Little things you'd like to see in Civilization VII

[historix69]

a leader (who would provide the unique ability)

I probably would keep the original leader name and model and just swap the trait, otherwise it may hurt the historical roleplay.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

Would be nice if you could set certain civilizations and city-states as 'of interest' so you only get notifications for those civs and CS's. And the city-states 'of interest' would appear highest in the city-state menu so you remember which city-states are the ones you want to curry favour with.

 

[Loerwyn]

This is less a gameplay feature but I'd like to see the ability to zoom in and rotate around Wonders so we can see them in more detail. I think it would just be pretty fun.

 

[Hellenism Salesman]

This is less a gameplay feature but I'd like to see the ability to zoom in and rotate around Wonders so we can see them in more detail. I think it would just be pretty fun.

More camera freedom would be really nice.

 

[Caesar of Bread]

World Fairs/Expos that can help gain diplomacy/culture points

 

[frutiemax]

• Every building should be placed on its own tile, kind of like Old World. This would introduce new strategies for building placement.
• More advanced resource management : right now, if you improve a resource, it gets added to a global stack of resources. I would make these local to a city, so in order to get resources across all the empire, you need trade routes.
• No hexagon grid and use a free grid, like age of empires does. The adjacency criteria can be replaced with a maximum distance between buildings.
• More robust online play : please make it so there are no more desyncs and fix the multiplayer lobby, it's not normal we have to rejoin a lobby in order to not crash the host.
• Return to a more realistic graphical style; since civ 6 was more cartoonish it would be fresh to see next gen realistic graphics, especially if the Unreal Engine is used.
• Religion is a bit tricky to spread, especially in multiplayer. There should be consequences to kill a missionary or apostle, i.e. make it a martyr and increase the bonuses of that religion to be spread even more.
• I would like to see the religion to have its own tree, like the culture and research. The religion would see progress through the amount of faith generated or/and number of people converted.
• Religions should also see a decline when the game progresses, especially with new technologies being researched. In civ 6, I don't see any decline of the religion. Since there is a decline, the religion should receive major boosts.
• Religions tend also to slow down the research (i.e. what we call the dark ages), there should something like the world congress but for the world religion to ban some technologies

 

[aieeegrunt]

This idea that religion impedes science is an athiest bigotry that needs to die. Christianity for example is well known for having the idea of universal literacy spread with it

Then there is the well known achievements in mathematics ny medieval muslims, etc

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

No hexagon grid and use a free grid, like age of empires does.

But what about unit movement?

Religions tend also to slow down the research (i.e. what we call the dark ages),

Pray elaborate.

 

[frutiemax]

I could see some heresy concepts to be introduced i.e. if the religion is spread to another civ that is more technologically advanced the religion host could attack the science output... The units movement should be in meters or whatever the unit that the game uses...

 

[Patine]

This idea that religion impedes science is an athiest bigotry that needs to die. Christianity for example is well known for having the idea of universal literacy spread with it

Then there is the well known achievements in mathematics ny medieval muslims, etc

And by Confucians in China as well, and the large list of Jews who have contributed to the corpus of scientific knowledge. In fact, before the late 19th Century, I think the number of adamant and pronounced Atheists who contributed significantly to science could be counted on two hands.

 

[Patine]

I could see some heresy concepts to be introduced i.e. if the religion is spread to another civ that is more technologically advanced the religion host could attack the science output... The units movement should be in meters or whatever the unit that the game uses...

I'm not sure I understand what you're proposing here. Could you please paraphrase a bit more clearly?

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

World Fairs/Expos that can help gain diplomacy/culture points

That's kind of like how they are currently. Well, they are more geared toward earning Great people, but most of the Great people are oriented towards culture.

Religions tend also to slow down the research (i.e. what we call the dark ages), there should something like the world congress but for the world religion to ban some technologies

Ironically the Monasticism Dark Age policy increases science by 75% in cities with a Holy Site.

 

[Caesar of Bread]

That's kind of like how they are currently. Well, they are more geared toward earning Great people, but most of the Great people are oriented towards culture.

