AsSid Meier’s Civilization 7ramps up for its February 2025 launch, players are looking closely at the various changes to the game. Some of the mechanic changes have been metwith mixed reactions. However, at least one small change will have big implications for gameplay whenCiv 7launches next year.
While many of these new mechanics completely overhaul previousCivsystems, such asthe new Ages systemand the changes made toconquering cities, other more subtle changes will also have a major impact on howCivfans develop strategies for their civilization of choice. The developers forCiv 7aren’t making these changes lightly, however, and they have been transparent with their rationale, providing regular updates in aDev Diary. One change may seem small but will have a significant impact on gameplay strategy: the removal of the Builder unit.
Why The Builder Was Replaced In Civ 7
Civ 7 Devs Argue The Builder Made Civ 6 Gameplay Tedious
Veterans of the franchise will remember the evolution from the Worker unit inCiv 5to the Builder inCiv 6,but the upcoming installment will do away with the units altogether in place of a completely new tile-improvement system. The updated mechanic will fundamentally change how players develop their civilization and allocate resources and is intended to make the game less tedious and better suited for a wide range of play styles.
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In the recent “Dev Diary” blog,Civ 7devs stated that doing away with Builders “simplifies the gameplay and reduces the repetitive actions seen in past games.” InCiv 6, builders are used to repair and improve tiles in a range of ways, with unique building options depending on the civilization.The Builder and Worker units from the previous games fundamentally changed how players strategized, especially in the early game where resource investment is crucial.
The devs seem to realize that spending resources on Builders at times felt like a nuisance, and their limited charges felt exactly that - limiting. The decision also takes into account how individual tile improvements translate to overall civilization growth: “Rather than sending Builders out to improve tiles, Population growth naturally drives improvements.”
“Rather than sending Builders out to improve tiles,Population growth naturally drives improvements.” —Civ 7Dev Diary #3
To improve tiles inCiv 7,Settlements undergo a “growth event"after generating enough food in a bucket that, once full, awards players with a point to allocate toward a specific tile of their choosing or “assign as a Specialist to Urban tiles.” On the surface, this system appears more streamlined compared to the Builder mechanic, but players will want to consider how this change may impact their strategies inCiv 7.
How Civ 7’s Builder Change Will Impact Gameplay
Civ 7 Growth Events Offer Players Strategic Opportunities
Instead of using Builders for strategically chosen individual tile improvements, repairs, crop harvesting, feature removal, etc., improvements will be handled in Growth Events each time a Settlement’s population reaches a certain threshold. “Now,both Food as a yield and your growth choice carry more weightand integrate more seamlessly with your overall strategy.”
Players will no longer be strategizing improvements around units or Builder abilities but around point investment and sustaining population growth. It seems Specialists, found in previousCivinstallments and now acquired with a growth point, are as close to a Builder asCiv 7will get. While the new system is certainly simpler than some of the complex elements of Builder mechanics (i.e. yield calculations from harvested resources), it’s yet to be seen whether Growth Events offer as many strategic advantages.
Thedevs' conscientious approach to overhauling tile improvementsuggests this will be a net improvement over previous mechanics, butCiv 6purists may disagree, arguing the Builder is a fundamental part ofCivstrategy. Fans will have to wait it out until February to give the overhauled system a try, but there’s no doubtCivilization 7’s new tile-improvement mechanic will require players to develop an entirely new strategy.
