Study The Past - a series retrospective

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Things highlighted:

- "Strategic Resources" were highlighted by showing a clip of a Worker making a Colony, we haven't had an actual Colony system since I think 3 itself.
- "Reactive" Borders were mentioned.
- Once again, the Advisors were kinda shown off with the video showing off the different tips they had.

I mean, with 7 they could easily go direction of bringing back the strongest most unique mechanics of each of the previosu 6 iterations.

If you think about it, it could explain the long development time, and if them using Unreal is true it would actually be more likely we get a really innovative game since budget wouldn't be spent on implementing the Engine itself. (i forget, was 6 build off 5?)

 

[Navelgazer]

So I don't have a lot to say here yet, since I got into the series with Civ IV and have never played the first 3 games, so I don't really know what's being left out of these videos.But it's interesting to me that so far we've got:
Civ 1: Tech Tree, Leaders!
Civ 2: Isometric Map, Expansions, Hit Points, Diplomacy/Advisors!
Civ 3: Culture, Strategic Resources, Civilopedia, Reactive Borders!

Basically, if we're reading the tea leaves of these things for what they're mentioning (i.e. probably will be featured in Civ7) and what they're leaving out (i.e. probably won't be featured), the only noteworthy thing so far is, I think, the High Council. I believe we're all expecting the new game to have a tech tree, leaders, isometric map, expansions, hit points, culture mechanics (which in my experience change with every iteration anyway), strategic resources, a Civilopedia, and reactive borders.

Which is to say that, yeah, whatever they're leaving out seems like a bigger deal to me, but I have no frame of reference for that yet. I know that, for instance, if they don't mention unstacking units in the Civ 5 video, that'll be noteworthy, same as if they don't mention districts in the Civ 6 video.

That said, I'd like to imagine that they're mentioning the isometric map because Civ7 will introduce elevations into the map, strategic resources and culture/borders because those systems are going to become more dynamic, and leaders because they're going to include a custom civ/leader creation system. But those are all wild speculation and pipe dreams.

All this to say that I'm excited for the idea of a High Council, and kinda bummed that we probably won't be getting a palace/throne room, at least as an optional thing. Anything else is really hard for me to guess from these so far.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

As for the third part, I found the appearance of the Colony to be interesting, but what was more interesting was what wasn't shown. They didn't talk about the 3D leaders or the era clothing.

 

[vorlon_mi]

Bit of trivia -- yes, Civ3 introduced *strategic* resources, which were required to build certain units or improvements. But the actual video showed a worker building a colony on a *luxury* resources (Dyes), which were also introduced in Civ3. The whole happiness mechanic was revised as well.

Is it reading too much into it, to expect that both strategic and luxury resources will be updated in Civ7?

 

[TreVor_ish]

What if, in those retrospective series, they are only mentioning things that will be included in CIV VII.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

What if, in those retrospective series, they are only mentioning things that will be included in CIV VII.

That is part of the premise of our analysis of this video series.

 

[TreVor_ish]

That is part of the premise of our analysis of this video series.

If that means colonies will be back I'm listening. (waiting for canals - and not as a one tile)

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

If that means colonies will be back I'm listening.

I'd call it a firm "maybe"

 

[Potworny]

I just noticed that the typography changes to match the era the game launched in. Neat detail.

 

[Gori the Grey]

I mean, with 7 they could easily go direction of bringing back the strongest most unique mechanics of each of the previosu 6 iterations.

The very fact that they are releasing this video series, it seems to me--and especially under the "Study the Past to Define the Future" frame--is to communicate 1) that their early brainstorming was to ask "what have been the best features in each game?" and 2) that they think they've built a game that in fact borrows and harmonizes those features in a new gestalt.

I just noticed that the typography changes to match the era the game launched in. Neat detail.

And we should be talking about what they pick as the background as they move from one feature to the next. In 1, it was wagons. In 2 it was space. Here it was the Bruegel "Tower of Babel" that served as the art inspiration for 3. I don't know what to make of this, but you smart people should.