Oh. Silly me. I don't have Gathering Storm

 

[Loerwyn]

• Religion is a bit tricky to spread, especially in multiplayer. There should be consequences to kill a missionary or apostle, i.e. make it a martyr and increase the bonuses of that religion to be spread even more.
• I would like to see the religion to have its own tree, like the culture and research. The religion would see progress through the amount of faith generated or/and number of people converted.
• Religions should also see a decline when the game progresses, especially with new technologies being researched. In civ 6, I don't see any decline of the religion. Since there is a decline, the religion should receive major boosts.
• Religions tend also to slow down the research (i.e. what we call the dark ages), there should something like the world congress but for the world religion to ban some technologies

I agree but don't with these. I'll try tackle them with my counter-opinions one-by-one.
1. Diplomatic penalty, best way to do it in my opinion. Whether it causes grievances (minimised by having asked said leader to stop, in which case it is a valid move) or just costs a diplomatic resource to do, I think that works out best.
2. Yeah, I think the current religion system is too basic and too narrow to really be of much use. I'd like to see it move away from any base resource yields and more into gameplay bonuses.
3. This is where I disagree pretty strongly, I think religion has a strong cultural link and I'd like to see that strengthened. I think a reform mechanic later in the game would be a reasonable suggestion to allow you to refresh your religion and keep it more relevant to gameplay, and if we go back to your second point then you could argue that technology can help bolster your religion. Broadcasting, for example, could potentially give you a bonus to the spread of your religion.
4. Not sure I understand the first point, but I think I get the second half of this. I'm not sure it would really work without hampering yourself, so perhaps religion could be used to balance culture and technology? I.e. you can start a religious event to boost your culture but at the expense of technology, or you can make wonders build quicker but regular buildings take longer.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

• Religions tend also to slow down the research (i.e. what we call the dark ages), there should something like the world congress but for the world religion to ban some technologies

Some Religions at Some Times tried to stifle Some Research, but to extend those limited instances to a general rule is simply not supported by any historical evidence.
The 'Dark Ages' are a case for the opposite: they represented a collapse of long distance trade and the populations supported by that because the Borderless Empire (Rome) that had stimulated that trade was gone, but there is a great deal of evidence that 'scientific' or technological progress did not slow down at all. A recent book called The Light Ages was entirely about this, but to hit some of its High Points:
By the 11th century the Doomesday Book counted over 6000 mills in England, and sophisticated gearing techniques had been developed to use them to power wood and stone cutting and shaping, felt and textile preparation, as well as food preparation (working grain into flour).
Iron and (relatively low quality) steel working had progressed so that virtually every town and village had a Blacksmith to manufacture tools and (of lesser importance) weapons. The individual productivity due to possession or availability of iron tools for agriculture and construction was much higher than it had been under the Roman Empire.
Wooden Truss construction, applied to both roof and wall structures, was invented at the end of the 'Dark Ages' (around 1000 CE) so that wooden structures could be built with wide, open floor plans and higher, more open walls - the same development in stone resulted in the Gothic cathedrals, but wooden warehouses and meeting halls were earlier versions of a similar style.
The literate class of 'churchmen' traveled to Cordoba and Toledo to translate those Arabic mathematical texts and copies of Aristotle and other classical authors from the libraries there by 1000 CE. This 'translation movement' was at least as important to Western Science as the earlier 'Translation Movement/School' in Baghdad that introduced Indian mathematical notation and techniques to the Middle East. The introduction of Aristotle's work to Europe was NOT a Renaissance phenomena, it preceded the traditional 'renaissance' by over 400 years!
The earliest Universities in Europe were also founded in the 11th century (Oxford in 1096, for example) and they started as largely Theological institutions, so directly refute the notion that religion is antithetical to Learning. While starting as places to teach religious doctrine and philosophy, their cirriculae quickly included the classical Liberal Arts, mathematics and astronomy.
Another 'religious' institution, the monasteries, were centers for practical developments in agriculture, medicine, herbology, botany, brewing and, through their scriptoriums, literacy. See the career of Hildegarde of Bingen, a classical example of a leader in the monastic developments who is also widely considered the founder of Natural Sciences in Germany for her writings on botany and medicine.

I have concentrated on European developments both because of the focus of the book The Light Ages and because of your mention of the 'dark ages', which weren't. An equally long essay could be produced on the scientific and technological developments in the Arabic/Moslem world, India and East Asia, all in highly religious societies and cultures which, from the historical evidence, had no negative effects on their 'science' output at all.

 

[BuchiTaton]

By the way Religion was better in CIV4 and CIV5 than CIV6 despite until the later was its own victory type. So, I would like to get back the religious elements as part of Cultural and Diplomatic gameplay.
One example of this overlap is the use of Dogmatism as one of the ideologies/policies/civics/beliefs/tenets (since can be abstracted in-game as part of culture, religion and government). People here are talking about religion and its relation to scientific progress, and is true that religion itself is not opposite to technological advance, but both religious and secular movements have examples of dogmatic censure and persecution of novel ideas.
So in-game Dogmatism could be one of your ideologies (as part of an Ideology System that incorporates culture+religion+government) that benefits your own culture (key for cultural victory) but at the cost of reduced science yield. While Laicism helps you against foreign religious influence (for enemy cultural and diplomatic victories) but this time at the cost of your use of religious gain (for own cultural and diplomatic victories).
On the positive relation of religion and technological advance could be others ideologies like Monasticism and Esotericism. While Skepticism add for science and Pluralism help with diplomacy and science, and Syncretism provide culture and diplomacy.

