Civilization 7 Dev Previews Upcoming Quality-of-Life Enhancements

Civilization 7’s development team has heard the players loud and clear, and they’re gearing up to tackle the feedback they’re receiving about their beloved 4X strategy game. They’re laying the groundwork to enhance the user experience and bring back some fan-favorite features from earlier installments.

Even though the official launch of Civilization 7 is slated for February 11, avid fans who bought the Deluxe or Founders editions got a head start on February 5. Early impressions from these players have been largely positive, highlighting the game’s smooth operation and stunning visuals, alongside that familiar and addictive gameplay that series veterans know and love.

However, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. The game currently has mixed reviews on Steam, with only about 51% of players giving it a thumbs up. In light of early criticism, the folks at Firaxis Games are hard at work addressing feedback. They’ve made it clear through the game’s website that fixing the user interface (UI) is their numero uno mission. They’re actively working on making the maps easier to read and are pivoting to other feedback areas to ensure a smoother, more intuitive experience.

Besides tackling these UI challenges, they’re listening to the community on other complaints too. Features that fans cherished in previous versions are making a comeback—particularly, the options to customize maps and rename cities and religions. These omissions have left some fans less than impressed, so the developers are keen to remedy this oversight.

On the multiplayer front, Civilization 7 is set to see some exciting new enhancements. Players can look forward to forming teams in multiplayer mode, experiencing a hotseat option to accommodate multiple players on one device, and more flexibility in selecting game ages. A hotfix is anticipated for March, as Firaxis plans to continue rolling out changes based on community feedback after Patch 1.1.0 is released.

Pre-Release Developer Notes for Civilization 7

Prioritizing UI Improvements

Getting the user interface right is a major focus for the team. While they’re soaking in all the player feedback, work is already happening on making UI interactions seamless, maps more readable, and refining polish elements like formatting. They’re dedicated to getting these changes spot-on and will deliver updates as they progress.

In addition to the UI changes, several other popular features will be incorporated into forthcoming updates at no extra cost. Firaxis pledges to maintain an open channel with the community for ongoing game improvements. Some of the imminent changes include:

• Team options in multiplayer, boosting cooperative gameplay.
• Fully loaded player counts in multiplayer games across all ages via the Distant Lands system.
• Customizable starting and ending ages for single or multi-age game tailoring.
• An enhanced variety of map types.
• Allowing player-customized names for cities and religions.
• Adding hotseat multiplayer capabilities.

Rolling Out Quality-of-Life Updates in Patch 1.1.0 (Deploying in March)

The wheels are already in motion for Patch 1.1.0, focusing on numerous fixes and enhancements that were pre-emptively identified. This update will feature quality-of-life UI adjustments, continuous AI balancing and improvements, and tweaks to diplomacy and crisis management along with other bug resolutions.

The new installment in this award-winning strategy franchise promises a revolutionary twist, culminating in Sid Meier’s Civilization® VII. Shape historical paths, lead legendary figures, and make groundbreaking choices that will echo through time, whether you play alone or in multiplayer mode. With each decision, you steer the evolution of your empire and its cultural legacy, ensuring that the story of your civilization is one for the ages.