Civilization is a turn-based strategy game where you lead a historical civilization from the Stone Age to the modern era—balancing diplomacy, warfare, economics, and technological advancements. You may start in the ancient era, build your empire, advance through the ages, and hopefully you complete your ultimate world domination—if you survive.
Each new release has brought something new, adding new systems like religion, culture victories, and the rise and fall of empires. Civilization VII might take things to the next level.
Massive hype around Civilization VII
The Civilization series has a bustling subreddit with almost 600,000 members at. When the studio Firaxis Games announced Civilization VII, fans went crazy. But after the hype died down a bit, players started wondering how the new game could surpass its predecessor?
Enter the new Ages system: Firaxis has hinted that the new age-shifting mechanic could change the way players move through history, making it less predictable and more responsive to what’s happening in the world.
That’s exciting news for long-time fans who want more dynamic, less scripted gameplay. So what exactly is this new system, and how will it work?
The new Civilization VII Ages system explained
Recently, Firaxis developers gave us some key details about the upcoming Civilization VII at PAX 2024 in Seattle. During a panel discussion, lead designer Ed Beach and his team teased how the new Ages system will be the biggest adjustment for players.
In Civilization VII, the game is structured around three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern with the ability to take on multi-aged campaigns. Each Age introduces a unique set of civilizations, units, and resources specific to that era.
This is a major shift from past games where players would control a single civilization, focusing on working through their skill tree throughout the entire campaign. Now, your civilization will transform with each Age.
Non-linear progression through time
This flexible system allows civilizations to shift between different historical phases based on their actions and external factors. Here’s what we know:
In previous games, advancing through the ages was a fairly straight, albeit grindy, process. You researched a set of technologies or complete cultural milestones, and boom—you’ve entered the next era.
In Civilization VII, things will be less predictable. Progression through Ages is no longer a straightforward journey through a tech tree. Instead, multiple factors will influence how and when your civilization advances. These factors include military power, economic stability, diplomatic standing, and reactions to dynamic world events.
For example, your actions during a given Age, such as completing key milestones in science, culture, or military objectives, will fill up your Age Progression meter. Once this meter is filled, the entire game shifts into a new Age, and all players—including AI opponents—move forward together.
In a Reddit thread discussing the new system, players speculated that this fluid progression could allow civilizations to regress as well as advance.
Imagine losing a key battle or having your economy collapse, only to be kicked while you’re down and thrown into a Dark Age. Just like in real history, it is unpredictable and even glorious monuments like the Colosseum can become homeless shelters once its rulers shift their focus.
If true, this adds a whole new layer of strategy and mechanics to the game, constantly causing you to adapt and forcing you not just focus on the tech tree.
How will Age Transitions in Civilization VII work?
If you’ve ever played Civilization, you know one of the most exciting parts of playing is shifting through ages. The newest game in the series is changing how they’ll be triggered.
Age shifts introduce a significant change to the gameplay, allowing players to switch civilizations during transitions between Ages. These Age transitions occur when enough progress is made in the Antiquity, Exploration, or Modern Ages. The concept of evolving through multiple civilizations during a single game is similar to Humankind’s system of choosing new cultures for each era.
Here’s how the new Civilization VII system works:
- Age progression and transition: As you play through an Age, progress is tracked via the Age Progress meter, which fills up as you complete specific objectives like scientific discoveries, military victories, and cultural milestones. Once filled, all civilizations (AI and players) transition to the next Age together.
- Civilization switching: At each transition, you will select a new civilization to guide through the next Age. Some civs will evolve into others that have strong historical or geographical ties. For instance, Egypt in Antiquity may transition into the Abbasids during the Exploration Age. Specific actions taken during the previous Age, such as economic strategies or military campaigns, can unlock unique civs not tied to historical progression.
- Legacy and Crisis Systems: Along with selecting a new civ, you also carry forward certain “Legacies” from the previous Age—bonuses or penalties based on how well you completed Age-specific objectives. In addition, each Age culminates in a Crisis event that forces players to make tough strategic decisions. Successfully navigating these crises can either bolster your empire or drag you into a Dark Age.
This approach brings unpredictability, forcing you to adapt not just by moving through a tech tree but by reacting to dynamic world events and strategic choices.
While reminiscent of Humankind‘s era-switching mechanic, Civilization VII takes it a step further by tying transitions to both historical realism and flexible gameplay decisions.
The Crisis system explained
At the end of each Age, your civilization will face a Crisis, a challenging event that players must navigate. These Crises force difficult decisions and offer unique challenges that reflect the historical turning points of the era.
For example, the Crisis at the end of Antiquity could involve managing barbarians, while a Crisis in the Modern Age might deal with global conflict or technological risks. How you handle these Crises can impact how you enter the next Age—whether you earn bonuses or penalties like Golden or Dark Age legacies.
Civilization’s new era
One of the greatest strengths of the Civilization series has always been its replayability. Every game feels different because of the random map generation, the variety of leaders, and the endless strategic possibilities. But with the new Ages system, Civilization VII is taking replayability to the next level.
Because Ages will be triggered by a combination of factors like Crises, you’ll never play the same game twice. This new mechanic adds a new layer of unpredictability that will keep veteran, and beginner players on their toes for many games to come.
The age-shifting feature in Civilization VII is more than just a new mechanic—it’s a fundamental change to the game and how players experience it. With non-linear progression, the potential for both Golden and Dark Ages, and new ways to trigger these shifts, Civilization VII is set to bring a fresh new spin on the series.
For fans of the franchise, this means more complex decision-making, more dynamic interactions between civilizations, and a lot more replayability.
Civilization VII isn’t just about advancing through your skilltree and history, it’s about adapting to it, shaping it, mastering the unpredictability and perhaps even making sure your Colosseum looks presentable to visitors.
