Overview of Mechanics

[Leyrann]

Do we yet have an explanation how the expanding map works? Presumably that means more Civs are added. But how will new civs compete with civs that have already been building up in the antiquity age?

I believe I saw something about the new continent 'playing' in the background while you progress through the Antiquity Era, but I'm not sure. It'd make sense though.

 

[pokiehl]

I believe I saw something about the new continent 'playing' in the background while you progress through the Antiquity Era, but I'm not sure. It'd make sense though.

I hope that’s the case. It’ll feel more organic and will also be what facilitates more multiplayer limits (stick excess players on the new continent)

 

[Leyrann]

I'm hoping we get to choose, to be honest.

Some games I might want a same-development New World, other games I might want one ripe for a Scramble.

 

[Nikolai II]

The second bonus will vary depending on the Age and the type of Legacy Path e.g. completing the scientific legacy path of Antiquity allows players to build the Great Library.

This puzzles me. I have seen an image of the legacy path somewhere (don't remember if here or in an interview or both), but it suggested not a wonder, but an unlock for the academies being made stronger and permanent through the ages or somesuch?

 

[Leyrann]

This puzzles me. I have seen an image of the legacy path somewhere (don't remember if here or in an interview or both), but it suggested not a wonder, but an unlock for the academies being made stronger and permanent through the ages or somesuch?

There are different bonuses on different steps of the legacy paths.

 

[chaosprophet]

The map literally expands . . . and new lands are available to find across the ocean.

These new lands will be populated with additional Civ's. But its not clear if there will be Antiquity Civs playing on the New World during the Antiquity Age or if they just spawn in some Exploration Age civs.

I suspect the later and these new Exploration Age civs will have some time to develop since the Exploration Age appears to begin at 400 AD and it will take some time before you unlock ocean travel and send explorations there. Having the new civs spawn in also would set them back a little which would lead to us discovering them first before they develop the tech to come find us?

For the Modern Age I don't expect there to be any actual map expansion, but its possible that some areas (like polar regions) could now be unlocked via modern techs.

My guess is that the new leaders added on exploration on the new part of the map will be exploration civs just like the ones on your side, just that a smaller amount than in the first part of the map. Independent powers can be used to represent weaker nations on that world than the actual civs.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Bottom LIne is that at this point we don't really know what the situation will be on the 'expanded' part of the Exploration Map:

A true 'Terra-Type' with only Antiquity Empires or non-playable City States/Settlements?

A 'mirror' with equally-advanced Empires coming out of the same Crisis your continent just endured?

Some combination of the two plus other options, possibly chosen by the player?

To be honest, I would prefer the third option, but given that they have said that the Expansion Civs will be playing in the background from the start of the game, it would have to be a Start of Game choice, I suspect.

 

[Nikolai II]

There are different bonuses on different steps of the legacy paths.

Yes, I know. But that is not relevant to my post.

 

[Nikolai II]

Here it is(albeit small): https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/gameplay-mechanic-discussion-ages.691392/#post-16653274

It's a legacy path named after the Great Library, but its stated effect is NOT that you can build the Great Library, but rather that your academies gets an upgrade, as per described in the image in the linked post:

 

[Trengilly]

Bottom LIne is that at this point we don't really know what the situation will be on the 'expanded' part of the Exploration Map:

A true 'Terra-Type' with only Antiquity Empires or non-playable City States/Settlements?

A 'mirror' with equally-advanced Empires coming out of the same Crisis your continent just endured?

Some combination of the two plus other options, possibly chosen by the player?

To be honest, I would prefer the third option, but given that they have said that the Expansion Civs will be playing in the background from the start of the game, it would have to be a Start of Game choice, I suspect.

We DO know that Civ's are locked to their respective Ages. So we will not have Ancient Age civs spawned into the game for the Exploration Age.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

We DO know that Civ's are locked to their respective Ages. So we will not have Ancient Age civs spawned into the game for the Exploration Age.

BUT we do know that Antiquity Age civs are 'in play' on the expansion map and advance to (the historical) next Exploration Age civ when the new Age starts, and therefore before we contact them.

As posted, what we don't know is whether they will maintain the same or similar pace as the playable Civs on the Start of Game playable map, or will they be handicapped in some way to give a 'Terra' type experience, or will the gamer have any options as to what he/she faces on the newly-revealed parts of the map in the Exploration Age.

And this 'advance' into both a new Age and a new Map would seem to be of such fundamental importance to play of the game in two of the three Ages that it would be nice to know some mechanics and fundamentals about it.

