Civ 7 is so streamlined, it's leading to a sense of boredom, let alone a "pointless" modern age. I realized recently that the two-age cadence is perfect for Civ 7, where Antiquity-Exploration and Exploration-Modern each have their own distinct feeling.
The concept of a two-age scenario relies on how only two ages divides up the "4X" gameplay into a well patterned, strategy focused meta-scenario. Explore and exploit represent a single round of "Settling and settling in" which means building your "imperial core". Expand and exterminate represent using your core as an engine to compete for remaining land and resources, and then have decisive wars to determine a winner. Another way to describe these two stages is: development and deployment.
The reason, IMO, the Modern Age works less well is because you've already "deployed" your empire in the exploration age and, I assume, won. This is fixed if you start a game in the exploration age that you intend to finish in modern. Trust me, I've tried it.
This cadence also accommodate role-plays, and that works even better if you build your own custom victory conditions. I assume most of you are following along perfectly with what I mean. It should solve the pacing and repetitiveness issues of Civ 7 almost completely. Although, you have to create the role-play and honor its victory conditions entirely in your own head, which makes it a lightly unsatisfying experience compared to if these elements were in the game with splashy victory videos.
I've played around with this concept, and you could create custom scenarios - that is, the developers could - that modify one or two mechanics and have altered legacy conditions. All while only taking two of three ages and reusing most of their assets, repurposing them. Mods could also implement basic role-play guidelines and victory conditions quite easily if they're simple enough.
I'm enthusiastic enough about this custom two-age role play scenario concept, I'd be willing to end up helping with mods one day. For now, I just want to test the concept out. I encourage you to do so as well.
I want to go a bit oddball in my first scenario to stretch the limits of the concept. I will go more mundane to test the feel of the concept in more vanilla conditions. This is the first scenario, which I will play, and then report back on how it went:
Legacy of Amazonian Atlantis
A massive river civilization rivalling the population of Han China existed in the Amazon basin during the Antiquity Age. Not only did they transform the jungle to fertile earth, they also turned swamp into village, and in many instances lived for years at time upon the rivers themselves, in nomadic houseboats. In time they became strong navigators of the seas.
One day, a terrible plague arrived, destroying most of their empire. A few managed to escape North, following a long river valley to fertile lands free of swampy miasma. The came to call themselves Shawnee, and named their leader Tecumseh.
As they rebuild their empire, the Amazonians remember how their network of settlements connected together like the stars, and how their stories of the stars and the many rivers connecting them, united the tribes of ancient South America. To honor the ancestors, they intend one day to unite the world again with their powerful stories and the influence they provide.
Scenario rules:
The concept of a two-age scenario relies on how only two ages divides up the "4X" gameplay into a well patterned, strategy focused meta-scenario. Explore and exploit represent a single round of "Settling and settling in" which means building your "imperial core". Expand and exterminate represent using your core as an engine to compete for remaining land and resources, and then have decisive wars to determine a winner. Another way to describe these two stages is: development and deployment.
The reason, IMO, the Modern Age works less well is because you've already "deployed" your empire in the exploration age and, I assume, won. This is fixed if you start a game in the exploration age that you intend to finish in modern. Trust me, I've tried it.
This cadence also accommodate role-plays, and that works even better if you build your own custom victory conditions. I assume most of you are following along perfectly with what I mean. It should solve the pacing and repetitiveness issues of Civ 7 almost completely. Although, you have to create the role-play and honor its victory conditions entirely in your own head, which makes it a lightly unsatisfying experience compared to if these elements were in the game with splashy victory videos.
I've played around with this concept, and you could create custom scenarios - that is, the developers could - that modify one or two mechanics and have altered legacy conditions. All while only taking two of three ages and reusing most of their assets, repurposing them. Mods could also implement basic role-play guidelines and victory conditions quite easily if they're simple enough.
I'm enthusiastic enough about this custom two-age role play scenario concept, I'd be willing to end up helping with mods one day. For now, I just want to test the concept out. I encourage you to do so as well.
I want to go a bit oddball in my first scenario to stretch the limits of the concept. I will go more mundane to test the feel of the concept in more vanilla conditions. This is the first scenario, which I will play, and then report back on how it went:
Legacy of Amazonian Atlantis
A massive river civilization rivalling the population of Han China existed in the Amazon basin during the Antiquity Age. Not only did they transform the jungle to fertile earth, they also turned swamp into village, and in many instances lived for years at time upon the rivers themselves, in nomadic houseboats. In time they became strong navigators of the seas.
One day, a terrible plague arrived, destroying most of their empire. A few managed to escape North, following a long river valley to fertile lands free of swampy miasma. The came to call themselves Shawnee, and named their leader Tecumseh.
As they rebuild their empire, the Amazonians remember how their network of settlements connected together like the stars, and how their stories of the stars and the many rivers connecting them, united the tribes of ancient South America. To honor the ancestors, they intend one day to unite the world again with their powerful stories and the influence they provide.
Scenario rules:
- No settlements allowed except on Navigable rivers or lakes, or one coastal settlement per navigable river.
- When plague strikes, no units may be moved from a settlement unless in active use. To honor lost ancestors and their bravery facing the plague.
- You must unlock and play as Buganda. This is the only exploration age victory condition.
- Victory condition: unlock future civic 1
- Deity victory: unlock all civics
