Official announcement: Hot off the presses. Next Civ game in development!!!!!!!

[Connor_CivFan]

It looks like new management at FXS signals the studio is full steam ahead on season passes.
Expect all Civ VII expansions/DLCs to be in this format.

While I don't doubt that Firaxis/2K would/does prefer season passes. I find it difficult to believe that they'd ditch the 2 DLC format (and then some season passes) which has proven to be a relative success for Civ 5 and Civ 6.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

While I don't doubt that Firaxis/2K would/does prefer season passes. I find it difficult to believe that they'd ditch the 2 DLC format (and then some season passes) which has proven to be a relative success for Civ 5 and Civ 6.

Indeed. I expect that they will still release at least two expansions with actual game mechanics. It's too difficult to introduce fully integrated mechanics via the season pass model. Every other thing, i.e. wonders, civs, leaders, units, city-states, et merda, can, and probably will, be introduced by season passes at some point or another.

 

[AntSou]

It looks like new management at FXS signals the studio is full steam ahead on season passes.
Expect all Civ VII expansions/DLCs to be in this format.

Season Passes and large expansions aren't mutually exclusive. Crusader Kings II had a neverending amount of DLC, yet no Season Passes, whereas Crusader Kings III is so far using a mix of large Expansions + small culture packs, bundled in season passes.

Aren't Season Passes just fancy pre-orders?

Unfortunately this model seems to result in increased quality problems
This is why I really hope FXS will use a new game engine or employ new technology for Civ VII. Though there is no indication of this.

There's indeed literally no indication of anything. But the tone you put into it suggests you're inclined to assume the engine will be the same? Maybe I'm misreading it. In any case, the only times they've used the same foundation was for the spin-offs, wasn't it? (Alpha Centauri, Colonization, BE).

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Maybe not loyalty, but a mechanic that resembles it. Loyalty is a strange name for something that seems like culture pressure, so I'd rather they make some modifications to the mechanics and call it culture pressure.

It's originally called "Identity", but at some stage late into the development they changed it to Loyalty.

 

[AntSou]

I also interpreted from it that the design may originally have been more ambitious, with pops having "Identity" associated with a culture, like they are split between religions.

 

[blackbutterfly]

... I'm misreading it. In any case, the only times they've used the same foundation was for the spin-offs, wasn't it? (Alpha Centauri, Colonization, BE).

Lua, XML. Even some graphics tech?

That's how there's a Civ V skin mod for Civ VI (produced by a FXS engineer)

The maps are ported.
(My most recent map/mod Scrambled China is a straight port of the Civ V map)

Etc.

If you scratch the surface, there maybe code in Civ VI that is from all the way back Civ IV(?).

Civ VI is the Windows of 4X.

 

[aieeegrunt]

All these ideas asking to shake Civ game to the core...


An I the only one who thinks Civ 7 will be fairly conservative and will not breakaway from core elements of civ franchise that much?

Civ6 was a pretty solid hit sales wise, so I can’t see them changing it too radically

Actually, someone on the Paradox forums has been keeping track of the weekly players for some 4X and GSG games on Steam and Civ is the best performing by far and has no real competition. Here's the thread and the latest chart. Since they aren't on the chart, as of posting Humankind has roughly 1,200 players and Old World has 500 players.

A lot of people thought that the modes were testing the waters for adding stuff, including the non-supernatural stuff, to the base game.

Yikes what happened with Victoria 3?

 

[pokiehl]

Civ6 was a pretty solid hit sales wise, so I can’t see them changing it too radically

I agree with that sentiment, even if I don't like it. I would like to see districts done in a more compelling way (I don't much like the adjacency minmaxing minigame) and much less of an emphasis on tile yields and terrain-specific abilities.

However, all of that appears to be what most gamers want and what made Civ 6 successful, so I'll probably not get what I want.

 

[Nikolai II]

Yikes what happened with Victoria 3?

1.1 has a lot of issues. Many left in wait of 1.2. 1.2 is in beta right now and it's massively better. Most people could not play beyond 1900 in 1.1 due to performance issues. In 1.2 I believe they will be able to. And also, the changes to gameplay is pretty neat too. Then again, I've understood PDS games have lost many players between DLCs and patches before, going in a sinus curve (is that the word? Up and down).

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

1.1 has a lot of issues. Many left in wait of 1.2. 1.2 is in beta right now and it's massively better. Most people could not play beyond 1900 in 1.1 due to performance issues. In 1.2 I believe they will be able to. And also, the changes to gameplay is pretty neat too. Then again, I've understood PDS games have lost many players between DLCs and patches before, going in a sinus curve (is that the word? Up and down).