 

[Trengilly]

I believe I saw something about the new continent 'playing' in the background while you progress through the Antiquity Era, but I'm not sure. It'd make sense though.

One of the devs mentioned it during an interview. But it wasn't clear what 'playing in the background' meant.

Some people have interpreted this to mean that there is a whole game being played on the new world . . . that while you play your Antiquity Age the other will be playing theirs off screen.

But I strongly suspect this is incorrect, for several reasons:

• Its a system resource drag. No one wants to sit while their computer AI plays off screen turns on the other side of the world
• The multiplayer limitations where they have stated that you start with a limited number of players but can add/have more in later eras. If the entire world was being played than likely multiplayer could use the entire map from the get go.
• Narratively it makes more sense to have the player discover the new world and be a bit more advanced. By having the new world civs spawn in new at the Exploration Age they would be at an initial disadvantage to the civs that had been playing from the beginning. I don't think they want you to run into a new world civ that perhaps had a run away victory in the Antquity Age and is now more powerful than any of the player starting civs. And your tech/starting advantage would likely let you unlock sailing first to go discover rather than the other way around.
• 'Playing in the background' can easily mean that from their addition in the Exploration Age the new civs are actively playing on their new continent.

 

[Trengilly]

BUT we do know that Antiquity Age civs are 'in play' on the expansion map and advance to (the historical) next Exploration Age civ when the new Age starts, and therefore before we contact them.

No I believe we very specifically do NOT know that. I've listened to the developer interview where he mentions 'playing in the background' and I think people are misinterpreting what he was saying. See my other post where I go into more detail about why.

 

[aieeegrunt]

What I wanted for Civ7 was a synthesis of the best mods for Civ6 and some of the better mechanics from 4 and 3.

I guess I got my wi-….

*MONKEY PAW CURLS*

…and Civ switching from Human Kind

God

Damn

It

 

[Disgustipated]

I mentioned this in the features thread, but I haven't seen any indication of espionage at this point. But of course we haven't seen later ages. To be honest, I wouldn't miss espionage that much, and it may be coming in an expansion/dlc regardless. And it seems influence and diplomacy is meant to replace it for the time being from what I can tell. Still, I liked to use my spies to reduce AI envoys to city states, I'll miss that.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

I mentioned this in the features thread, but I haven't seen any indication of espionage at this point. But of course we haven't seen later ages. To be honest, I wouldn't miss espionage that much, and it may be coming in an expansion/dlc regardless. And it seems influence and diplomacy is meant to replace it for the time being from what I can tell. Still, I liked to use my spies to reduce AI envoys to city states, I'll miss that.

Espionage definitely feels like something that won't pop up until the Exploration Age, especially if religion even has to wait until then. Since every civ seems to be getting a unique civilian unit, I can't imagine they would pass up the chance to give some a unique spy.

 

[Zaarin]

I mentioned this in the features thread, but I haven't seen any indication of espionage at this point. But of course we haven't seen later ages. To be honest, I wouldn't miss espionage that much, and it may be coming in an expansion/dlc regardless. And it seems influence and diplomacy is meant to replace it for the time being from what I can tell. Still, I liked to use my spies to reduce AI envoys to city states, I'll miss that.

I did not love espionage in Civ5 or Civ6.

 

[Takfloyd]

I mentioned this in the features thread, but I haven't seen any indication of espionage at this point. But of course we haven't seen later ages. To be honest, I wouldn't miss espionage that much, and it may be coming in an expansion/dlc regardless. And it seems influence and diplomacy is meant to replace it for the time being from what I can tell. Still, I liked to use my spies to reduce AI envoys to city states, I'll miss that.

There are espionage options on the diplomacy screen, as mentioned in the thread. It doesn't seem to be a separate system now, but appears to be quite powerful.

One thing I see mentioned in the thread that I haven't seen any source for is an Antiquity version of Japan called Yamataikoku though. Where was this shown?

 

[Zaarin]

One thing I see mentioned in the thread that I haven't seen any source for is an Antiquity version of Japan called Yamataikoku though. Where was this shown?

Ed implied in a Japanese interview that we're getting three Ages of Japan. I assume Yamataikoku is an assumption based Himiko (now with double the assumptions!), but there are other possibilities.

 

[Siptah]

I did not love espionage in Civ5 or Civ6.

Espionage (and dipylomacy) in civ VI always gave me the feeling that the game is supposed to be played on tiny and duel maps. The horrors of late game with 12+ civs sending spies to all your towns constantly… I hope they find a much, much better way to do this.