Firaxis' Creative Director, Ed Beach, urges even veteran Civilization players to utilize the tutorial for their initial Civilization 7 campaign. His Steam post highlights the game's significant departures from previous iterations, emphasizing the need for guidance.
Civilization 7 introduces a novel Ages system (Antiquity, Exploration, Modern), drastically altering gameplay. Each Age transition involves selecting a new civilization, retaining Legacies, and witnessing world evolution – a unique feature in the series.
Beach explains the default "Small" map size, despite veteran players' preference for larger maps. He argues that this size, with a manageable number of initial opponents, facilitates learning the new systems, particularly the Diplomacy system and its influence management. The "Continents Plus" map type is also recommended for its gradual introduction to ocean exploration, a crucial aspect of the Exploration Age.
The tutorial is automatically enabled for first-time players and strongly recommended for experienced players as well. It provides timely tips and explanations for new mechanics. The game features four Advisors, each guiding players through specific game aspects. Beach suggests focusing on one Advisor at a time to avoid information overload.
Even after mastering core mechanics, Beach recommends switching the tutorial to "Only Warnings," which alerts players to potential setbacks. He reveals that even the Firaxis development team uses this setting.
The post-launch roadmap for Civilization 7 was revealed during a livestream, notably mentioning Great Britain's status as DLC. Civilization 7 launches on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on February 11th, with early access for the Deluxe Edition on February 6th.
