Controversial Civilization 7 change sparks petition and points to a disturbing gaming trend

There’s a lot to be excited about with the return of an iconic strategy series in Sid Meier’s Civilization 7But one change the game has made has upset many longtime fans. As a franchise that helped define the 4X genre (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate), Civilization has attracted huge audiences and significant critical acclaim with each major entry. Managing an empire through the ages can be an incredibly engaging task, especially when you conduct diplomacy and war with friends in the games’ long-standing multiplayer component.

Some of the changes that Civilization 7 Is promising seem like interesting ways to shake up the series, even if they may not appeal to every fan. The biggest departure from previous games is the ability to switch civilizations as the game progresses between agesA concept similar to the latest 4X competitor Humanity. Major shake-ups to the formula come with certain drawbacks, but they provide an incentive to play Civilization 7 Rather than just sticking to previous entries, a challenge that the series has to become increasingly creative to overcome without the major technological leaps of the past.

Civilization 7 will not have hot seat multiplayer

A series staple feature is not reversible

One change to Civilization 7 However, there is no clear upside, and that is the removal of hot seat multiplayer gameplay. Although playing Civilization Over the internet is the modern standard for multiplayer experience, especially considering how easy platforms like Discord make it to connect with friends, it has never been the only option for multiplayer. Hot seat, a staple since Civilization 2Allowed players sitting at one computer to take turns in sequenceWith a name that references the idea of ​​physically swapping places in a seat in front of the screen.

While hot seat wouldn’t work for many games, it functioned well enough for these Civilization Experience despite slowing down the pace a bit. The concept behind Civilization– Steel strategy is arguably more connected to strategic board games than most classic video games and hot seat turns Civilization In something of a souped-up board game experience where the screen takes the place of the game table. Normal Civilization Settings force players to take turns in sequence during warfare anyway, so battles are waged at the same pace even in online multiplayer.

Fans have made a petition for Civilization 7 hot seat

The quiet removal of the hot seat has not gone unnoticed

Some members of Civilization Community names do not Civilization 7s disposal of hot seat multiplayer lightly, as evidenced by a change.org Petition called “Bring back Hotseat in Civilization VII“Which was created by HM G and shared by 52 Whale on reddit. A top comment from ChumpNicholson Compares the change to “Include splitscreen from Halo“Like something that makes sense with changing times but still inspires a sense of sadness. With a goal of 1000 signatures, the petition is currently sitting at over 600.

more than anything else, Hot seat is something that’s created fond memories for many Civilization Players. The broad appeal of the series has made it possible to easily rope in family members and local friends to play the game, and being able to do so with just one computer and one copy of the game is valuable, especially at a time when you have One family computer. was a common standard. As with board games, the additional in-person connection can add another layer of enjoyment to the experience that is difficult to replicate over a voice call.

Realistically, it is difficult to ignore the fact that the vast majority of Civilization 7 Players are unlikely to join a hot seat mode, but this does not make the removal easy to digest. For people who still use it religiously, the change will be a huge loss. Even if it saves some development time and resources, it also doesn’t feel like a necessary removal. While the split screen removed from many modern games can be more easily justified by the technical challenges of making split screen happen on standard hardware with intensive graphics, Hot Seat does not require the same hurdles.

Across the board, it’s a bit frustrating to see games continue to drop support for local multiplayer experiences. There are certain titles still carrying the flag forward – the newest patch for Baldur’s Gate 3 just expanded its local multiplayer support to include dynamic split-screen technology – however Local multiplayer has become a much more niche option. Civilization Games do at least use peer-to-peer multiplayer rather than online servers, so there isn’t a concern about support eventually disappearing, but many games that use online servers have limited multiplayer lifespans.

Civilization hot seat matters regardless of popularity

There’s more to a game than just numbers

This is one scenario where fan support for Hot Seat might actually have a chance to bring about some change, as implementing Hot Seat at a later date would not require any fundamental shift in the game’s design or priorities. From a monetary standpoint, the decision to develop Hot Seat probably doesn’t make sense for developer Firaxis Games and publisher 2K, but there’s more to curating an audience than statistics. Hot seat fans can be some of the most dedicated Civilization PlayersEven if they are easy to discount in the big picture.

Civilization 7 Certainly not the first game in the series to court some controversy at launchBecause it’s consistently hard to live up to the legacy of previous entries. Civilization 5Often held up as a gold standard, it was heavily criticized at launch due to its lack of several core features of the fantastic Civilization 4. Civilization 6 Delivered a more complete package at launch, but a number of changes did not sit well for fans of the thoroughly expanded Civilization 5: CompleteFrom basic complaints about the artstyle to deeper criticisms of the game systems.

Like everyone Civilization game, Civilization 7 It’s likely a great experience on a fundamental level, hot seat or no hot seat. It would be sad to see a staple feature of the series go with so little fanfare, and part of the community obviously feels strongly about the subject. Hot seat may not be critical to the success of Sid Meier’s Civilization 7But that doesn’t mean his departure isn’t something to mourn.

Sources: change.orgreddit (52 Whale, ChumpNicholson)