Sid Meier's Civilization VII News

[h2]Update 1.2.5 is on the way, including:[/h2][p][/p][p]⬢ New map types and improved map generation[/p][p]⬢ New themed City-States: Diplomatic and Expansionist[/p][p]⬢ UI improvements to the production menu, building placement, and growth events[/p][p]⬢ Balance pass to yields[/p][p]⬢ Napoleon rework[/p][p]⬢ and plenty more! [/p][p][/p][p]Check out the video for the highlights, and stay tuned for the patch notes dropping tomorrow:[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[p]Hello again Civ fans! Tom Shaw, Lead Producer at Firaxis Games, back again with another deep dive into some upcoming UI/UX improvements. In 1.2.2 we brought you the new and improved Loading Screen, complete with an article outlining the what and why of it all. With a more solid technical foundation in place, we're now ready to focus on gameplay and deliver more impactful UI improvements. Today, we’re giving you an early look at some changes to help with expanding and growing your empire! [/p][p][/p][p]Specifically, we’re highlighting changes to improve your experience at these decision points:[/p]

1. [p]What should I build?[/p]
2. [p]Where do I place constructibles? [/p]
3. [p]Should I go for an Improvement or Specialist? 
   [/p]

[p]Choices like these are critical to the long-term success of your campaign, so having access to the information you need when making these decisions is paramount. Without this, it can be all too easy to fall into states of analysis paralysis or, even worse, indifference. Our goal is for you to always feel informed and empowered in these moments and we recognize there’s plenty of room for improvement in reaching that. [/p][p][/p][p]So, without further ado, here’s a sneak peak at what we’ve been working on and why…[/p][p][/p][h2]The Production Menu[/h2][h3]What should I build?[/h3][p][/p][p]The settlement production menu is arguably one of, if not the, most important UI elements in a Civ game. The choices made here are fundamental to building your empire’s engine, pursuing campaign-specific goals, and ultimately dominating your enemies.
[/p][p]Our current version displays a predictive yield presentation on Buildings, Wonders, and Unique Improvements intended to help players make these decisions. Unfortunately, we’ve learned that the presentation of these yields is often confusing for players, as it doesn’t present all of the data needed to make an informed decision. These yields can also contribute to a lack of engagement with critical decision points by encouraging the player to simply choose the biggest number; making this moment feel more like an Idle Clicker than Grand Strategy. I admit I’ve been guilty of this myself. [/p][p][/p][p]The main problem with this presentation, and what we’re addressing with this update, is that these yields are acting as a recommender without actually being one. The yields presented are supposed to show the highest possible yield currently available. This sounds great in theory, but remember earlier when I said they might not have all the data you need? This is due to the sheer depth of the game. There are so many factors that can modify the yield output of a given tile. These modifiers can come from many sources, like your Leader Abilities (permanent), Social Policies (temporary), and Building Adjacencies (contextual). These can be modified further with Leader Attributes and Wonders. Additionally, Specialists create their own issue where they're usually modifying these yields for some, but not all, of the Building options in the menu. All this creates a data management headache of needing to access and communicate to the player “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” which is an outstanding movie, but a terrible approach to making responsive data calls.
[/p][p]Ultimately the potential yields are being overly emphasized in this context given their value and accuracy, so we moved their display to the actual placement decision context. But without the potential yields, how will I know what to build?[/p][p][/p][p]In addition to basic information like name, build time, and advisor recommendations, the production menu now presents a constructible's base yields along with one or both of these, if applicable:
[/p]

• [p]Warehouse Improvements: The current number of Improvements, in this Settlement, that will benefit from a given warehouse effect. [/p]
• [p]Highest Adjacency Tile: The most Adjacencies this building currently has available in the Settlement.[/p][p][/p]

