If They Were to Add a 4th and Final Age How Would you Like the Civ Transition to be Handled?

[Lord Shadow]

Considering the revealed info so far, a fourth age can't be conceived without breaking some of the existing game rules. Transitions like America -> United States as we know them make no sense because it's literally the same country, as others have mentioned.

The only way I can see this working is through Age 3 civs becoming "enhanced" as they transition to Age 4, gaining additional abilities, units and perhaps a name change (Prussia -> Germany, Qing -> China, Meiji -> Heisei).

China is tricky, but less so than it would be if a modern Communist Chinese leader were represented. It can still represent the modern, industrial powerhouse the PRC is without giving strong ideological vibes nor mentioning the Taiwan question. Just like Prussia can whistle its way to the Stuka and Meiji end up with Zeroes in their hands without paying attention to the atrocities of WW2.

You'd need a whole set of new victories, including a Science victory unrelated to space (Fusion Power?), and I'd suggest the ultimate crisis tackle climate change. Perhaps taking inspiration from previous Civs, pollution and climate change could be an ever-present threat, triggering disasters, yield impacts and terrain alterations depending on how the civs are managing their production, energy and such.

 

[sTAPler27]

China is tricky, but less so than it would be if a modern Communist Chinese leader were represented. It can still represent the modern, industrial powerhouse the PRC is without giving strong ideological vibes nor mentioning the Taiwan question.

Humankind kind of went this route but it's very clear they were a bit nervous to include certain aspects. Originally their unique district was "People's Congress" but that got shorted to just "Congress" which feels very generic

 

[Krikkit1]

Considering the revealed info so far, a fourth age can't be conceived without breaking some of the existing game rules. Transitions like America -> United States as we know them make no sense because it's literally the same country, as others have mentioned.

The only way I can see this working is through Age 3 civs becoming "enhanced" as they transition to Age 4, gaining additional abilities, units and perhaps a name change (Prussia -> Germany, Qing -> China, Meiji -> Heisei).

Additional units, abilities and a name change is a new civ... you are just limiting the unlock so that every Modern age civ unlocks exactly one Global Age civ that isn't unlocked any other way.

The issue is though that a given playthrough only has so many Modern civs in it, and is there is no choice in what civ you get in the last age that would feel strange.

Admittedly going from Qing to Nigeria after WWII because you found lots of oil in tropical+grassland regions is a bit weird.... but that is why you want to have the ability to Retain City List+Graphic style and Customize the actual name

 

[Lord Shadow]

Additional units, abilities and a name change is a new civ... you are just limiting the unlock so that every Modern age civ unlocks exactly one Global Age civ that isn't unlocked any other way.

As I said, gotta break rules lest you have, for example, America mysteriously disappear in the Information Age. And this wouldn't necessarily preclude the addition of Age 4 only civs.

 

[chrisgatt7]

One thing I hope they don't include in the forth age is the whole global warming melting ice and flooding tiles. I HATED this mechanic.

 

[Krikkit1]

As I said, gotta break rules lest you have, for example, America mysteriously disappear in the Information Age. And this wouldn't necessarily preclude the addition of Age 4 only civs.

In this history America (the tropical archipelago nation) does disappear and becomes China* ……no stranger than when it emerged from Songhai which emerged from the Mississippi.
(not surprisingly America was a Communist Monarchy that went through substantial changes in the War)

No reason any civ can’t “disappear”.

If we want fixed civ paths there are mods and possibly game options for that.

*The United States was unlocked, but either the Chinese bonuses were too good for the situation or the AI chose China because another player chose the US

 

[Black Gate]

China is tricky, but less so than it would be if a modern Communist Chinese leader were represented. It can still represent the modern, industrial powerhouse the PRC is without giving strong ideological vibes nor mentioning the Taiwan question.

I don't think it's possible to avoid the question. Include Taipei and Kaohsiung (or is that Taibei and Gaoxiong?) in the Chinese list and now the island is an integral part of China. Don't include it, and the American menace has clearly excluded these ancient and sacred Chinese cities, time to review bomb and report to the NPPA. The Chinese internet can get crazy, and I think a controversy-averse Firaxis would prefer to swing well wide of its wrath.

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I think the first option, treating it as if it were an extension of the modern age, is the only one that fits (although I wholly do not want a fourth age). Sure, you can pick out new uniques for a big civ like America or Britain, but what does Buganda get? Do the Mughals get stretched beyond their limit into the 21st century? There's no good option which is why I don't think Firaxis are looking to add it beyond extra techs and civics (and a revamped victory) of the current final age.

 

[sTAPler27]

As I said, gotta break rules lest you have, for example, America mysteriously disappear in the Information Age. And this wouldn't necessarily preclude the addition of Age 4 only civs.

Exactly, and its not even breaking rules to have two versions of the same country just at different points in their lifespan. I don't know where people are getting these set in stone rules

 

[playshogi]

One thing I hope they don't include in the forth age is the whole global warming melting ice and flooding tiles. I HATED this mechanic.

Agreed. I'm hopeful that the game ending around 1960 before climate change became a thing means no pollution mechanic.

 

[moysturfurmer]

Pick one of the three civs from your playthrough. That is its name. The Leader and Civ attributes (Economic, Cultural, etc) govern the uniques it unlocks for you. Further gameplay modifiers that are usually unlocked in Civ specific civics trees are unlocked in one of 9 unique trees that are pulled from a matrix of Ideology and Government combinations.

Solves the problem of having to water down the civ choices in the first three ages, solves the problem of “why can’t I be Modern Greece,” solves the problem of doubling up on civs (French Empire into France, etc), dodges any sensitivities of surrounding some of the more controversial nations of today.

