Summary
Eras are an important mechanic of theCivilizationgames, andCivilization 7’s approach to them could have a significant impact on the game’s flow. Of course, making a change to a vital area of the game would need to be carefully handled, lest it end up impacting the rest of the package.Civilizationis a series that is not afraid to change, as shown by the myriad differences betweenCivilization 5andCivilization 6. It’s almost certain thatCivilization 7will include some major changes as well, and some of those innovations could involve the game’s handling of eras.
From theAncient Era inCivilizationall the way to the Information Era, the eras ofCivilizationgames keep track of the player’s technological advancement. As soon as the player fully researches any technology from an era they haven’t reached yet, they will instantly enter that era, occasionally unlocking bonuses in the process. As ofCivilization 6, the eras are, in order:
Reworked Eras Can Open New Strategic Possibilities in Civilization 7
Civilization 7’s Eras Could Change the Way Research Works
Being an era ahead of an opponent usually implies a significant tech advantage, which typically puts the player in a powerful position no matter what their strategy is. One way toreboot the way thatCivilizationworkswould be to change the way that technology is weighed. For example, if a civilization is highly advanced in terms of culture, but less so where its military is concerned, its era could represent that.
This way, a civilization that was only researching in certain directions would not receive bonuses for advancing era in areas where they lag until their research has caught up. This would add more risk and reward to the game, as while players could min-max their civilization more than ever, it would also increase the penalties for doing so.
Eras Could Affect the World Around the Civ in Civilization 7
One change that could significantly impact the wayCivilizationplayers build in the early gamewould be having civilizations in advanced eras impact their surroundings. For example, nearby barbarians and city-states would slowly grow to match their level of technology. This would have the effect of making certain pockets of the map more technologically advanced than others. There could even be a mechanic where high-tech civilizations could slowly leak knowledge to nearby civs in the form of small research bonuses. Such a mechanic would need to be fine-tuned in order to keep it from spreading scientific knowledge too fast, but it could makeCivilization 7’s technology race more intense.
The Leaders of Civilization 7 Could Upgrade With Advancing Eras
One more good use of eras would involve theplayable leaders ofCivilization 7. Almost every leader provides bonuses to some statistic or resource through their abilities, andCivilizationcould amplify these abilities as they rise through the eras. This could represent the leader growing wiser and more experienced as they lead their civilization through the ages. While the scaling shouldn’t be too steep, it would be a good way to further incentivize players to not neglect science, because their leader’s talents advance alongside their technology. New eras represent advancement in the game, and evolving leader abilities would be another way to reap the benefits.
Eras are a good landmark of progress inCivilizationgames, and reworking them could not onlyshake up tech development inCivilization 7, but give players another factor to keep in mind while growing their civilization. Changing the way that civilizations are affected by their current era will be a big change for the game’s science mechanic, and give players a lot more to think about while climbing the tech tree. By making eras into more than a technological landmark,Civilization 7can turn them into a new aspect of the strategic game.
Sid Meier’s Civilization
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The original Civilization release that started the long-running franchise. This 90s strategy game set the groundwork for many of the concepts and designs that the newest Civilization games are known for today.
