The general theme of that article was simply to state what we already know. It is clickbait to get more views to a particular site. When you read the article, it really doesn't say anything at all. There is nothing of any consequence in that article and appears to be solely the opinion of the writer.
That said, I would offer my own opinion here, if you don't mind me doing so.
I have played every version of Civ from 1 through 6. The author of that article is correct in one thing, they are all essentially the same. Sure, the bells and whistles are different, but, essentially, they are all based on the same premise: build a civilization that will stand the test of time. The basic mechanics of doing so are all the same. It has, quite honestly, gotten boring. If Civ 7 doesn't do something original or unique that greatly improves the game, it will likely be my last purchase. But, then again, I am not who Firaxis is trying to market to. I am old.
I was 24 years old when Civ one debuted. I have both loved and hated every version of this game. By that I mean, I love the concept and the truly innovative bells and whistles Firaxis has put in place over the decades, but, simultaneously, every iteration of the game always seems to miss the point in some aspect of the game. I realize that most of the reason for this is technological limitations. I am certain that if they wanted to, they could create a game that would perfectly simulate the evolution of societies, nations and empires as they have done in reality. That game, unfortunately, would require something along the lines of a CRAY supercomputer to run. They have to create a game that will perform on the type of computer most people can afford to purchase. Like most people, I cannot afford high end gaming computers with multiple CPUs, liquid cooling, super fast graphic accellerators and more memory than Sheldon Cooper. So, Firaxis has to create games that people like me can play.
But, recently, we have made tremendous advances in AI technology. It seems that new more powerful gaming engines are being developed every day. Hell, maybe Firaxis has created their own engine. I don't know. Point is, with these new engines and our vastly improved AI capabilities, Firaxis has an opportunity to take the Civ franchise in a bold new direction. Redesign the game from the ground up. Of course, the basic premise will always be the same. It has to be. But, that doesn not excuse intellectual laziness. Civ 5 is a perfect example of that intellectual laziness. That game was so easy even a cave man... well, you know.
I could go into a laundry list of features I would like to see in Civ 7, but, honestly, most of them can be found in various threads on this site. (BTW, the "What should the Civ VII political system be like" thread is awesome. The contributors to that thread have put a lot of thought into their points of view and ideas. It is, by far, the best topic I have read on this site).
