Civilization 7’s New Influence Resource is a Godsend for Diplomacy Fans

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 7, 2024 11 Views 7 Min Read
Civilization 7's New Influence Resource is a Godsend for Diplomacy Fans



Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 is going to be an interesting project to watch unfold. Radical changes to the Civilization formula, like the new Ages mechanic, promise to make for a meaningfully distinct gameplay experience compared to previous entries in the series, but hopefully such changes will buttress Civ‘s already-existing strengths, rather than alter them fundamentally.




Among the most interesting changes to the basic strategic tools of Civilization 7 is the new Influence resource, which will be used for in-game diplomacy. The Civilization franchise has long offered diplomatic solutions as an alternative to aggression or coercion, with features like the Warmonger Penalty being implemented with the aim of balancing runs and punishing an overly rigid playstyle. Crucially, mechanics like these don’t actually restrict the player. Rather, they deepen the in-game systems and make runs more nuanced and reactive: if a player wants to reject diplomacy entirely, they can do so, but the game will react accordingly. It seems that this philosophy is nurtured through the new Influence resource.

Egyptian and Ptolemaic Cleopatra from Civilization 6 over a desert city from Civilization 7

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How Civilization 7’s Influence Resource Can Improve Diplomacy Runs


How Influence Will Work in Civilization 7

Influence will function as a yield, similar to Culture and Science in previous Civilization games. Like those resources, it can be leveraged for a variety of different negotiations and other strategic maneuvers, including:

  • Requesting open borders from other civilizations
  • Enhancing deals with other civilizations
  • Openly supporting one side of a conflict
  • Forming treaties with other civilizations

It also seems like Influence can be used to help players get out of a tough spot, as Civilization 7 previews have noted that the resource can be spent to prevent relations between nations from worsening. Reportedly, Civilization 7 will put a relatively low maximum cap on Influence, encouraging players to spend it regularly. Based on these early impressions, Influence appears to be a streamlined combination of various other systems, like Alliances and Friendships from Civilization 6.


Why Quantifying Diplomacy Could Improve Civilization 7’s Gameplay

Diplomacy has always been important in Civilization, as maintaining positive, or at least tolerable, relationships with other civilizations can ensure long-term safety, favorable trade circumstances, and a variety of other desirable factors. But in many ways, the series’ systems of diplomacy are nebulous and abstract, requiring players to experiment and often leading to underwhelming results. Indeed, the greatest use of diplomacy for most players will be either to gradually increase resources or to avoid conflict with more powerful nations.

But by tying diplomacy to a specific resource, Civilization 7 may be able to make these systems both more engaging and rewarding for those who choose to adopt a diplomatic playstyle. Non-violent runs, for instance, can be more consistently gratifying, as Influence can accrue and ultimately be spent for tangible benefits. In other words, communicating the importance of diplomatic actions through an in-game resource, with strict, objective parameters, could lead to more enjoyable gameplay, with greater possibilities for worthwhile experimentation and player expression.

Having Influence function as just another resource, similar to Faith, Culture, et cetera, could also help
make
Civilization 7
more accessible
, as first-time players can more easily understand how diplomacy functions.


Having said all that, diplomacy shouldn’t be totally boiled down to the Influence resource. Codifying and quantifying diplomatic power could be a boon for players looking to strengthen in-game relations, but removing all ambiguity from these dynamics could wind up robbing Civilization 7 of some of the mystery and immersion of its predecessors. Sid Meier’s Civilization is defined by strategy, but at the end of the day, it can also serve as a strong role-playing experience, and getting too deep into the numbers could undermine that.

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