Firaxis talks climate change, diverse leaders, and almost breaking one of Sid Meier’s golden rules.
“We’re not sure what it’s named for.
The big problem they identified?
Those two trees are now broken up.
Firaxis did offer some explanation of how these age-to-age transitions would work, however.
Has that been a concern for Firaxis?
“It has,” Beach said.
“We’ve focus-tested this with a lot of people and we’ve gotten that exact comment.”
Hatshepsut, real-world Pharaoh of Egypt, was given as an example.
How those leaders are chosen has evolved dramatically over the years, Beach told me.
“It’s way more complex and multi-layered now than it was in the beginning.
We still have strict guidelines on gender diversity between our leaders and we never violate those.
“It’s not the same now as it was 10 years ago.
Is there a tension between literal, absolute accuracy and the gameplay itself?
“Play with it, in these systems.”
Other aspects of modern history, such as climate change, will also return again.
“So we’re mindful of that.
Cities have been changed once again, for instance.
Builders are also gone from the game.
Instead, you pick a location for your development and the city simply gets to work.
All new settlements now begin as towns, and at first they have no production option.
Speaking of barbarians, the way they work has also changed.
with the right management over time.
More promising was a slight rework of how combat operates.
It sounded like it was as much a restriction as anything.
“I never saw that!”
“This was before you were on the project…” Beach continued.
“I don’t think any of my designers bought into it.
They’re like, ‘Yeah whatever, but I still want this change’.
There are other rules, which often get overshadowed by the most well-known rule of thirds.
‘Double it or cut it by half’ is one of them.
“We do that,” Beach said.
“The third one is never let the computer have more fun than the player.”
This preview is based on a press trip to Firaxis' studio in Baltimore.
Firaxis/2K provided flights and accomodation.
