Developer Firaxis announced Civilization 7 in February, and fans still don't know much about the upcoming game. Sure, players can assume it will share the same core gameplay as its predecessors, though it's not as if the Civ games haven't evolved over the series' impressive thirty-two-year run. Civilization 5, for example, saw the transition from a grid to a hex-based world map. Meanwhile, despite broad similarities with its predecessor, Civilization 6 changed enough from Civilization 5 to divide the fanbase, and its expansions introduced multiple new features and reworks. Firaxis clearly isn't afraid of shaking things up.
One civilization that might benefit from a bit of shaking in Civilization 7 is the English. Despite taking place over several thousand years, the Civs in Civilization focus on a particular era in the nation's history. In England's case, its primarily the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, during the height of the British Empire. This is especially true in Civilization 6, which emphasizes England's status as an industrial and maritime power but was also the case with Civ 4 and Civ 5. However, while this focus is understandable, it downplays how much England changed over the core of its history.
Civilization 7 Should Showcase England's Evolution
As with Scotland and Ireland, the land that is now called England was initially settled by the Celts, who gradually migrated there from central Europe. It was then conquered by the Romans, who founded the city of London. Next came Germanic tribes called the Angles and Saxons, followed by a century of partial Norse occupation about five hundred years later. The Anglo-Saxons eventually expelled the Norse invaders, only for England to later be invaded again by the French-speaking Normans. All these groups introduced significant changes to England's culture and politics and had a lasting impact that can still be seen today.
England also reinvented itself multiple times throughout history. The Hundred Years War saw the birth of England's national identity. Meanwhile, the establishment of the Church of England and the English Civil War altered the course of English culture and politics for centuries to come. Even England's status as a naval power was a major reversal, with the English Navy only really rising to prominence in the 1600s.
One obviously can't expect Civilization 7's gameplay to model all the factors and twists of fate that created England. However, it would be interesting if the new game could incorporate some of this into England's game mechanics. Fortunately, some of the systems in Civilization 6 may offer ways to do just that.
Civilization 5 then introduced Civ-specific Abilities, joined by Leader Bonuses in Civilization 6. These passive bonuses make different Civs more effective in different areas inspired by each society's history. In Civilization 6: Gathering Storm, for example, England's Civilization Ability is Workshop of the World, which grants it various bonuses for Military Engineers, Mines, Harbors, Industrial Zones, and powered Buildings. This represents its status as the premier industrial and economic power of the 19th century.
However, Civilization 7 could better represent England's history by having it change Abilities throughout the game. Civilization 6 already has mechanics where AI behaviors change based on the Era, so this wouldn't be too much of a stretch. England might start the game with a bonus to Settler production early on, transitioning to a military focus in the Classical and Medieval Eras and Naval and Economic supremacy in the Renaissance and Industrial Eras.
Alternatively, Firaxis could tie it to Civilization 7's leaders. Leaders in Civilization 6 already have a major impact due to their Bonuses and Agendas. However, Civilization 7 could also revolutionize England's Leaders by tying the Civilization's Ability to them. Willam the Conqueror's England was a radically different place from Henry VIII's or Queen Victoria's, after all.
Another option could be for England's Abilities to stay the same but allow players to change leaders during the game. Either way, it could help to make England stand out even more from the other nations in Civilization 7.
Civilization 7 is in development.