As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of Civilization under my belt, I must say that the news about Civilization 7’s new Ages system has left me both intrigued and slightly apprehensive. The concept of chapters and objectives sounds appealing, but I can’t help but wonder if this shift will maintain the open-ended sandbox feel that I’ve come to love about the series.
In Civilization 7, the gameplay structure is significantly altered, introducing a fresh trilogy of Eras. As players progress sequentially through these periods, they’ll encounter tasks and face novel Challenges that will challenge every in-game leader, offering opportunities for new civilizations to emerge from the remnants of previous ones.
As a devoted fan, I had the privilege of delving deeply into the novel system during our Gamescom preview, and recently, I got the exciting opportunity to chat with the series’ Creative Director, Ed Beach, to discuss the monumental changes we can expect in Civilization 7.
“It’s going to be the hardest thing for fans to get adjusted to”
Ever since Civilization 7 was unveiled, there has been some concern among players about how the Age system might impact the open-ended, almost sandbox feel that is characteristic of a typical Civilization game.
“It changes the fundamental structure of the game,” Beach admits.
In a typical 4X game, the action commences modestly, perhaps with only a couple of units. It then gradually escalates, expanding and expanding, until it becomes broader and broader, eventually reaching an explosive climax.
Recently, there has been a lot to handle and keep tabs on towards the end of the game. Our aim was to ensure it became less overwhelming for the players.
The “Ages” system provides resets within the game, allowing players a moment of tranquility to regroup, catch their breath, and readjust their strategy. This feature significantly contributes to maintaining balance, particularly in single-player games.
“It’s a very fundamental structural change, which we’re really excited about.”
From the ashes
As I navigate through the ages, I’m braced for the inevitable crises that mark their conclusion. These turbulent times offer unique opportunities – seize them wisely, and you might reap unexpected rewards as you transition into the next age, or even transform your entire civilization into a new form altogether.
In the previous game, Beach mentioned that team members occasionally swapped leadership between civilizations, like Kublai Khan leading either Mongolia or China at the game’s onset. However, this current version introduces a more substantial change as players are now allowed to switch their leadership multiple times throughout the game.
“He points out that adjusting to something new might be challenging for our fans, but he believes there have always been some unusual aspects in Civilization.”
We’ve shifted our focus towards areas with more unusual events. For example, instead of starting a discussion at 4000 B.C. about “Germany”, we should consider that Germany will not be established as a nation for several centuries or even millennia from that time.
However, I am controlling the German civilization, and I find myself surrounded by the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks, all of whom excel greatly in that aspect of the game.
In multiplayer games, players tend to avoid choosing countries like Germany, America, or Canada because they don’t offer significant early-game advantages. Instead, it seems more logical for every player to have benefits throughout the game since waiting 300 turns for a bonus might not be viable due to the risk of being eliminated before then.
“Yes, there are some wacky bonuses that can come out of it. We keep the AI, the AI sticks with historical pathways so they sort of seem pretty sensible to the players about how their leaders and civs line up with each other. But if the player wants to kind of invent in their head their own fantasy, like moving from Egypt to Mongolia because I was great at mastering all the grasslands where all the horses lived. Yeah, that’s fine with us.”
To learn more about Civilization 7, don’t forget to explore Beach’s hints regarding potential expansion features and insights into the development process tailored for the Nintendo Switch.
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2024-08-29 13:43