Diplomacy & Alliances

Learn how to navigate the complex world of diplomacy and forge powerful alliances in Civilization VII. Master Influence, manage relationships, and achieve victory through shrewd negotiation.

Diplomacy and alliances are crucial elements for success in Civilization VII. This guide will break down the new mechanics and strategies to help you forge strong relationships with other civilizations and achieve your victory goals.

New Diplomacy Mechanics:

• Influence Yield: A new yield type, Influence, is now used to conduct diplomacy. Manage this resource carefully to engage in negotiations and strengthen your standing with other leaders.
• Age-Specific Civilizations: Your civilization choice is tied to one of three distinct Ages (Antiquity, Exploration, Modern). As you transition between Ages, you can choose to transform into a new civilization, influenced by your leader, previous civilization, and specific gameplay elements like resource control.
• Crisis Periods: All players face a temporary 'Crisis' during each Age shift. This forces the implementation of negative policies, acting as a balancing mechanism to prevent runaway leaders or insurmountable deficits for lagging players.
• Settlement Types: Cities are now divided into 'Cities' and 'Towns', both categorized as 'Settlements'. Towns are the starting point for most settlements, focusing on Gold production until upgraded to Cities.
• Settler Units: Settlers are now divided into two types: the 'Founder' (a Civilian Unit) and others that establish new settlements.
• Navigable Rivers: Rivers are now wider and can be traversed by naval units and embarked units, adding new strategic depth to movement and trade.
• Native City Names: City names will appear in their civilization's native language, enhancing immersion.

Strategies for Diplomacy and Alliances:

• Focus on generating and managing Influence to engage effectively in diplomatic actions.
• Pay attention to the conditions that allow for transformation into new civilizations during Age transitions, as these can offer significant strategic advantages.
• Use the Crisis periods to your advantage by strategically adopting negative policies that might hinder opponents more than yourself.
• Understand the distinction between Towns and Cities, and plan your settlement development accordingly.
• Leverage navigable rivers for faster unit movement and expanded trade routes.
• Build strong relationships with AI leaders by understanding their agendas and offering mutually beneficial deals.
• Consider forming alliances to share research, military support, or trade benefits, especially when facing common threats or working towards specific victory conditions.