When players boot up Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 for the very first time, they will likely notice many differences from what has come before. Firaxis has completely overhauled the experience by condensing it into three distinct ages, warfare has been revamped with the inclusion of army commanders, city-states and civilization diplomacy have been shaken up, and countless features have been changed for this new title. While some of these changes may be unexpected, one of Sid Meier’s Civilization 7‘s changes feels like a long time coming.
This time around, players are not going to be ordering builders to construct various improvements around the map. Instead, those improvements are built by the city itself as it grows in population, as builders have been completely stripped from the title. Some players may end up missing these units, but it felt like Firaxis has been building to their removal for years now. And now that they are gone, the Civilization franchise likely has no intention of bringing them back anytime soon.
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The Civilization Franchise Never Needed Builders
Civilization Has Been Removing Builders for Years
Before builders were introduced in Civilization 6, players would order workers around the map to build various improvements for them. These workers were non-combat units who solely existed to construct tile improvements and roads, which were vital for cities and civilizations. However, while players would often micromanage them at the start, many would end up just having them auto-construct tile improvements for them. This meant that they would often just forget about them as they went around improving the land without any input from the player.
In Civ 6, Firaxis chose to rebrand them as builders and overhaul many of their systems. The biggest change was that they could no longer build tile improvements forever, as they were given a limited number of uses. By default, they only had three charges but were able to gain extra ones through different buffs. Once their charges were depleted, they would disband, and players would have to build another. On top of that, the ability to make roads was taken away from them and given to merchants, making them a bit less useful.
Civilization 7 Finally Removes Them Entirely
Civilization 6 massively overhauled them and removed some of their defining traits. With Civ 7, workers and builders have been completely removed, with there being no replacement unit in sight. Instead, tile improvements are built by cities as they increase their population, and roads are constructed the second players settle a new city nearby. Additionally, merchants will still construct roads as they trade with other civilization’s cities. So, everything that the builders once did seems to be covered by something new.
While some players may miss workers and builders, their removal does not seem to be that much of a surprise. It already felt like Firaxis was scaling back the power of these units, and through Civilization 7, it was aiming to lower the number of clicks it would take to get to the next turn. Because of that, it feels only natural that the builders ended up not making the cut. And so far, that decision seems to be working out very well.
Without builders, players can focus their efforts on bulking up their military and city infrastructure. They no longer have to spend gold, production, or time on building and managing these units, which is a welcome change of pace. Plus, it makes the growth of cities far more interesting than it was before. As future DLC adds even more features to the game, it remains to be seen if the absence of builders is felt more. But as of now, Civilization 7 offers so much new content that players may look past it completely.
Grand Strategy
Turn-Based Strategy
4X
- Released
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February 11, 2025