CIV VII - 5 maximum players?

[queenpea]

Hey all, apologies if there is already a thread on this. I was just watching a YouTube video from PotatoMcWhiskey where he mentioned that Civ VII will launch with a five player maximum per game. This is the first time I have heard about this limitation, and if it has been mentioned already in a thread here, my apologies.

This seems rather limiting to me, especially as there has been a lot of hope and speculation for the game to launch with around 15 ancient era civilizations. I assume this is for performance purposes, but it feels disappointing nonetheless.

For the moment, I'm hoping this is incorrect reporting.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Hey all, apologies if there is already a thread on this. I was just watching a YouTube video from PotatoMcWhiskey where he mentioned that Civ VII will launch with a five player maximum per game. This is the first time I have heard about this limitation, and if it has been mentioned already in a thread here, my apologies.

This seems rather limiting to me, especially as there has been a lot of hope and speculation for the game to launch with around 15 ancient era civilizations. I assume this is for performance purposes, but it feels disappointing nonetheless.

For the moment, I'm hoping this is incorrect reporting.

I believe this is partially incorrect reporting. 5 players max is known to be the multiplayer limit, not the main game, I assume that the main game may have more players.

 

[pokiehl]

There's a lot of speculation but no solid information. It stems from this blurb on the Steam page regarding multiplayer, which is a footnote from a sentence talking about multiplayer only.

Up to five players supported in the Antiquity & Exploration Ages. Up to eight players supported in the Modern Age. Map size restrictions may apply to certain cross-play multiplayer games. Terms apply.

I think the main interpretation is that this applies to "human players" only, and doesn't represent the total faction limit in a game.

My guess is this: in a standard game set-up, the "old world" that the player starts on may have 5 factions on it, with the rest hidden in the background in the new world (separated by ocean) to be found during the Exploration/Modern ages. Additional factions may dynamically arise in the Exploration/Modern ages as well. In multiplayer, the game will want to keep all players together in the "old world." Hence the 5 human player limit.

They spoke on this briefly at PAX a few days ago. My paraphrase of what they said is that they know a lot of people like larger free-for-all multiplayer games (which may be contra to the single player experience), and they are working on a solution to make people happy. I assume that means an alternative multiplayer mode, maybe where there is no "new world," or that some players are allowed to spawn on the new world.

All we can do is wait to hear more.

 

[LastSword]

To be frank this is the biggest mystery right now.

Map starts with locked territory. It quite obviously explains why "standard" players for map size can drop from 8 to 5.

However, it doesn't explain why there are no huge maps for multiplayer or can't we clutter smaller maps with extra players.

Lack of information is kind of concerning in this matter. Same about single player.
Right now we can only speculate that they have to solve some performance issues.

Also 15 is puny number for 2025. I hope for more.

 

[AntSou]

Also 15 is puny number for 2025. I hope for more.

15 Antiquity Civs. Civ 6 had 19 in total.

Edit: I don't know where that number is coming from though.

 

[LastSword]

15 Antiquity Civs. Civ 6 had 19 in total.

Edit: I don't know where that number is coming from though.

Well, we are talking about number of players, not civilizations.

I believe that 15 civilizations for antiquity was already confirmed and therefore OP hopes for games that start with 15 players.

 

[queenpea]

15 Antiquity Civs. Civ 6 had 19 in total.

Edit: I don't know where that number is coming from though.

I think 15 is coming from screenshots we have seen showing 15 blurred out squares or dots representing the total choices for civs in the Age of Antiquity.

 

[TreVor_ish]

Look up how many players in multiplayer Ara can have. What is so limiting? I don't know, but I have my hypothesis.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

It's 5 human players maximum in games that start in Antiquity on a standard map. Starting in a later Age presumably increases the number of players. Starting with a larger map presumably does as well.

The 15 civs in Antiquity is an assumption based on the number of wonders a streamer claims to have seen in the civilopedia at the press event. This is not confirmed.

 

[chaosprophet]

There's a lot of speculation but no solid information. It stems from this blurb on the Steam page regarding multiplayer, which is a footnote from a sentence talking about multiplayer only.



I think the main interpretation is that this applies to "human players" only, and doesn't represent the total faction limit in a game.

My guess is this: in a standard game set-up, the "old world" that the player starts on may have 5 factions on it, with the rest hidden in the background in the new world (separated by ocean) to be found during the Exploration/Modern ages. Additional factions may dynamically arise in the Exploration/Modern ages as well. In multiplayer, the game will want to keep all players together in the "old world." Hence the 5 human player limit.

