Firaxis' Creative Director, Ed Beach, urges even seasoned Civilization players to utilize the tutorial for their initial Civilization 7 campaign. In a Steam post, Beach highlights the game's significant departure from previous iterations, emphasizing the introduction of a novel Ages system (Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern). Each Age concludes with a simultaneous Age Transition for all players, involving civilization selection, Legacy retention, and world evolution – a completely new mechanic for the series.
The default map size in Civilization 7 is Small, a deliberate choice by Firaxis. While veteran players often prefer larger maps, Beach explains that the smaller scale facilitates learning the intricacies of the new Diplomacy system and ocean exploration (crucial in the Exploration Age), making it easier to manage relationships and Diplomatic Influence with a limited number of opponents. Continents Plus map type is also recommended for a smoother introduction to naval exploration.
The tutorial is automatically enabled for first-time players and strongly recommended for all, even experienced players, at least for the initial full campaign. The tutorial offers timely tips and explanations for new mechanics. Four Advisors provide guided quests, and Beach suggests focusing on one at a time initially. Even after mastering the core mechanics, Beach advises switching to the "Only Warnings" setting, which alerts players to potential setbacks – a practice even the Firaxis development team utilizes.
Firaxis also revealed Civilization 7's post-launch roadmap during a livestream event (note: Great Britain is DLC). Civilization 7 launches on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on February 11th, with Deluxe Edition access starting February 6th.
