Hotseat will not be available in Civ VII — A plea to FXS_Sar and Game Devs (POLL)

[greenOak]

Have you played at CPL or CivFR? 8 to 12 player games for FFA and teamers have similar numbers in game with typical team configurations being 4 v 4, 5 v 5, 6 v 6, and 2v2v2v2v2. At best they will have 5 player games at launch, with a possible 2 v 2 team game. Also, you'll get your co-op civ play. They have specifically stated there will be co-op multiplayer. They described it as playing with friends co-operatively and NOT competitively. And, Civ 5 multiplayer didn't really work all that well until the community modded it. Civ 6 multiplayer was a mess until Gathering Storm, nearly every major patch in the Rise and Fall phase broke something in multiplayer, necessitating numerous hotfixes.

I'm sympathetic to the concerns over MP, but there's a big difference between not being able to play 4v4, or 8 player FFA and mp being "literally unplayable" as you claim.

Also, there's no mechanical difference between co-op and competitive. If you can play co-op you can play competitive.

 

[Atlas627]

I completely disagree that competitive multiplayers will not enjoy this game. This might be the first Civ game I find fun to become a competitive multiplayer in. I'm sure other people will feel the same way, since it'll be the first game that isn't just a snowball-fest (hopefully) and is actually worth playing through the whole way.

 

[WalkerTr]

Moderator Action: Please note that two threads regarding Hotseat have been merged, with the Poll from one included. The OP thread for the poll, by Vlandys, has been copied to a spoiler below for reference. Cheers - lymond

Spoiler POLL OP by Vlandys :

! Please use one vote unless also playing hot seat in single player.

I used hot seat in about 20% of my games still, but apparently Civ VII will not allow for it. What are your thoughts on this? I always thought it was an extremely entertaining staple of the series, but I reckon it's not used frequently.

"Can Sid Meier's Civilization VII be played offline?

Yes, Sid Meier's Civilization VII features offline play for all single-player activities. Some features such as online multiplayer will not be available when playing offline. Sid Meier's Civilization VII does not offer hotseat multiplayer, but supports LAN multiplayer on PC and local wireless multiplayer on Nintendo Switch"

Source: https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/faq/

For people playing hot seat sometimes in SP, I've added the option and allowed for two votes.

I'm reaching out as a really long-time Civ fan (I'd even go as far as to say fanatic) to plead with whoever will hear me about the direction of multiplayer in Civ VII – specifically, the removal of Hot Seat.

A bit about my credentials

• I started playing Civ II when I was 6 or 7, finding it installed on the local library computers. At the time it was a little dense for me (I was six) but I was able to share those early moments with my older brother.
• Not too much later, my brother received Civ III as a birthday gift, and we played the hell out of that thing with each other and friends from school via long but exciting Hot Seat games.
• I found Civ IV again at the library and was able to rent it. I'd bring the fold-out Civ guide on the bus to school to plan out my empire, daydreaming about sacrificing workers as Montezuma. It didn't run very well on our computer, and I got to know the leaders as floating eyeballs and mouths without skin, as that was the best 3D rendering our system could do. But I fell in love with Baba Yetu all the same, and would sit at the loading screen feeling like the emperor of my small childhood world.
• The hexagons of Civilization V blew my ever-civ-loving mind. My brother and I continued to play Hot Seat, but more importantly, I met a nice girl (Amanda) to conquer nations with. We later married (a new era, if you will) and, to this day, enjoy a yearly Civilization game via Hot Seat.
• In 2022, I met the absolute icon that is Christopher Tin at a gaming convention in Indiana. I asked him a question, and his first response was, "Wow, you really know your Civ!" (So I have references, is all I'm saying).
• Civ VI has been a blast and Amanda and I started a Hot Seat game just the other day in preparation and salivation of the upcoming game.
• Yesterday, we poured a glass of wine and watched the reveal of many exciting things: Gwendolyn Christie, intriguing changes to gameplay, detailed tile design, and interesting tidbits that we can't wait to explore... together.

Fast-forward to today, and my little heart broke when I read the FAQ that there would be no Hot Seat. There would be no way to enjoy a game with my wife. There would be no way to relive those moments of giddy elation as we promised each other just one more turn at 3 AM.

It's a long-winded way to say—from a passionate lifelong fan—please reconsider. Study the past to define the future. Many people in your target market are like me. We grew up playing Hot Seat with friends and loved ones and are being gutted by the removal of a simple feature. Amanda and I do not have two computers and cannot utilize two copies of the game.

Build something we can believe in. (See what I did there?).

I thank you so much for your time and consideration. I am very excited for CIV VII and hope I can experience it in the way I always have.

Best,
Alex

My whole family has been so excited about Civ7 but we just found out we won’t be able to play together in the same room. Civ 6 is the only video game my wife will play because of the hot seat option and we would have spent $200 on Civ 7 just to continue the fun but now it looks like we will not be buying Civ 7 unless the hot seat option is added. Very disappointed!

 

[Brutus2]

Yes, Sid Meier's Civilization VII features offline play for all single-player activities. Some features such as online multiplayer will not be available when playing offline. Sid Meier's Civilization VII does not offer hotseat multiplayer, but supports LAN multiplayer on PC and local wireless multiplayer on Nintendo Switch"

Source: https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/faq/

So if they support LAN but not Hot Seat would the people who like to play in Hot Seat be able to install the game on two devices (desktop, laptop, steam deck, ect) and play in offline LAN with their spouse / family? I'm just wondering if this might be a workaround for some people, but I'm not really sure how that works.