They spoke on this briefly at PAX a few days ago. My paraphrase of what they said is that they know a lot of people like larger free-for-all multiplayer games (which may be contra to the single player experience), and they are working on a solution to make people happy. I assume that means an alternative multiplayer mode, maybe where there is no "new world," or that some players are allowed to spawn on the new world.

All we can do is wait to hear more.

Do we know if the 5 players for ancient, 8 for exploration is the max or max for the standard size maps, with numbers a bit bigger for bigger maps?

Also, thinking about the 8 vs 5 ratio, makes me think that either, in general the world unlocked in exploration age is a smaller part of the full map than the initial part available, or that if they're about the same size, they make it so the exploration half always has less civs, probably because they want to make it so there is lots of things there left for us to explore / discover, instead of just being another half that the AI leaders pretty much already got anything interesting from it already.

 

[pokiehl]

Do we know if the 5 players for ancient, 8 for exploration is the max or max for the standard size maps, with numbers a bit bigger for bigger maps?

Also, thinking about the 8 vs 5 ratio, makes me think that either, in general the world unlocked in exploration age is a smaller part of the full map than the initial part available, or that if they're about the same size, they make it so the exploration half always has less civs, probably because they want to make it so there is lots of things there left for us to explore / discover, instead of just being another half that the AI leaders pretty much already got anything interesting from it already.

We don’t know anything other than what I copied + pasted.

 

[Lord Lakely]

The number of leaders will determine the maximum amount of players per game. We don't know how many leaders there will be, but an AI player will always prioritize their historical path.

So we're either getting an amount of leaders equal to the amount of antiquity civs, or fewer.

15 Antiquity Civs. Civ 6 had 19 in total.

Edit: I don't know where that number is coming from though.

15 is the suspected amount of Exploration Civs, so we've inferred there would be 15 Antiquity Civs also.

I'm not sure IF that's true though because the Shawnee will bump the number of exploration Civs to 16 and that will upend the balance.

 

[abj9562]

Hey all, apologies if there is already a thread on this. I was just watching a YouTube video from PotatoMcWhiskey where he mentioned that Civ VII will launch with a five player maximum per game. This is the first time I have heard about this limitation, and if it has been mentioned already in a thread here, my apologies.

This seems rather limiting to me, especially as there has been a lot of hope and speculation for the game to launch with around 15 ancient era civilizations. I assume this is for performance purposes, but it feels disappointing nonetheless.

For the moment, I'm hoping this is incorrect reporting.

I'm just guessing. Perhaps it has more to do with the limitations of console systems. In order to mix and match different systems for multiplayer it seems like they may have gone with the lowest common capability of the different systems they will support at release.

 

[King Flevance]

This would be the thing that sinks my interest for the game if it were to happen. I usually play on Huge Maps with 15-20 Civs. I do not really play multiplayer so this may have no effect on me. But if these maps and civ caps have actually been shrank to such small numbers it would deter me from buying in.

 

[Josephias]

As all, this is just guess and combines prettt much all above. It seems logical (and consistent with previous games) that for standard maps the max civ # is 8, reduced to 5 at antiquity because you will not be playing the full map.

That being the limit for multiplayer strikes me as you will not be allowed to play maps above standard size in this mode, be it due to stability gensuring multiplayer performance/experience) or, as commented above, restrictions of x-play with consoles.

 

[Thormodr]

Look up how many players in multiplayer Ara can have. What is so limiting? I don't know, but I have my hypothesis.

Ara uses a much better game engine that allows for this, IIRC.

 

[Mr Jon of Cheam]

I'm just guessing. Perhaps it has more to do with the limitations of console systems. In order to mix and match different systems for multiplayer it seems like they may have gone with the lowest common capability of the different systems they will support at release.

Well, the Switch has a lower limit (4 player max), so I don't think the PC limit is restricted by consoles.

 

[TreVor_ish]

Ara uses a much better game engine that allows for this, IIRC.

Unfortunately I have not enough detail on what Oxide is actually doing in that regard. Ara have simultaneous turns that really helps with bringing more players to the table.
Nonetheless, for a CIV game being released in 2025 having such little amount of players in multi doesn't feel spacious.
Ara definitely feels bigger, and not only because of the amount of playable human players.
Today is a livestream day, let's see what Firaxis will show us.