[p]We’ve found these additions to be very useful at highlighting potential opportunities before diving into the building placement context. No more manually counting Improvements to see which Warehouse(s) you should prioritize or avoid building! Plus, when you’ve got an opportunity to cash in on a large number of Adjacencies this number really helps call that out.
[/p][p]One of the great things about working on Civilization is that the audience is so large and varied, but that also presents a challenge: which information should we display? For example, is it better to count all the Adjacencies, since they're all a bonus you'll get, or only count the ones specific to the base Building's bonus? What if that changes due to a Wonder or Leader Attribute? We've erred on the side of a simple, clear calculation that we believe serves the widest audience, but we'd love to hear your thoughts on this or other changes we've made.
[/p][p]We’ve also given our Building, Improvement, and Wonder tooltips a much-needed overhaul to improve clarity and readability. The previous formatting, or lack of, made it easy for important information to get lost, leading many players to skip over these details entirely. As a result, the strategic impact of certain choices wasn’t always clear.
[/p][p]To help players better understand the effects of their decisions, we’ve restructured the layout and presentation of these tooltips. Cleaner, consistent, formatting and organization should make the information easier to absorb at a glance.[/p][p][/p][p]Check out the before-and-after comparison below to see the difference for yourself:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Beyond the formatting improvements (yay, bulleted lists are here!), you’ll also notice some new content: Tags. These offer a quick, high-level summary of what a constructible (Building, Wonder, or Unique Improvement) is, or key elements associated with it, helping you grasp its role and relevance at a glance.
[/p][p]Another opportunity we identified is the inconsistent visibility of yield losses, such as those caused by maintenance or overbuilding. We’re fixing that. In an effort to help players clearly see the full impact of their choices and understand the strategic tradeoffs, we will now be showing yield losses in all of the contexts discussed in this article.[/p][p]We recognize this is a big change, but it’s one the team is genuinely excited about. We really believe it’s a better experience; not just for players now, but for the long-term health of the game. That said, if you give it a shot and find it’s not for you, no worries, we’ve kept the original presentation* as an option. [/p][p]*With one exception, this presentation will now also include the negative yields as mentioned above.[/p][p][/p][h2]Building Placement[/h2][h3]I picked something to build, now where do I place it?[/h3][p][/p][p]Placing a Building might seem simple on the surface, but it’s often anything but. You’re weighing a number of factors, including the Building’s Base Yields, tile stats, Adjacencies, Specialists, Overbuilding, District connections, unique Civ or Leader abilities, your long-term strategy, and so on. If you're the kind of player who loves optimizing every one of these choices (hi, fellow Builder-type here), this can be incredibly satisfying. What’s less satisfying? Doing all that math with minimal help from the UI. So, we’ve made some improvements.
[/p][p]Here’s what you’ll see right away:[/p]

• [p]New yield indicators (green and red up/down arrows) that more clearly show gains and losses at a glance.[/p]
• [p]A revamped building slot icon, replacing the old blue dot with something far more legible.[/p]
• [p]Green yield numbers on tiles with the highest net yields or highest primary yield to highlight some tiles for consideration.[/p][p][/p]

[p]*This isn’t a recommendation or ‘best move’ hint, it's simply data. What you do with it is up to you. I’m not taking the blame for your misplaced Garden. ;) [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Once you start playing with it, you’ll notice:[/p]

• [p]The left panel dynamically updates when you hover a valid tile, showing a summary of changes to Settlement yields, Overbuilding effects, and any changes to the tile type.[/p]
• [p]New arrow visuals for Adjacency clearly showing what yield types you're gaining and from where.[/p]
• [p]The cursor now reinforces your action, switching to the “place me here” arrow when hovering a valid tile.[/p]
• [p]An optional expanded view in the left panel for players like me who want the full breakdown: before and after stats, deltas, adjacencies, etc. neatly itemized.[/p][p][/p]

[p]*For now the labeling for why you’re getting an adjacency is limited, but we intend to have the detailed view get very thorough, informing you of the specific reason why you’re getting an adjacency, such as Machu Picchu or a given social policy.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We still won’t tell you exactly where to place your building. That decision, and all the clever planning behind it, remains yours. But with these UI enhancements, we hope it feels less like guesswork and more like what it should be: a strategic, informed choice that plays to your strengths.[/p][p][/p][h2]Growth Events[/h2][h3]What’s better: Improvements or Specialists?
[/h3][p]Classic Civilization answer: it depends. 
[/p][p]And like many decisions in Civ VII, the answer hinges on a lot: tile yields, Resources, Adjacency potential, maintenance costs, Specialist slots, border expansion, future plans, and more. So, we’ve upgraded how that decision is presented to help you make more informed choices without needing to guess.
[/p][p]Growth Events now share the same visual language and structure as the new Building Placement screen. That means more clarity, more consistency, and a smoother decision-making experience. 
[/p][p][/p][p]Here’s what you’ll see when your settlement grows:[/p]