Sine curve

 

[Nikolai II]

Sine curve

Thanks. Sinus is sine in Norwegian. My Norwenglish got the better of me.

 

[Kimiimaro]

Yikes what happened with Victoria 3?

I enjoy the game, but with its minimal national flavour as well as the fact that there is currently little difference between a capitalist country or one with centrally planned economy, its replayability is not very high at the moment. The last patch ruining the performance in the late game did not help. There's a patch in the works though, and it's to release this month. I haven't played the beta, but hearing from people who have, it's offering some really great improvements. The performance should improve, and there should finally be some greater differences between an interventionist country, a country fully embracing laissez-faire and a state with a command economy. I suppose that might help somewhat.

 

[queenpea]

I enjoy the game, but with its minimal national flavour as well as the fact that there is currently little difference between a capitalist country or one with centrally planned economy, its replayability is not very high at the moment. The last patch ruining the performance in the late game did not help. There's a patch in the works though, and it's to release this month. I haven't played the beta, but hearing from people who have, it's offering some really great improvements. The performance should improve, and there should finally be some greater differences between an interventionist country, a country fully embracing laissez-faire and a state with a command economy. I suppose that might help somewhat.

I've loved playing it, but I do wish it were more challenging. I often finish the tech tree (what feels like) much too early in the game. A greater variety of buildings and goods would also be an improvement.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

I also interpreted from it that the design may originally have been more ambitious, with pops having "Identity" associated with a culture, like they are split between religions.

I hope that idea "replaces" loyalty in Civ 7. Though I like the name heritage more than identity.

 

[Haig]

I have been checking Firaxis job offers occasionally for past couple of yearsand there has been a LOT requests for people with Unreal Engine 4 skills.

Part of that has been most likely for Marvel Midnight Suns but some of them sounded that they could be for new Civ.

I bet that Civ VII is done with Unreal. Any idea what are benefits for using that?

 

[pokiehl]

I also interpreted from it that the design may originally have been more ambitious, with pops having "Identity" associated with a culture, like they are split between religions.

Citizens/Population have been so bland in Civ games. Actually going into Pop differences (classes? cultural background?) and having those affect your cities would be a great way to add some more depth to the game. The way Religion splits between individual Citizens in the game is really 1-dimensional to the point that the two systems may as well not even be linked; the Citizens themselves aren't changed at all by whatever Religion they follow.

 

[Nikolai II]

I enjoy the game, but with its minimal national flavour as well as the fact that there is currently little difference between a capitalist country or one with centrally planned economy, its replayability is not very high at the moment. The last patch ruining the performance in the late game did not help. There's a patch in the works though, and it's to release this month. I haven't played the beta, but hearing from people who have, it's offering some really great improvements. The performance should improve, and there should finally be some greater differences between an interventionist country, a country fully embracing laissez-faire and a state with a command economy. I suppose that might help somewhat.

1.2 beta is basically awesome.

 

[Haig]

Citizens/Population have been so bland in Civ games. Actually going into Pop differences (classes? cultural background?) and having those affect your cities would be a great way to add some more depth to the game. The way Religion splits between individual Citizens in the game is really 1-dimensional to the point that the two systems may as well not even be linked; the Citizens themselves aren't changed at all by whatever Religion they follow.

I have a suspicion that a big feature of Civ VII will be the "unstacking" of citizens.

So Spanish city of Madrid shows for example:
80% Spanish, 15% Roman, 5% French and
5% nobles, 10% clergy, 85% commoners.

If Spain builds a religious wonder, the clergy will be satisfied. The citizens could also give mini quests and wishes.

 

[pokiehl]

I have a suspicion that a big feature of Civ VII will be the "unstacking" of citizens.

So Spanish city of Madrid shows for example:
80% Spanish, 15% Roman, 5% French and
5% nobles, 10% clergy, 85% commoners.

If Spain builds a religious wonder, the clergy will be satisfied. The citizens could also give mini quests and wishes.

Really cool idea and great way to brand it! Very clever.

 

[Kwami]

I bet that Civ VII is done with Unreal. Any idea what are benefits for using that?

You asked for benefits, but I can't think of any benefits to me. It's probably nice for Firaxis because they won't have to worry so much about porting their games to other platforms. But for me, playing on a Windows PC, it's just going to be another game that has performance problems because of the Unreal 4 engine.

I really hope that they don't add Denuvo like they did with Midnight Suns.