 

[Archanist]

So if they support LAN but not Hot Seat would the people who like to play in Hot Seat be able to install the game on two devices (desktop, laptop, steam deck, ect) and play in offline LAN with their spouse / family? I'm just wondering if this might be a workaround for some people, but I'm not really sure how that works.

This is possible for some steamshared games if the game searches for LAN lobbies. Might need some technical knowhow though.

 

[Brutus2]

Yes, that’s how LAN works. The problem for some people is just that: needing 2 devices and 2 copies of the game.

My question was if you installed the game on two devices and played in offline mode. So you need two devices but only 1 copy of the game.

 

[Vandlys]

So if they support LAN but not Hot Seat would the people who like to play in Hot Seat be able to install the game on two devices (desktop, laptop, steam deck, ect) and play in offline LAN with their spouse / family? I'm just wondering if this might be a workaround for some people, but I'm not really sure how that works.

My question was if you installed the game on two devices and played in offline mode. So you need two devices but only 1 copy of the game.

LAN is not necesarily offline. And since you accept the Steam DRM to play this game, and the game runs via Steam, you might need to be online on Steam to be able to play the game in general, which would then mean you'd need two copies again.
I'm, however, not an expert on LAN and I might be missing something.

I'm sure @FXS_Sar can help us out here since she graduated with a double Masters in Local Area Networking, right Sarah? Or she might just be able to ask anyone at FXS if an offline LAN would work with one copy.

 

[Lord Yanaek]

My question was if you installed the game on two devices and played in offline mode. So you need two devices but only 1 copy of the game.

That's entirely dependent on the game EULA. Some games allow "family sharing" where multiple persons from the same family can play with only one copy. It's unusual for big titles thought, and i doubt 2k (Firaxis has nothing to say on the subject) will allow it for Civ7

 

[stealth_nsk]

That's entirely dependent on the game EULA. Some games allow "family sharing" where multiple persons from the same family can play with only one copy. It's unusual for big titles thought, and i doubt 2k (Firaxis has nothing to say on the subject) will allow it for Civ7

Well, a lot of 2K games are available through family sharing, my wife is playing Beyond Earth at this moment from my Steam library. So, it's totally possible Civ7 will be available as well.

 

[Lord Yanaek]

There is hope then. Although i'd be surprised if it's available immediately. Probably one year or so after release when they remove Denuvo after milking all of us who can't wait for money

 

[Ebon-Hawke-]

My question was if you installed the game on two devices and played in offline mode. So you need two devices but only 1 copy of the game.

My family did exactly this for civ 6 on launch and were able to play LAN together still even with one of us in offline mode

 

[Dgregs96]

My whole family has been so excited about Civ7 but we just found out we won’t be able to play together in the same room. Civ 6 is the only video game my wife will play because of the hot seat option and we would have spent $200 on Civ 7 just to continue the fun but now it looks like we will not be buying Civ 7 unless the hot seat option is added. Very disappointed!

Agreed I will also not be buying the game until they add hotseat!

 

[Nikolai II]

Agreed I will also not be buying the game until they add hotseat!

I'm trying to remember last time I used hotseat. Think it was back in 2006. Possible earlier.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

I'm trying to remember last time I used hotseat. Think it was back in 2006. Possible earlier.

I play Hotseat because it is the only time I don't need to worry about playing optimally, while also not stressing that the AI is kicking my ass, and I can play as everyone and craft a nice story. It's one of my favorite ways to play, and I think that Civ 7 is the first game that actually does this well without being repetitive (Civ 6 and 5 are fun but without an extra house rule I implement it gets bit boring after the Renaissance Era).

So I do hope we get a well-stable Hotseat feature eventually.

 

[Nikolai II]

So I do hope we get a well-stable Hotseat feature eventually.

Hopefully. I am a sample size of 1 after all.

 

[Vandlys]

My family did exactly this for civ 6 on launch and were able to play LAN together still even with one of us in offline mode

You did this via true LAN, as in cables, considering one pc remained offline? You write "one of us", meaning there were multiple instances online, even though the total of purchased copies was 1?

 

[Ebon-Hawke-]

You did this via true LAN, as in cables, considering one pc remained offline? You write "one of us", meaning there were multiple instances online, even though the total of purchased copies was 1?

No cables were needed, we had 2 steam accounts that owned the game (and a third without*) and 3 pcs in the same house importantly on the same wifi. I think how we did it was one of the two who owned the game launched it first while in offline mode and then the person who did not own it launched it from the other person's library using family share. When you hit multiplayer there is the option "Local Network" which is essentially LAN without the cables, I just double checked this by launching civ 6 while in offline mode the option is still there not grayed out along with Hot Seat. This would work with 2 accounts, one with the game one without, I'm just saying we had 3 people play together this way but did need 2 copies.

*There is the possibility we had 2 of us logged into the same account with one in offline mode but I could be wrong it was so long ago, I think the problem with this method was two of you end up with the same name in game and causes problems if you go to reload the save later, thus I think it was 3 accounts. Hope this helped.

 

[bbbt]

Ed specifically noted hotseat as a top requested roadmap feature, along with coop multiplayer. So a repeat of Civ 6 where they get added later it looks like.

 

[gdr_willter]

And also mentioned in the last Dev Diary.

 

[spierides]

The removal of hotseat is (in civ vi terms) cultural regression from a golden age medieval era to a dark age renesance losing the entire enlightenment.
The decision sends a the very wrong message to families that play together that civ vii is not for them.

The benefits of reinstating hotseat:
Socially: spending real together time as family or group of friends socialising
Environmentally: less devices burning power
Entertainment: play on big screen tv