Civ VII: Firaxis Details "Test of Time" Update to Reclaim Players & Critics
The Civilization series has historically faced challenges in immediately captivating new players with mainline releases. However, the struggles with Civilization VII – launched nearly a year ago – appeared deeper, with some players questioning whether it truly felt like a Civilization game. Now, Firaxis Games, the developers of Civ VII, have announced a significant update this spring, dubbed “Test of Time,” aiming to address unpopular changes and, in some cases, revert to key mechanics from the original release. This article delves into the specifics of the update, the team’s response to player feedback, and the future plans for the Civilization franchise.
The Core of the Controversy: A Departure from Tradition
Beyond the expected bugs, balance issues, and missing UI features – which have been addressed in previous updates and will continue to be refined – the central issue was a perceived break from the core DNA of the Civilization series. The developers introduced novel mechanics intending to offer a fresh experience, building upon the foundations laid in Civilization IV, V, and VI. As Dennis Shirk, Executive Producer, put it, it felt like “making Madden and deciding they’re going to play with a soccer ball instead of a football.”
A particularly contentious change was the ability to play any historical leader with any civilization and the requirement to abandon your initial civilization pick – not once, but twice, at the beginning of the second and third ages, each with distinct tech trees and mechanics. Ed Beach, Creative Director of the Civilization franchise, acknowledged the mixed reception. “I am a huge fan of British history, and so going from the Romans to the Normans to a Great Britain, that feels very natural to me. But it’s not natural to everybody.”
While focus testing indicated some controversy was anticipated, the developers underestimated the strength of players’ identification with the idea of nurturing a specific civilization and its unique cultural development throughout history. The changes, while intended to be innovative, disrupted the immersive storytelling experience that many players valued.
Why Were Civ VII’s Changes More Divisive?
Previous significant changes, like the shift in Civilization V to a one-unit-one-tile combat system, were largely seen as mechanical adjustments that didn’t impact the core immersive experience. Shirk explained, “It’s not all about the mechanics. It’s about the game that players want to build for themselves.” The changes in Civ VII, however, were perceived as fundamentally altering the narrative and strategic depth that defined the series.
“Test of Time” Update: Reclaiming the Core Experience
The “Test of Time” update aims to address these concerns by offering players more agency and control over their civilizations. Starting with this update, players will have the option to play a single civilization throughout all three ages of the game. Each civilization will have an “apex age” where it gains access to its full suite of unique units and abilities. In other ages, the civilization will retain some of its core strengths while adapting to the era with an age-appropriate culture tree. A new system will allow players to integrate unique units or infrastructure from other civilizations that are at their apex in the current age.
The AI will mirror the player’s decision: if the player chooses to stick with their original civilization, the AI leaders will do the same. If the player switches, the AI will also have the option to change civilizations. This provides flexibility and allows players to adapt their strategy without being locked into a predetermined path.
Rethinking Victory Conditions and Legacy Paths
The update also overhauls the victory conditions and the controversial “legacy paths” system. Previously, players were required to achieve linear, prescribed goals within each age to gain bonuses. The “Test of Time” update will allow players to begin working towards a victory from the very first age (Antiquity), with the possibility of achieving victory in the second age (Exploration) if they establish a significant lead.
The four victory conditions – cultural, military, economic, and scientific – will be refined. The cultural victory will be achieved through a combination of wonders, great works, celebrations, and other cultural achievements. Military victory will remain focused on conquering cities. Economic victory will be based on a combination of resources, gold buildings, factories, and trade. The scientific victory will continue to be a space race.
The legacy paths system will be entirely removed and replaced with a new system called “triumphs.” Firaxis aims to create a more sandbox-like experience, similar to previous Civilization titles, with less rigidity in the path to success.
The Triumph System: A Constellation of Objectives
Instead of following a preset sequence of goals, players will choose from a menu of accomplishments tied to the six leader attributes: cultural, military, economic, scientific, diplomatic, and expansionist. Completing a triumph will grant an immediate reward or a card that can be used to gain an advantage at the start of the next age. Examples include reaching a population of 200, being the first to build a university, controlling most of the world’s natural wonders, or being at war with every other civilization.
Beach explained the design philosophy behind triumphs: “We purposely set it up so, rather than like pathways through an age, we’re looking at it sort of like as a constellation of objectives, and you choose four or five of those guide stars to move towards.” He emphasized the variety and difficulty of the triumphs, ensuring that players cannot complete them all.
Default rewards will be available at Age transitions even if no triumphs are achieved, catering to beginner players. Furthermore, the triumph system is designed to be easily modifiable, allowing players to create custom challenges and playstyles. Firaxis is also exploring “triumph sets,” which would allow players to configure their game with specific packages of triumphs tailored to different playstyles.
The 33-33-33 Rule and the Future of Civilization
These changes represent a significant effort to balance retaining the unique elements of Civ VII with satisfying players of Civ V and VI who felt the game had strayed too far from the series’ core principles. Sid Meier, the creator of Civilization, famously advocated for a 33-33-33 rule for sequels: 33% of the game should retain established systems, 33% should improve existing systems, and 33% should be entirely new.
Beach admitted that the development team initially pushed beyond these guidelines. “I actually was challenged by my design team, and they wanted to change even more, way blowing past that 33-33-33 rule.” He explained that they ultimately scaled back some of the more radical changes to maintain a balance between innovation and familiarity.
Lessons Learned and a New Approach to Feedback
The development of Civ VII was influenced by the exceptionally long development cycle of Civilization VI (approximately 11 years). The team conducted an extensive postmortem analysis, identifying both strengths and weaknesses of previous entries. A key goal was to address the “combinatorial explosion” of complexity in the late game, where managing numerous cities and units became overwhelming for many players.
To improve the development process, Firaxis is implementing new methods for incorporating player feedback earlier in the design phase. The “Frankenstein Group,” a small external test team, is being expanded with a workshop program facilitated by publisher 2K, involving a larger number of community members in playtesting and feedback sessions. This represents a significant departure from the previous approach of releasing updates and then monitoring forums like Reddit and CivFanatics.
The possibility of adopting an early access model, common in other genres, was also discussed. Shirk stated, “It’s one of those things that you can never say never.” Both Beach and Shirk emphasized the expanding audience for the Civilization franchise, highlighting the need to cater to a broad range of players while maintaining the series’ legacy as a gold standard in the 4X and grand strategy genres. The future of Civilization hinges on striking this delicate balance.