Civilization Fans Express Discontent Over City Conquering Changes in Civ 7

The latest development in Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 has stirred some discontent among the series' long-time fans. The change in question involves how captured cities are visually represented once taken over by a new civilization. Recent gameplay footage, spanning over 25 minutes, has showcased this new mechanic, which sees cities instantly adopt the architectural style of their new conqueror.

Scheduled for a 2025 release, Civilization 7 marks the series' first major installment in over eight years. Excitement has been building with various announcements, including the casting of Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie as the game’s narrator. Despite this, the new aesthetic update for city conquering has sparked controversy among the fan base.

Reddit user Anonim97_bot highlighted the issue by posting screenshots from a recent official gameplay reveal. These images, taken from a segment around the 10-minute mark, depict a scenario where the Egyptian army, led by Hatshepsut, overtakes a Roman city. In the footage, the captured Roman city swiftly changes to display Egyptian-style architecture. This is a departure from previous Civilization games, where cities retained their original look until the end of an era, leading to concerns about realism.

Changes in Civilization 7 City Conquering

In Civilization 7, cities will now visually align with their new rulers almost immediately. The game will feature three distinct ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern, each marked by significant crises as civilizations evolve. This setup mirrors the age system of Civilization 6 but simplifies the eras from the seven in Civilization 5. Consequently, the fewer ages in Civilization 7 could limit the number of drastic visual changes cities undergo under the old system.

Anonim97_bot suggested a potential compromise: allowing new city improvements to reflect the conquering civilization’s style while preserving the original appearance of older structures.

Despite the controversy over city aesthetics, Civilization 7 promises several exciting new features. In addition to the Crisis System, which introduces challenges at the end of each age, the game will also include legacy paths, providing players with strategic milestones on their path to victory.