Progressive Leader Screen and Diplomats in Civ 7: overhauling encounters

[AntSou]

This is an idea breakdown of how new encounters (meeting a new civ) could work in civ 7. Basically it's split into two occurrences:

1. Meeting a foreign unit for the first time (e.g. a scout): you gain awareness of the existence of that Civ. You are given a depiction of the leader in that culture's historical art style and potentially directions and a map of the location of the capital. No leader screen as of yet;

2. One of your diplomats arrives at a foreign court: first actual leader screen, as if you were seeing it from the eyes of your diplomat (this does not occur when a foreign diplomat arrives at your court);

3. The "leader court" should have representations of the civ as it exists in that playthrough. For instance, in Lincoln's office, you might be able to see one of America's wonders through his window. Or paintings of Great People which America recruited. The player would be able to choose which objects/visuals to depict in their own court, depending on their own achievements in that playthrough.
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New Diplomat system:

1. Diplomats move similarly to traders in Civ 6, but much faster. Terrain, improved roads, etc, make movement and diplomatic interactions even faster. However, there's always some form of delay dependent on physical distance and route quality;

2. Direct communications unlock in the industrial era and no longer require a delay in communications;
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This would also require an overhaul of the trading system, so that much less depends on the leader screen when it comes to trading.

 

[Zaarin]

I'd expect (and hope) to see more personable leaders going forward, not less.

 

[Saxo Grammaticus]

I like the idea of historical representations or even an emblem of authority upon first contact, but I wonder what the gameplay purpose of delaying the leader screen would be. Personally, a customizable court is not my cup of tea, but I can imagine it appealing to others.

Some barriers to diplomacy before the Early Modern or so would make sense. RFC for Civ IV tied diplomatic relations to physical contact, so you would lose the ability to trade with a far-off power when their scout left, with the option to build permanent embassies. I would like diplomat units to work, but perhaps with more agency or even repurposing the governor mechanic.

 

[AntSou]

I'd expect (and hope) to see more personable leaders going forward, not less.

I don't think these things are mutually exclusive. In terms of Civ 6 it would be somewhat equivalent to a historic moment. Establishing connections with a civ through diplomats might also enable further knowledge of other civs to be gained. So you could potentially gain knowledge of foreign capitals and send a diplomat before you even set sights on any of those civs' units. (there was an option to request contacts in previous games.)

I like the idea of historical representations or even an emblem of authority upon first contact, but I wonder what the gameplay purpose of delaying the leader screen would be. Personally, a customizable court is not my cup of tea, but I can imagine it appealing to others.

I thought about this after posting in another thread regarding resources in the leader screen and trading. With a potentially revamped trading system, which would see resource trading moved from the leader screen to the actual trading system, there isn't much in terms of interaction possible at the beginning of the game.

The idea is intended as immersive. Other things can be considered to go along with it, e.g., all units appear with a neutral colour until you actually find out who they belong to. Once you do, the neutral colours switch to the Civ's colours. Perhaps the scouts you meet deny any interaction with you, rather than giving you any info regarding their leader and their capital. Maybe they are just isolationist and see you as a threat, or maybe you've got Montezuma close by and he's already considering you as a target. Either way it's up to you to put extra effort into finding out.

 

[Zaarin]

I don't think these things are mutually exclusive. In terms of Civ 6 it would be somewhat equivalent to a historic moment. Establishing connections with a civ through diplomats might also enable further knowledge of other civs to be gained. So you could potentially gain knowledge of foreign capitals and send a diplomat before you even set sights on any of those civs' units. (there was an option to request contacts in previous games.)

Perhaps. It just seems like delaying and sidelining leader-to-leader interactions is a development away from leader-focused diplomacy. You mentioned moving trade out of the leader screen, though, and that I'm on board with--find a way to make Traders and trading a coherent system.

 

[DeckerdJames]

It would be interesting if they would add to the Civ 7 meeting screen, when meeting a new leader, on the screen where you read how the leader greets you, a portrait of every mutual acquaintance with a box around something they want to say publicly to the world and a separate section of what they say to you privately about the politics of meeting. Super complicated to make that work? I have no idea.