 

[Josephias]

They didn't talk about the 3D leaders or the era clothing

Anyhow, this makes still more relevant they mentioned/included Civ 2’s advisor council

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Anyhow, this makes still more relevant they mentioned/included Civ 2’s advisor council

Indeed. I don't think we really want to be reminded of those aesthetically unpleasant designs, but the use of 3D for the leaderheads should be noteworthy. That they don't even mention it in passing gives greater emphasis to what they do bring up.

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

Bit of trivia -- yes, Civ3 introduced *strategic* resources, which were required to build certain units or improvements. But the actual video showed a worker building a colony on a *luxury* resources (Dyes), which were also introduced in Civ3. The whole happiness mechanic was revised as well.

Is it reading too much into it, to expect that both strategic and luxury resources will be updated in Civ7?

I'm more struck by them NOT highlighting luxury goods or happiness, despite showing the development of a luxury resource. They could have just as easily highlighted "Resources" or "Strategic and Luxury Resources".

Since they only flagged "Strategic Resources Unveiled", I expect we'll see a revised take on strategic resources in Civ 7.

Since they ignored Luxury resources and Happiness, I suspect we'll see Amenities rather than Happiness again in Civ 7, and a de-emphasis (or elimination) of on-map luxury resources.

The emphasis on Culture and Reactive Borders makes me suspect they've put work into the mechanics by which you spread your influence across the map using culture.

The advisor's inputs in the video were jarring and would likely have been avoided if they weren't purposefully focusing on them, giving additional weight to the idea that we're going to hear a lot more from our advisors in Civ 7.

The emphasis on the Civilopedia ... I got nothing . Why the heck would they mention that?? Was marketing out of the room for a few minutes when they slipped that one in?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

The note about revising the civilopedia was kind of odd. They do that every game to some extent. Unless they are going to dramatically alter the format of it, I don't see why it's worth mentioning.

 

[Leucarum]

Hopefully not a ChatGPT Civilopedia. Ask Civi?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

It was pointed out to me that Civ 3 also had the first Civ traits and unique units. Why not bring that up?

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Civ 4 also had Civ Traits, and Unique Buildings, so they could mention that for 4.

4 also had a Happiness/Health system.

They could easily change how traits/buildings/units work? Though that'd be a surprise.

 

[Gori the Grey]

It was pointed out to me that Civ 3 also had the first Civ traits

They did! That's the material that's showing on the Civilopedia page that they feature.

Remember there, there were 8 traits, and your civ was special by virtue of having its own combination of two of them.

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

They did! That's the material that's showing on the Civilopedia page that they feature.

Remember there, there were 8 traits, and your civ was special by virtue of having its own combination of two of them.

Unique traits (as opposed to limited shared traits), though, didn't arrive until Civ 4, so as @TheMarshmallowBear suggests, I suspect we'll see those mentioned in the next video. I also suspect they'll mention Great People. Neither of those will particularly mean anything, just a historical nod to when mechanics that appear in Civ 7 first appeared in the series. On reflection, that's likely all the reference to culture and border expansion in the Civ 3 video was about, too.

For Civ 4, I'm more interested to see what they say about Religion and Civics, to see if there's anything to suggest how they may be approaching those in Civ 7. I think Civ 4 was the first with a "score victory", too, so maybe that gets (or doesn't get a mention)? Spies/Espionage may also garner a comment?

It'll also be interesting to see if they say anything about modding in regards to Civ 4, as I think it was the first designed around modability?

Finally, in terms of old mechanics, the following notable ones that I can think of weren't mentioned in the video about the game in which they first appeared, and therefore may be at risk of disappearing (or not re-appearing) in Civ 7:
- Goody Huts
- Barbarians
- Corruption
- Palace/Throne Room
- Happiness

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1806726169703944634

Another day, another social media post that actually shows a mod.