Map Expansion over Eras

[Krikkit1]

I can see it expanding to the North and South (Polar regions…actually accessible…if not in a very useful way)

Era2->Era3 I expect most of the “expansion of the map” will be in revealing new critical resources (Coal, Oil, Uranium, Various Ores required for Electronics/Avionics)

 

[TartanWarlord]

I wonder with this mechanic whether we will be given a more granular set of choices for world setup.

Will we see 'Starting Era - Continents' | 'Exploration Era - Archipelago' or will it be one set of world construction specs with a section restricted for 2nd age... Perhaps map size will also present more options like the size of the 2nd age expansion with a percentage slider (30% antiquity 70% exploration).

 

[Hakan-i Cihan]

I would hope it's not just invisible walls.

I would prefer a system where maybe your units can't traverse ocean in Antiquity and you can only travel so far from borders you control, simulating some sort of limited lines of communication/supply chains/etc. If you're conquering/expanding you could still make it pretty far in Antiquity (like Alexander the Great making it to India).

Once Age of Exploration hits, oceans open and how far you can travel from friendly borders (not just your own, but allies count as well) greatly expands, but it's still not infinite and can be expanded with outposts/ports of call.

Once the Modern Age hits it's movement without limits.

When I heard about this, the map expansion feature, a mod for Civ V came to my mind: Growing fog of war. This mod of course does not do what this feature does. But FOW grows back depending on the distant to your borders, techs and improvements/buildings.

As of how the new feature would work, I like your suggestion that you can only travel so far from borders you control. Maybe combine that with FOW growing back in earlier eras, that would motivate to explore the whole map in stages.

 

[Arent11]

But that's something we already have in all civ games, without the need of creating an entirely new mechanic that sounds strange (the real world doesn't change the size literally, only means of crossing the obstacles are invented).

Exactly. Exploration was always hampered by tech/developing ocean crossing ships.

Now, you are hindered to tech ahead too far (by fixed ages) and can't explore too far even in exploration age with ship tech (because something else than oceans?).

There's apparently a lot of "rails", invisible game mechanic "walls" & forced gameplay. I was already annoyed by the always repeating same Eurekas in civ 6 that you always had to fulfill to tech ahead.