Of the many major (and minor) changes coming withCivilization 7when it releases next year, one interesting feature that will impact early civilization development is the addition of Discoveries. Discoveries are essentially theCiv 7version of “goody huts” fromCivilization 6and previous games in the series, but they’ve been dramatically improved and will have a much bigger impact on gameplay strategies during the Antiquity age.
Discoveries are a subset of the new “Emergent Narrative” system that drivesCivilization 7, which promises to focus on how choices shape an overall story. These new goody huts offer players a better sense of impact on the world as they discover things inCivilization 7’s Antiquity Ageand serve as part of that shift toward a more narrative-centered historical strategy game, one that integrates choices and narrative more meaningfully. Discoveries will have a big impact on early exploration inCiv 7,and they should ultimately make the game’s choices matter more.
How Discoveries In Civ 7 Improve On Civ 6’s Goody Huts
Out With Tribal Villages, In With Discoveries
Fans of theCivilizationfranchiseshould be familiar with various iterations of goody huts from across the years. InCivilization 6, these come in the form of relatively simple Tribal Villages that civilizations can encounter as they explore the map and reveal new terrain. Entering the village with a unit awards a civilization with one of seven bonuses (i.e., gold, faith, etc.). A limited number of these will spawn on the map, and only the first civilization to find them will reap the rewards.Tribal villages inCivilization 6are a functional bonusthat incentivize early exploration, but little more.
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Discoveries, highlighted in an officialSid Meier’s Civilizationlivestream onYouTubeand a recent Dev Diary on the2Kwebsite, provide a new angle. While the purpose of Discoveries (Civilization 7’s version of goody huts) is still to encourage Antiquity Age exploration, it does so with narrative in mind. When players send a scout to explore early on, the scout will be able to search for Discoveries.
Traversing a Discovery tile will trigger a narrative promptthat gives players a choice of two different rewards, each influencing a narrative aspect of their civilization in different ways. This is a majorCivilization 7improvementoverCivilization 6’s take on goody huts, adding a reason and meaning behind the specific rewards that don’t appear as random.
Why Choices Will Matter More Because Of Discoveries In The Antiquity Age
Influence Early Game Boosts With Discoveries
The intention behind Discoveries is to make exploration more meaningful and seamless, enhancing and complementing strategy as opposed to feeling like an afterthought. Discoveries give playersa choice between rewards that are tied to a specific narrative, such as the “Itinerant Mystic” Discovery, which offers up two options: take the mystic’s product or listen to his lesson, with unique rewards for each decision. These choices provide"some influence over [players'] early game boosts,“and they add to the early experience of exploration and discovery, though it’s unclear how much these specific narrative choices will impact future narrative elements.
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The evolution of “goody huts” in theCivilizationfranchise has resulted inCivilization 7’s Discoveries, and it’s a positive sign to see a greater focus onintegrating strategy and narrative more meaningfullyinCivilization 7, as shown with the decision to give players a choice between rewards. These choices translate to a more immersive experience while also incentivizing players to explore and expand their civilizations during the Antiquity Age and beyond. Discoveries inCivilization 7are an indication that the team behind the game has the larger picture in mind.
