Summary
It’s been a minute sinceCivilization 7’s official announcement back in February last year, and news about what to expect from the Firaxis flagship has been slow to make the rounds. The wheels of the 4X strategy genre have still rolled strongly despite this information gap, as a flurry of new titles such asMillenniaandZEPHONcontinue to make headway in the category, withAra: History Untoldset to join the ranks later in the year. This influx provides stiff direct competition for the enduringSid Meier’s Civilization, while the wait to see how the developer intends to improve onCivilization 6’s offerings drags on. However, the growing competition in the 4X strategy scene isn’t necessarily bad news for Firaxis.
Civilizationhas held a prestigious reputation at the apex of the turn-based strategy genre since its dominant display withCiv 4, and the franchise’s influence is yet to wane all these years later. That has stemmed from a willingness to adapt its core mechanics to the times, in addition to expanding on the variety of leader options to enhance its replay value. However, the current waiting period is the longest that the franchise has gone without releasing a mainline installment, and it’s more important than ever before for Firaxis to pay attention to what its closest competitors are doing. The influx of new titles has helped maskCiv 7’s protracted development calendarand could inform some of Firaxis' most pertinent decisions.
Newer Titles Could Have Some Bearing on Civ 7’s Direction
Historical strategy 4X is a niche that doesn’t typically see as much action as other genres, andCiv 7coming out soonerwould have done wonders to bulk up the category’s options. On the bright side, however, the wait period has birthed the likelihood of players exploring other titles instead of getting caught up inCivilization’s bubble. Although competitive in nature, this variety is a good thing for Firaxis. Going through the motions from the Ancient Era to the Future (added in the Gathering Storm DLC) can only be entertaining so many times. Hence, a break to explore the mechanics of new games could be a positive.
Apart from the competition keepingCivilization’s inner workings fresh for the time being, Firaxis could also learn from the different boons and pitfalls of the genre’s newer titles. For instance,Civilization 6has its nations' identities in itsunique leadership perks, which adds to the strategy component. To divest itself from Firaxis' asymmetric path,Millenniaripped the bandage off of national traits, allowing for increased cultural fluidity. However, this cultural development system was held back by the clunky management of various currencies needed for upgrades.
Civilization 7 Could Learn Valuable Lessons from Its Competitors
UI is a feature that can hardly ever be perfect, butCivilization 7would do well to avoid the hiccupsMillenniawalked into in this regard. Similarly,Millennia’s Eras mechanic offered a refreshing spin on the otherwise linear time frame; progression was based on the technology tree, and variant ages like theAge of Heroescould easily translate toCiv 7, albeit with a few tweaks to the research system. C Prompt Games' approach went a little wide of the mark with its implementation, focusing on speed over depth — a pitfall Firaxis can learn from. Likewise, althoughAra: History Untoldis still some ways out, its unique take on turn-based strategy could be something worth looking into forCiv 7.
Traditionally, 4X strategy games utilize a mechanic where each player goes through their turn before handing over to the next, butAra: History Untoldis opting for a simultaneous approachto create less predictable playthroughs. While the classic method is already a part ofCivilization’s identity at this point, ifArafinds considerable success with this formula, it isn’t outlandish to expect Firaxis to deploy simultaneous gameplay in some capacity. All these new developments and their reception could influence some of the decision-making behindCiv 7, which is why the installment’s biggest competitors may also be beneficial.
