Playing One civ through the Ages

[Krikkit1]

Ways I think they can do this (see the 1.3.0 update) while still keeping the "age uniqueness of the civs"

Ideally BOTH of these options are available.

1. Choose at the beginning the "name" (including city List/Icon/graphics stye) of your civ separates from the bonuses... and each new age you can keep your "name" (lump happiness bonus) or change it (lump unique civic bonus)

2. You can choose to have a civ "out of age" where it will get a set of semi-generic bonuses
Antiquity America will get the Antiquity Economic and Antiquity Expansionist bonuses (as would Antiquity Inca... they would have same gameplay for Antiquity but Different Graphics... and start Biases)
Antiquity Songhai would get the Antiquity Economic and Antiquity Military bonuses (so they would be a little bit like Antiquity America)


Other options? Hoping they don't make the civs just like leaders where all their abilities are for every age... but having some "Attribute bonuses" then going into your "Civ unique Age" and then continuing the Legacy with "Attribute bonuses"

So if I wanted to focus on Mountain Inca... I start off as Antiquity Inca (no Mountain bonuses but a Mountain bias and Econ+Expansion bonuses).. then Regular Inca... then, to keep mountain bonuses, I shift to Nepal's bonuses but keep my Inca Name+Graphics. (or go to Modern Inca since the Mountains aren't as interesting to me as the Modern Econ+Expansion bonuses.... or go Qajar and keep the Inca name because I didn't get to expand a lot, and want to raze my neighbors to the ground)

 

[Crashdummy]

I hope they dont go with the "name" only change, while everything else stays the same, because that would be FAR from enough

 

[IntelligentDisk]

It definitely won't just be keeping a Civilization in "name". I imagine keeping your Civilization will be an expansion of the continuity mode. I can't see you being able to have any bonuses or anything from any other Civilizations if you play this mode. It will be as close to a "classic mode" as they can make it.

 

[Krikkit1]

I hope they dont go with the "name" only change, while everything else stays the same, because that would be FAR from enough

I agree that wouldn't be enough... but that option should Also be there. (name including all graphics, music, icons, city list, etc.)
Buit If someone wants to play with the Prussian or Bugandan or Meiji bonuses for "their" "Modern Rome" they should be able to.
They should ALSO be able to have their Modern Rome have the Modern Cultural and Modern Military bonuses.


I can't see keeping your civ's Unique Ability/Civics, etc. in other ages.. some are nonsensical out of age, others are ridiculous. So you either need to get another civ's uniques OR have some uniques that are semigeneric.

 

[stealth_nsk]

We've discussed this already. In the thread we've seen those 4 options:

1. Keeping names, including settlement names, while choosing "culture" for each age. Less gameplay affected, but could be viewed as too cosmetic by many.
2. Make civilization options generic enough to fit into any age. Would mimic previous game setup, but would destroy civilization uniqueness.
3. Invent fantasy bonuses for all civs, like Modern age Assyria. Could be interesting to play, but also immersion-breaking. Also making that many unique things would actually make them less unique.
4. Contain age-specific civilization bonuses in their ages and let players play other ages without (or almost without) civilization bonuses. Could work as optional mode, but playing 2/3 of the game (3/4 with 4th age) without bonuses doesn't look like fun. Also, balance is questionable.

All variants have their fans and I guess regardless of which option will be chosen, some people will not be satisfied.

 

[ehecatzin]

I imagine there would be an option for just "classical mode" where you choose an era apropiate civ and just stick with it. (I personally think starting with America in antiquity was always very silly)

However I hope we get the option to continue with a civ into the next era, as just part of the game. If Im doing a good, or for roleplay purposes. ej: Exploration Maya because mesoamerica is quite barren right now, or Rome into exploration,and rename my new capital Constantinople.

Legacies are a cool place to add some flavour to carry on with a civ to the next era, gaining you special legacies with pros and drawbacks. following the Roman example, a Tetrarchy legacy, or something like that would be awesome.

 

[Xandinho]

I think it will be just like it’s always been: you choose Egypt and play with its unique elements until you achieve victory. For later civilizations like America, Spain, and France... it will be the same as always — late-game civs that have most of their uniques unlocked in the second half of the game. Obviously, this requires major balance adjustments, but they’ve already indicated that they’re working on it.

 

[CivKirk64]

I think the best way to do this is come up with generic traditions tied to the attributes (Scientific, Economic Etc..) and appropriate for each age.
Add in an age specific culture tree, to unlock them in tiers.
Keep your city names throughout the game.