• [p]The Growth Event panel on the left clearly lays out your two options: Add Improvement or Add Specialist. Except in the case where you haven’t unlocked Specialists, this comes online from that point forward. [/p]
  • [p]Each option includes a clearer explanation of what it does and how it works.[/p][p][/p]

[p]When you start comparing tiles, all the same tools from Building Placement are at your disposal:[/p]

• [p]Settlement yield change previews, updated in real-time as you explore your options.[/p]
• [p]Clearer breakdowns of adjacency bonuses, maintenance costs, and tile types.[/p]
• [p]A full before-and-after view, so you know exactly what you’re gaining (or giving up) with each choice.[/p]

[p][/p][p]We’ve also refined how Specialists are presented. Urban tiles now display their current and max capacity more clearly, making it easier to see where you’re under-utilized or already full.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Just like with Building Placement, we’re not here to make the call for you; but we are making sure you’ve got the information you need to make the right one for your strategy.[/p][p][/p][h2]Cool, but when?[/h2][p]I’m happy to share that these changes will be coming soon with our 1.2.5 update. But we’re still not done. There’s more to do in this space and push these experiences even further. In addition to continued iteration here, the team is hard at work improving the presentation and usability of the Settlement Banners, Overbuilding experience, and a whole new Commerce hub. 
[/p][p]We look forward to hearing how you are experiencing this new update, so please keep sharing your feedback. We’re excited about these changes and we hope you are too. Stay tuned for more UI/UX updates. Until then, Stay Civilized![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

Firaxis and 2K Games are working on a Civilization 7 update that revamps the game's map generation, while adding a couple of city states and rounding out Napoleon's skillset. It's slated to land sometime in the week of September 29th. Why am I writing about it right now? Because senior graphics engineer Ken Pruiksma has just posted a little blog about the intricacies of strategy game map generation that caused Beethoven's Ode To Joy to play tinnily in my head.

This is almost certainly a reflection of emotional diarrhea brought on by minor insomnia brought on by a nagging foot injury. Still, there's something... uplifting about the motions of plate tectonics as approximated by computer code. Perhaps you, kind stranger, will be similarly moved.

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[p]Hello Civ fans! Ken Pruiksma, Senior Graphics Engineer at Firaxis Games, here to share some behind-the-scenes updates on map generation.[/p][p][/p][p]When Civilization VII first shipped, the map generation technique we used focused on ensuring balanced play while following some new gameplay rules around things like Deep Ocean and Distant Lands. This technique, which has its roots in previous Civ games, created fair maps, but also made them predictable. This caused the exploration phase of the game to be potentially  less rewarding (which isa problem when the first X in 4X is Explore!) We heard from you that maps felt too repetitive, and we agreed.  [/p][p][/p][p]Something else we heard loud and clear from the community is that the straight-edged coastlines that could occur between the two major halves was hindering the play experience. Part of the fantasy of Civ is that you’re playing an alternative history of Earth, and when the maps don’t feel plausibly Earth-like, it detracts from the experience (outside some exceptions like perfectly balanced multiplayer where you’re opting into a mirrored game).[/p][p][/p][p]So, we’ve made some big updates with 1.2.5. We wanted map generation that felt more natural and less repetitive, while still keeping balance in mind where it matters. Out of that work came two brand new map types to choose from: Continents and Islands (two large continents, with islands) and Pangea and Islands (one large continent, with islands). Both are built on an entirely new technique: Voronoi map generation.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Voronoi Maps[/h2][p]I’m a graphics engineer, which means I spend most of my time making beautiful pixels, but I’ve always had a soft spot for procedural generation and the algorithms that drive it. When the chance came up to help the gameplay team with map generation, I couldn’t resist.[/p][p][/p][p]I had an idea about using Voronoi diagrams to dynamically grow landmasses using some rules. After throwing a quick test together, the idea showed promise.[/p][p][/p][p]Without getting too technical, the Voronoi technique completely changes how we approach map generation. Previously, fractal noise had been used to create maps, and it works really well when it can be applied uniformly to the whole map. However it can be hard to steer towards specific gameplay needs. Voronoi diagrams, on the other hand, give us structure we can build rules on top of, so maps can stay organic while still meeting the gameplay requirements of Civ VII. [/p][p][/p][p]Let’s walk through how this works.[/p]

