Highlights
- The success of grand strategy games like Civilization lies in the multiple victory conditions, requiring more than just military might.
- Civilization 7 must improve upon the diplomacy and negotiation mechanics of its predecessor to meet gamers' expectations.
- Players have expressed dissatisfaction with the AI's trade mechanics and lack of diplomatic options, calling for enhancements in Civilization 7 .
The beauty of grand strategy games lies in the variety of ways players can overcome their opponents in the big picture of the end game, as not every bout between gamers is won by who holds the largest army or the most tactical know-how. The Civilization franchise has been at the forefront of diversifying strategy mechanics, offering up to six unique victory conditions for its player base to fulfill, from Domination to Culture and Science. Civilization 6 originally had five before the addition of diplomacy in the Gathering Storm DLC, and fans have voiced concerns with the technique even prior to its victory condition status. For Civilization 7, Firaxis has to build on Civilization 6's wanting features; diplomacy and negotiation, could use some improvement.
Near-flawless releases can be challenging for developers, as gamers' expectations are hardly ever tempered for the next edition, regardless of how masterfully the previous installment performed in all departments. With a reputation of being one of the greatest grand strategy games of all time, Civilization 6 set a high standard for its successor to surpass, and Civilization 7 has to feature a few earth-shaking dynamics to register as a hit in the gaming community. Locating the areas for marked improvement in a blockbuster performer like Civilization 6 isn't easy, but the fan base has registered complaints about diplomacy and negotiation in the past, and Civilization 7 needs to get the mechanics right to advance the franchise's stellar reputation.
Civilization 7 Needs to Improve Civ 6's Diplomacy Detail
Diplomacy and negotiation go hand in hand, and Firaxis recently introduced the Great Negotiators expansion pack to supplement the victory condition. Abraham Lincoln was the headliner of the host of leaders coming into Civilization 6, and there was a sense of excitement to see how the new pack would impact the traditional gameplay. Curiously, the bonuses of the debutantes followed a militaristic theme instead of being centered around negotiation. For instance, Abraham Lincoln gets an extra resource-free melee unit for completing an industrial zone, while Sultan Saladin gives units a flanking bonus when attacking enemies.
These bonuses are tailor-made for Domination victories, and there's little indication of the leaders' negotiation prowess -- which defies the reason for a Great Negotiators pack in the first place. This oversight follows a noticeable trend in Civilization 6 from its launch, which is a perceived indifference from Firaxis to the intricate details of negotiation and diplomacy. A look at the Civilization community on Reddit reveals sarcastic comments about the brute-force approach the supposed negotiators employ during gameplay; the next installment needs to rectify this dynamic and give rulers more diplomatic-themed perks.
Civilization 6's AI is also in line for enhancement, as this is an area some players are dissatisfied with. Trade is a complicated but essential mechanism in games like Civilization 6, and gamers have had some unpleasant experiences in this regard. For instance, other countries can denounce players and refuse their trade offers with little to no consequences, while players cannot return the favor without risking all-out conflict. Considering some of the ludicrous offers the AI sends -- which are basically attempts to cheat the player of their resources -- many gamers find themselves in the thick of wars they never intended to fight.
Similarly, historical conflicts are hardly ever forgotten in Civilization 6. A war could have broken out between the player and an AI nation in the Ancient Era, and hostilities would find a way to carry over to the Industrial or even the Information Era. There should be a possibility for the computer to generate fair trade for both sides and mend broken bridges between nations with negotiation techniques. Civilization 7 needs to impact these changes to encourage more players to employ diplomacy in its gameplay.
Sid Meier's Civilization 7 is currently in development.