Have multiple options, if the AI or other players are allowed to progress as normal, or are locked throughout.
I'd say if you chose to Civ Lock, you are stuck even if things aren't going to plan, so no starting as America, switching to the Normans if you have a bunch of good UQ spots and switching back to America for modern. (Yall cried for this you're stuck with it)

Civ Lock needs to be an option and not the default, don't implement this in a way that up ends everything.

 

[Porry]

Civ Lock needs to be an option and not the default, don't implement this in a way that up ends everything.

I hope because a like the civ switch gameplay

 

[Leucarum]

If it was just name only, I very much doubt they would need this much time to work on it. I imagine that means they are putting some work into making it feel good to play a civ out of age!

I am definitely someone who needs this change in order to stay on the Civ7 train... but I also hope it is an option you can toggle off for those who do enjoy Civ7 as it stands.

 

[WillK96]

I would imagine the "play as one civ" through the ages would consist of choosing the three "cultures" at the start (which dictates the architecture, unique civic trees, and possibly the unique infrastructure/units), while maintaining the unique Civ Ability and City list across the game.

 

[stealth_nsk]

If it was just name only, I very much doubt they would need this much time to work on it. I imagine that means they are putting some work into making it feel good to play a civ out of age!

Ed said they are playtesting different approaches, so they clearly consider more than keeping names. But what we'll get (if get at all) is totally unknown. Potentially it could end with name change being the best of.

I am definitely someone who needs this change in order to stay on the Civ7 train... but I also hope it is an option you can toggle off for those who do enjoy Civ7 as it stands.

Yes. I think civilization switch was a mistake in the first place, but now after the game was built around it, I'd like it to stay for this game.

 

[Leucarum]

I'd like it to stay for this game.

As long as it isn't the only way to play I am happy, personally...

 

[marius_kaparius]

I think they should spend the minimum amount of effort on this. You get your unique units and buildings and abilities for the age your chosen Civ falls in - before that you are playing a generic Civ and use the graphics appropriate to your region. I cannot see this being an issue because this is how it worked in Civ 5 and Civ 6 and we keep being told those are vastly superior to 7.

 

[Leucarum]

I think they should spend the minimum amount of effort on this. You get your unique units and buildings and abilities for the age your chosen Civ falls in - before that you are playing a generic Civ and use the graphics appropriate to your region. I cannot see this being an issue because this is how it worked in Civ 5 and Civ 6 and we keep being told those are vastly superior to 7.

"I hope you don't get the toy you want because you don't like mine enough?"

Personally I hope we end up with a bountiful christmas for both sides of the civ switching debate, and I hope spite doesn't become a new default mode.

 

[Lebo44]

I am definitely someone who needs this change in order to stay on the Civ7 train...

Would it work for you if they removed civ-switching but kept the age system intact? I've been thinking on the whole idea recently, and personally, I find the age transitions more problematic than civ transformation. Ages interrupt the game's tempo and create an artificial three-part structure.

If I had to choose between removing civ-switching or the age system, I would vote for the latter and a full continuity mode. Even if I was forced to do crazy but more fluid switchin from Egypt through England to Buganda.

 

[Leucarum]

Would it work for you if they removed civ-switching but kept the age system intact? I've been thinking on the whole idea recently, and personally, I find the age transitions more problematic than civ transformation. Ages interrupt the game's tempo and create an artificial three-part structure.

If I had to choose between removing civ-switching or the age system, I would vote for the latter and a full continuity mode. Even if I was forced to do crazy but more fluid switchin from Egypt through England to Buganda.

So my feeling is that we will end up with enough age transition options that we can effectively turn them off in all but name, and I do think that customizability is the only way forward for Firaxis as the audience is so fragmented in what they want...

But rather than evade your question. Personally I like ages, but civ switching feels like a loss to me most of the time (most of the civs I like are antiquity). So I'd be happy with ages as they were at launch but no civ switching.

 

[Haig]

I think they will make it a one continous game without age changes either, so that the whole tech tree is there.

The way game jumps to menu music and loading screen when age changes is jarring.

I dont care if playing England would mean getting HMS Revenge in later era, you would still have the civilization bonus and the leader bonus.

 

[Kurtbob]

If a player does not switch civs at age transition and their civ has no new uniques/traditions/civics etc in the new age, what is that player getting out of it beyond the narrative they are creating for themselves? In my mind, to play a civ from beginning to end, either the age system must go away (I find this unlikely since the whole game revolves around it), old civs need uniques in every future age, or your civ receives major bonuses and malices for 'holding onto the past'.

 

[Lebo44]

I just hope that eliminating civ-switching doesn’t deter the devs from adding new civilizations that could be predecessors or successors of the ones already in the game.

For instance, I’d love to see Feudal Japan with Samurai or England with Longbowmen added, even tough we already got Meiji and GB.