1. [p]Randomly spray a bunch of points onto the map. The more points we spray, the higher the resolution. We’ll start low res.[/p]
2. [p]Draw lines around each point dividing them into “cells”. You end up with something that looks a bit like cracked glass.[/p]
3. [p]Select some starting cells. These are the seeds of tectonic plates in the game map, similar to the tectonic plates that form our Earth.[/p]
4. [p]Each plate grows, one cell at a time, following some configurable rules, until the whole map is filled.  Each plate gets a rotation and movement direction. This is your map’s crust, and will be used to help influence the growth of continents later.[/p]
5. [p]Now spray many more dots for a higher resolution version! Draw those lines again to get another shattered glass look sitting on top of your tectonic plates.[/p]
6. [p]Choose some new starting points for the primary landmasses, and grow them once again following a custom set of configurable rules. These rules can do things like influence landmasses to grow along plate boundaries (especially if they’re colliding), avoid the poles, and prefer certain latitudes, just to name a few. This is also where we can apply gameplay-based restrictions, like ensuring Homelands and Distant Lands are separated by a Deep Ocean.[/p]
7. [p]Based on the map’s settings, we then grow islands, erode the coastline, add mountains and volcanoes, and perform other finishing touches. Many of these steps involve the same set of generic rules used earlier to determine where features are placed.[/p]
8. [p]Once finished, we overlay the hex grid and then hand the map off to the gameplay layer to determine tile types, yields, resources, starting location, and more. [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]The result is that the maps are far more varied and look much more natural. Things that were impossible before can now appear regularly. For example, Homelands and Distant Lands might be North and South of each other. Continents may share a large border, be connected by a small isthmus, or be separated by a sea. There may be a chain of islands between Homelands and Distant Lands – or maybe there won’t! The islands could all be clustered in a corner or scattered around, and they’re even allowed to merge, possibly causing a continent-sized super-island![/p][p][/p][p]One thing to keep in mind is that we intentionally tuned the settings to generate “normal” maps (i.e. natural-feeling maps with standard gameplay) about 95% of the time. This means, there is a small chance for super weird layouts. Part of the fun of Civ is sometimes landing on a bizarre start or weird map thanks to the RNG gods. If you land on an odd map, please share those![/p][p][/p][p]Most importantly, this all means that while you’re exploring your starting location and surrounding area, you can’t make any assumptions about the shape of the world. When playing on these new maps, I've felt the mystery and excitement again as I explore in the early game and have no idea what’s going to appear in the next hex![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Just the Beginning[/h2][p]With the release of 1.2.5, you’ll find new maps named “Continents and Islands” and “Pangea and Islands” that use this new approach, with the first being the new default in singleplayer games If you’d like to play with the old maps, they are still there under their original names. These older maps may be preferred in a multiplayer setting where the lower variance helps keep the balance among players.  [/p][p][/p][p]This is just the beginning for our revamped work on maps! This technique was built with customization, expansion, and modding in mind from the beginning. As a result, you can expect more map options, future improvements to existing map types, and more exposed settings over time as we continue to develop this system. And yes, modders, Voronoi maps are available to you, too! You’ll find the scripts and configuration settings used to generate them within the game files along with the specific settings we used for our official maps. We’d love to see how you use this new approach to make new map types. [/p][p][/p][p]Finally, we’d love to see the maps you’re all getting, so please keep posting them on social media or in the official Civ Discord. We’re excited about these changes and we hope you are too. Stay tuned for more map updates. Until then, have fun exploring![/p]