Difficulty settings are a touchy subject in a lot of games, and Civilization 7 is no exception. As opposed to Civ 6, which had eight difficulties, now, Civ 7 is down to six overall. This means there’s a lot less nuance between each difficulty.
Related
Civilization 7: How Towns Work
Towns are a new addition in Civilization 7. This guide covers everything you need to know about towns, from town types to how to efficiently use them.
So now it’s more important than ever that you select the right difficulty setting for you. But how do you know which one is right for you, especially if you’ve never played a Civ game before? Here’s everything you need to know to choose the best difficulty settings for yourself as you embark on your journey in Civilization 7.
How Does Difficulty Work?
Just like previous games in the series, difficulty in Civilization 7 does not necessarily increase the AI’s intelligence for other Civs. Rather, difficulty toggles which advantages or disadvantages your opponents receive.
These are some of the stats affected by difficulty in Civ 7.
|
Stat |
Effect |
|---|---|
|
Combat Strength |
This affects the overall strength of the units you fight against. |
|
Army XP |
This affects how much experience enemy commanders gain during battle. |
|
Independents Combat |
Independent powers may have stronger military prowess. |
|
Yields |
Changes how high enemy Civs yields are for resources and more. |
|
Production |
Production costs for buildings and units can go down for enemy Civs. |
Difficulty can also alter two very important stats in the game:
- Tech Cost – This is how much it costs to research certain technologies. Tech Cost determines how long it’ll take to complete research.
- Civic Cost – This is how much it costs to research certain civics. Civic Cost determines how long it’ll take to complete civic research.
In previous games in the series, Tech Cost and Civic cost changes affected both the player and the AI, and this is likely the case for Civ 7 as well, though unconfirmed.
Which Difficulty Should You Choose?
All in all, there are six different difficulties to choose from in Civilization 7.
By default, your first campaign will be set at Governor, which is one above the lowest difficulty. While you can certainly lower the difficulty for your first go-around, we recommend giving Governor a try first.
However, if you’re looking to customize your experience, or are a beginner to the franchise, here’s a breakdown of each difficulty.
Civilization 7 is a complicated game, and it may take a few campaigns to find the difficulty that’s best for you.
If you want to experiment with a lot of different difficulties, start with shorter campaigns before going onto longer ones.
Next
Civilization 7: How Adjacency Works
Adjacency makes a big return in Civilization 7. It’s more important than ever to plan out your cities as you expand.