this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2025
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That's all. Played Civ since IV and the boardgame-like nature of it meant that I've gotten a lot of friends and family into it as a means to experience video games in general.

Civ VII looks really bad, even if I haven't played it myself. Systems upon systems that aren't properly explained, that somehow feel both cluttered and less in-depth than previous entries. Three truncated games making up the segments of one larger game is lame, too. A bad solution to the problem of people burning out in the later eras.

Most of all, though, is the business model of it all. Civ already leaned into 4X DLC conventions which meant getting the whole package was an expensive endeavor, but at least, for example, Civ VI had just two major expansion packs. Civ VII is already drowning into microtransaction leader purchases.

And then there's, just, the price. It's obscene. Denuvo is devastating to see as it creates a lot of barriers to giving the thing a try. I don't get excited for games any more, but Civ VII would have been one of them.

Anyone try it themselves? Anyone in love? Anyone feel like me?

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[–] WhatWouldKarlDo@lemmygrad.ml 15 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I played it. It's not very good, but what bothered me the most about it was the age switching mechanics. Evolving from Mississippians to Shawnee to "America" is honestly just insulting and I don't think it's unfair to call it genocide denial.

[–] blunder@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The Shawnee becoming Amerikkkans was just like when a pokemon gains enough worldly experience to level up

[–] MasterBlaster@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Honestly reminds me of Civ VI's Australia, themed exclusively after colonial Australia complete with mixing Aboriginal music conventions with, like, waltzing matilda. Like, really.

[–] TankieReplyBot@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 3 days ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

it's brainless copy from mediocre clone, and it's not even the only one, the game stopped to be civ, it's instead CivHumankindMilleniaOldWorld

[–] AlbigensianGhoul@lemmygrad.ml 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Denuvo is devastating to see as it creates a lot of barriers to giving the thing a try. I

Seems Linux version is playable for free due to different DRM.

Haven't even played VI, thought it looked weird when it came out and that I'd wait until it was affordable with all DLC on sale (like how I got V). Once it got on sale I was already addicted to the Vox Populi mod and everything else seemed inferior.

I don't understand the reasons to play VII, or even why make it in the first place. It's just less than the previous ones and none of the systems have intrigued me. The leader list is also bizarre, when any rando like Machiavelli or Lafayette can make it to the same list as Genghis Khan, Pachacuti or Xerxes If they're European enough. Apparently Ada Lovelace is next.

AAA games are already far beyond inaccessible to me due to gringo prices and expensive hardware requirements, but thankfully it doesn't look like I'll be missing much.

Edit: if you still want to feel something new but better developed, I heartily recommend the Civ V Vox Populi mod. You can play it on Linux through wine too.

[–] MasterBlaster@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 3 days ago

Thanks for the mod recommendation, making this post actually made me take a trip back to Civ IV and try the 'Caveman2Cosmos' mod, which is absolutely unhinged in how expansive it is. Civ V was my personal favorite so knowing there's a decent overhaul mod (especially one that adds vassal states back in) gives me another civ-related thing to look forward to.

[–] amemorablename@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 4 days ago

Tbh, I think the only reason I got into 6 at all is because of the price going down enough over time. The DRM thing, Denuvo, based on what I'm finding about it is hot garbage (hurt the honest buyer so that you can try to stop some piracy, wheee capitalism and its obsession with punishment and control). The pricing and DLC scheme is straight out of Ubisoft/EA playbook, you could fool me into thinking it was being published by them. That alone is enough reason to give it a pass. But based on the steam reviews, it sounds like they failed even on the gameplay. Capitalism strikes again.

Good reason to enjoy older games for what they are while they are and avoid the major western publishers outside of that.

But yeah, my sympathies about the sorry state of it. There's a reason I almost never buy new games anymore.

[–] King_Simp@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Honestly I just can't buy it because of the price. Honestly I like the concepts but I think the civ swapping mechanics need to be critically thought about much better. Because I like the idea but every game that has tried always falters. Unsure if it's poor execution or if the concept is doomed to fail.

Also I am begging the Devs to make Sun Yat-sen a leader at some point. Please, thats the closest acceptable thing to modern China we can get. Cmon you've got come Wu Zetian you can do Sun, pleeeeaaasssee Firaxis

[–] AlbigensianGhoul@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 3 days ago

Chairman Mao was a leader once, and they recently had Theodore Roosevelt and Haile Selassie, both from the 20th century. So there is precedent, but China already got their 1 leader so you better wait for 3 more French leaders before that DLC.

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

They made Confucius as leader of China... in history filled with hundreds of important and influental statesmen (and women) they choose the dude who governed nothing and wasn't even a politician at all (and to play as China in Modern Age you need to choose a fucking Qing...).

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Same feeling. Also lately a lot of civ clones was popping out, i tried Humankind, Millenia, Old World and i liked none of them. So i was hyped for Civ 7 and forked the money only to see it literally copy the mechanics and UI from those games... Like what the actual fuck i actually stopped playing at the age change, this is the most pointless and infuriating thing in entire franchise since the douchebag cities in Civ 3 (and i also hated Civ 3 as the only game in series due to that).

[–] 666@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Millenia was so fucking bad it wasn't even funny. The barbarian system in that game is atrocious.

Civ 7 don't even have barbarian system, it's just some city states that are defaultly hostile for no reason.

[–] newmou@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I got addicted and played a ton of VI and was very excited about VII for a long time. Despite the cost I bought it, knowing the hours I’d invest would make it worth it. And so far I’ve found the little moments of joy through discovering other civs, lands, resources, civics, techs, etc, really everything, is pretty much gone. It’s incredibly strange, it’s like the devs just forget that those baked-in dopamine hits are a big part of the experience. Honestly it’s just not very fun

They literally copied the mediocrity from mediocre games like Humankind, Millenia, Old World.

[–] lorty@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 3 days ago

Not a big modern Civ fan but I'm sad my strategy game friends are bummed by it. Personally I feel like, with the development model these games have, Paradox style DLC policy is kind of inevitable.

[–] TrumpetX@programming.dev 2 points 3 days ago

I wouldn't say I'm in love, but it's not bad. I feel like it's a return to board game mechanics with all the choices.

I've yet to complete my first game (still in the second age). It will be interesting to see how they modify it over time. Did you read the "feedback response" post just at the end of the preorder release?

[–] 666@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

It's terrible, honestly. Cutting down to three ages was just a terrible choice. The leader swap thing is such a jarring disconnect from the previous games in the series. It could be good if they had managed it right.

Also, fuck the English but not having them as a power is just weird.

[–] ghost_of_faso3@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 3 days ago

Also, fuck the English but not having them as a power is just weird.

They are in as day 1 season pass dlc lol, its the worst aspects of 'fuck you' predatory fan gouging ive seen in a long time.

[–] starkillerfish@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Humankind is pretty good and Civ VII takes a lot of its mechanics from there anyways

[–] commiewolf@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 3 days ago

If only you and @poland weren't the only two who seem to have ever played it, I feel a lot more people would see just how much Civ 7 borrowed from Humankind, I've seen not so many other's realize the amount of simlarities.

[–] MasterDeeLuke@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 3 days ago

Sad. The silver lining is that civ 6 set my expectations pretty low so I'm not really all that bummed, but it would of been nice to have a good Civ game again.