to evoke a "feeling of discovery" in each of the three ages.
In the first age you can't cross the oceans, but you're exploring your continent. Then the Second Age opens up. You get to another advanced level of shipbuilding, for example, and now you can traverse the oceans. You're trying to find the New World, and there's other civilizations there that you're going to meet for the first time. Then in the Modern Age, we're going to have something similar, this new sense of discovery.
Sid Meier's Civilization VII will be released on February 11, 2025, on PC, PS5, and XSX/S.