 

[Phrozen]

Some Religions at Some Times tried to stifle Some Research, but to extend those limited instances to a general rule is simply not supported by any historical evidence.
The 'Dark Ages' are a case for the opposite: they represented a collapse of long distance trade and the populations supported by that because the Borderless Empire (Rome) that had stimulated that trade was gone, but there is a great deal of evidence that 'scientific' or technological progress did not slow down at all. A recent book called The Light Ages was entirely about this, but to hit some of its High Points:
By the 11th century the Doomesday Book counted over 6000 mills in England, and sophisticated gearing techniques had been developed to use them to power wood and stone cutting and shaping, felt and textile preparation, as well as food preparation (working grain into flour).
Iron and (relatively low quality) steel working had progressed so that virtually every town and village had a Blacksmith to manufacture tools and (of lesser importance) weapons. The individual productivity due to possession or availability of iron tools for agriculture and construction was much higher than it had been under the Roman Empire.
Wooden Truss construction, applied to both roof and wall structures, was invented at the end of the 'Dark Ages' (around 1000 CE) so that wooden structures could be built with wide, open floor plans and higher, more open walls - the same development in stone resulted in the Gothic cathedrals, but wooden warehouses and meeting halls were earlier versions of a similar style.
The literate class of 'churchmen' traveled to Cordoba and Toledo to translate those Arabic mathematical texts and copies of Aristotle and other classical authors from the libraries there by 1000 CE. This 'translation movement' was at least as important to Western Science as the earlier 'Translation Movement/School' in Baghdad that introduced Indian mathematical notation and techniques to the Middle East. The introduction of Aristotle's work to Europe was NOT a Renaissance phenomena, it preceded the traditional 'renaissance' by over 400 years!
The earliest Universities in Europe were also founded in the 11th century (Oxford in 1096, for example) and they started as largely Theological institutions, so directly refute the notion that religion is antithetical to Learning. While starting as places to teach religious doctrine and philosophy, their cirriculae quickly included the classical Liberal Arts, mathematics and astronomy.
Another 'religious' institution, the monasteries, were centers for practical developments in agriculture, medicine, herbology, botany, brewing and, through their scriptoriums, literacy. See the career of Hildegarde of Bingen, a classical example of a leader in the monastic developments who is also widely considered the founder of Natural Sciences in Germany for her writings on botany and medicine.

I have concentrated on European developments both because of the focus of the book The Light Ages and because of your mention of the 'dark ages', which weren't. An equally long essay could be produced on the scientific and technological developments in the Arabic/Moslem world, India and East Asia, all in highly religious societies and cultures which, from the historical evidence, had no negative effects on their 'science' output at all.

Perhaps the most important is the trailing harness allowing the most efficient use of more than two beasts of burden for pulling. Roman harnesses were lateral meaning you placed the beasts of burden next to each other which gives you diminishing returns on their pulling power due to angles. By stacking beasts of burden in pairs of two one behind another you get full pulling power of all the animals in a straight line.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Perhaps the most important is the trailing harness allowing the most efficient use of more than two beasts of burden for pulling. Roman harnesses were lateral meaning you placed the beasts of burden next to each other which gives you diminishing returns on their pulling power due to angles. By stacking beasts of burden in pairs of two one behind another you get full pulling power of all the animals in a straight line.

This is part of what I like to think of as the "Power Package": Horse Collars that wouldn't choke the horse as he pulled and the Trailing Harness that allowed larger and more efficient teams, and along with them the heavy iron-tipped plow with curved moldboard that could break up and furrow the heavy clay soils of northern Europe - which device had actually been invented back around 200 BCE in China and 100 CE in northern Germany, but in Europe at least, could not be a game-changer until they got more pulling power in front of it - the collars and harness. The various inventions had to be combined to get the full effect, which was to vastly increase the land under cultivation in northern Europe, which in turn led to increased population density and more political and economic and military power.

 

[luca 83]

Need more radical game mechanics that change over time such as colonization, independence in Latin America in the 1800s, and possibly decolonization in the 1950s - 1960s, the formation and collapse of empires Napoleon 1800s, the Russian revolution, regional states valued not Empires. Madagascar, Taiwan

 

[luca 83]

Addition of dynamics such as immigration and slavery: understood as trade. Not just as a legal system