Civilization 7 Should Set The World on Fire With New Government Mechanics (2024)

While nothing has been officially announced yet, fans everywhere are waiting to see what Sid Meier's Civilization 7 will entail. Just like with every entry before it, the title will likely shake things up with a new art style, new mechanics, new leaders, and so many little additions. And even though the studio may not want to make things too different from what came before, Sid Meier's Civilization 7 has the chance to truly stand out from the crowd, with one of the best ways being via its governments.

For years, the governments in Sid Meier's Civilization have been mostly barebones. They allow players to gain certain benefits while also penalizing them, yet the core feature has never really felt lifelike. However, Firaxis could change all of that if it injected a few NPCs into the system. Not just any NPCs either, but ones that actively work for or against them throughout the experience, making governments a more interactable feature in the process.

Civilization 7 Can Truly Shake Up Its Core Government Systems With One Addition

Governments Have Been Mostly Stagnant

Just like in real life, governments have played a major role within the Sid Meier's Civilization series. In Sid Meier's Civilization 6, this system was portrayed as a sort of deck builder mechanic. As players researched new techs and civics, they would often unlock new cards that could be slotted into one of four different sections, with each card giving them a bonus. Depending upon the government they have adopted, they would be given more or less card slots in each section, and as they progressed further into the game, they could unlock new governments that would further expand their capabilities.

This feature helped make governments more interesting, but they were still lacking a bit. In real life, governments are not built merely on policy, and there is far more to them than simple bonuses. Additionally, players would seldom have to edit this screen, especially if they already knew the strongest build for each civilization. So, although it was a step up from past games, the feature still felt a bit lackluster.

Adding New NPCs to the Mix Could Give Civilization Governments a Whole New Feel

Sid Meier's Civilization 7 has the chance to change all of that by stripping away this deck building feature and introduce NPCs instead. These NPCs could form the backbone of the government, with them being appointed to various positions within the civilization. Then, they could automate certain aspects, provide bonuses in other ways, and operate much like a real government person would. To make things even more interesting, Firaxis could make them actually feel real.

These NPCs could not only provide benefits, but they could also have their own personalities that dictate just how they treat their positions of power. While it would be nice if they all worked towards a common goal, Firaxis could give them their own wants and interests that they try to achieve instead. As they pursue said interest, they could also make certain demands of players or attempt to do things that may actively harm the civilization they are supposed to be helping.Just like in real life, it would be up to the player to work around this for the betterment of their country.

Adding these NPCs could help shake up the feature immensely, and if implemented well, may be exactly what the franchise needs. For years, it has felt like Firaxis has failed to fully capture the essence of a government structure. But, if it followed in the footsteps of titles like Stellaris while also injecting a few Sid Meier's Civilization features into it, it might lead to something truly special.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII

The award-winning strategy game franchise returns with a revolutionary new chapter. Sid Meier's Civilization® VII empowers you to build the greatest empire the world has ever known!

Rule as one of many legendary leaders from throughout history. Establish your civilization, construct cities and architectural wonders to expand your territory, conquer or cooperate with rival civilizations in pursuit of prosperity, and explore the far reaches of the unknown world. Will you build an empire that stands the test of time?

Sid Meier's Civilization® VII is a 4X strategy game developed by the legendary team at Firaxis Games, developers of the Civilization and XCOM franchises.

Grand Strategy

Turn-Based Strategy

4X

Systems

Franchise

Sid Meier's Civilization

Platform(s)

PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , Switch

Released

2025-00-00

Developer(s)

Firaxis Games

Publisher(s)

2K

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

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