Firaxis, make the check out to my government name please, this is a very old username.

 

[Dragoner]

I went with: "You Maintain your Civ from the last age but a bit more Contemporary".
Switching doesn't make much sense for me in the timeframe of the 20th century. But I would like to see updated objectives and new Uniques for an 21st century Civ.

 

[Mr Jon of Cheam]

If they're going to do it, I'd rather they go full near future sci-fi with made up civs of some kind.

 

[UnknownHuman]

The one thing I don't want to see is a pool of new civilizations, with unique units, infrastructures, civics, because it would dilute resources away from the three other ages, and those should really be the focus.

What I'd like to see is either your modern age civ being upgraded to a fourth age one, with a name change ( for example French Empire becomes France) and maybe just one new ability, or you can choose one from the last three civs you played in the previous ages to become playable in the fourth age, and their policies and unique infrastructures become slightly stronger in the fourth age.

 

[stealth_nsk]

1. Ages are designed to have game mechanics specific for those ages. Civilizations are designed to interact with game mechanics of their ages, so making new age would require designing those civs from scratch anyway. There's no point in making 4th age if doesn't explore new mechanics and there are no civs which could play around them.

2. If the civs are redesigned anyway, what is the reason to keep all of them? Why would you want to keep Buganda? With all respect to it's past, in contemporary age, it's semi-autonomous territory within quite poor country mostly known to outside world for its genocide.

3. When you have redesigned civs why force players to go their route? Civ7 already have mechanism of civ unlocks, that's ok. Let's say you design contemporary Russian Federation, which is Scientific and Militaristic with deep focus on space operations. If you played modern Russia, you automatically unlock Russian Federation, but whether you want to go to it, should be the choice.

So, I really don't understand why this even a question.

EDIT: For additional clarification of my point:
1. Since new versions of civs will explore new mechanics, there will be significant chance you will not want to keep the successor civ. In the above example about Russia, if you played modern Russia for its culture, you'll probably want to seek some other civ.
2. I wrote it in another reply, there's not too many civs which are important to keep. USA, UK, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, India, that's 8 of them. Providing we'll have 15+ civs per age on first expansion and 20+ on second, the overlap is not that big and quite similar overlap will be in other ages.
3. Designing new civs could have higher civ coverage. I.e. modern age could have Mexico and Gran Colombia, while contemporary - Brazil and Argentina. Modern could have Buganda and Zulu, while contemporary - Nigeria and South Africa, etc.

 

[Unaha-Closp]

As it stands, I don't see a 4th Age, kinda breaks the victory path accumulation from the previous 2 Ages, so if they do a 4th, I can only see a Beyond Earth type game stapled on to the end of 7. I rather suspect they'd enhance and expand the already existing 3 Ages, rather than add one, but I am not a game designer.

 

[Lord Shadow]

I don't think it's possible to avoid the question. Include Taipei and Kaohsiung (or is that Taibei and Gaoxiong?) in the Chinese list and now the island is an integral part of China. Don't include it, and the American menace has clearly excluded these ancient and sacred Chinese cities, time to review bomb and report to the NPPA. The Chinese internet can get crazy, and I think a controversy-averse Firaxis would prefer to swing well wide of its wrath.

---

I think the first option, treating it as if it were an extension of the modern age, is the only one that fits (although I wholly do not want a fourth age). Sure, you can pick out new uniques for a big civ like America or Britain, but what does Buganda get? Do the Mughals get stretched beyond their limit into the 21st century? There's no good option which is why I don't think Firaxis are looking to add it beyond extra techs and civics (and a revamped victory) of the current final age.

That's a good point... Even the city list would be a problem if the overzealous were to get, ahem, analytical over it.

I wonder how Humankind's semi-generic Chinese faction managed it.

 

[stealth_nsk]

As it stands, I don't see a 4th Age, kinda breaks the victory path accumulation from the previous 2 Ages, so if they do a 4th, I can only see a Beyond Earth type game stapled on to the end of 7. I rather suspect they'd enhance and expand the already existing 3 Ages, rather than add one, but I am not a game designer.

Quite the opposite. The whole victory point system is designed as:
1. Any age could be potentially set as a final age with victory paths used as basis for actual victories
2. The other way around, victories could be tuned down to victory path points, supporting next age victories
So, it will just work like this - modern age victories will be turned into victory paths unless you set up modern as final age for your game.

And, of course, attaching totally different game with different map to the end of the game is out of possibility. If Firaxis would want Beyond Earth 2, that would be a standalone game.

 

[trev1972]

I hope in the 4th age the countries do not change, i think a 4th age is inevitable, it will be the main feature of a major expansion pack

 

[Xandinho]

It would be a shame if, instead of improving other areas of the game, expanding the existing eras, or adding more interesting mechanics, they went for a fourth era focused on science fiction and giant robots.

I’m not saying a fourth era won’t happen, as the game strangely ends in 1950 and the lack of skyscrapers in the Modern Age could be signs that they are planning a Contemporary Age. However, I'd rather see resources invested in more interesting things.

I think a significant number of players enjoy watching great powers destroy each other with giant robots while a mysterious oceanic void, possibly linked to aliens, swallows ships. That’s probably why these things were in Civ6, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they returned in Civ7. The Bermuda Triangle will be in Civ7 anyway.

Answering the poll, I’d rather they keep the civs and change the victory conditions.

 

[sTAPler27]

Agreed. I'm hopeful that the game ending around 1960 before climate change became a thing means no pollution mechanic.

I mean pollution was an issue from the very begining of industrialization, maybe not sea levels rising but definitely health issues