The foundation of the Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise has always been letting players forge their own civilization throughout history. Because of that, they have been given control over a variety of different aspects. From the cities and technologies to diplomatic relations and the military protecting it. On top of that, they have also had control over the way their government actually works. Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 reprises government as a mechanic, but it does do things very differently.
Firaxis chose to overhaul much of the core series gameplay with Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, including the way that the government system works. In previous entries, players had a bit more control over how their civilization’s governments operated and said governments had more of an effect on the gameplay. In Civilization 7, those same governments do not really feel like they have as much of an effect. While that approach does work within the framework of the new gameplay, some players may find themselves missing the old system from Civilization 6.
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One Civilization 7 Feature is a Far Cry From What Came Before
While Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 may feature some fantastic changes, there is one feature that was sadly stripped back in this adventure.
Civilization 6 and 7’s Governments Feel Like Completely Different Things
Civilization 6’s Governments Seemed to Matter More
In Civilization 6, Firaxis built governments around a card-based system. Players would unlock various policy cards as they progressed down the civic tree, with these cards being broken up into four different colors. Cards that gave bonuses to the military were red, economic-focused ones were yellow, diplomatic ones were green, and Great People-specific ones were purple. Each government type would have a limited number of slots for each card type, and as players progressed through the civic tree, they would unlock even more powerful governments with more slots at their disposal.
Along with the policy cards, each government also offered special bonuses, making them vital to creating the perfect civilization. If that was not enough, Firaxis also included upgradable governors with the Rise and Fall DLC. These governors offered even more bonuses to cities and the civilization on a whole, depending upon what their focus was. Additionally, they were vital to the brand-new loyalty mechanic, as they helped to keep things in order within cities that were far away from the player’s borders. This helped cement them as a core part of any Civilization 6 game, which also added a whole new layer to the government system.
Civilization 7’s Governments Don’t Really Change the Game Much
Civilization 7‘s version of governments is extremely different from what Firaxis crafted with the previous game. For one, governors are nowhere to be seen, and loyalty has been completely stripped from the game. Players are actually incentivized to build cities far away from their capital, as that is what the Exploration Age’s entire focus is. While there is a chance that a form of governors returns in a future DLC, it does not seem like they have any place within Civilization 7 currently.
This time around, the policy card and government systems have also been completely separated. Policy cards are still unlocked through civics and research, but they are no longer separated by type and the government does not dictate how many they can use. Instead, players unlock more slots each time they enter a celebration, which is determined by their civilization’s happiness. And those celebration bonuses are determined by the type of government that players have selected, with them only being able to choose one per Civilization 7 Age.
Because of these changes, governments in Civilization 7 do not seem to have as much functionality as they did in Civ 6. Players are no longer switching them to take advantage of new cards, and they are not trying to mix-and-match card types to earn the best bonuses they can. Players who enjoyed that level of micromanaging may miss it, but those that want to focus more on conquering the world will likely love what Civilization 7 has done.
Grand Strategy
Turn-Based Strategy
4X
- Released
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February 11, 2025
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