The creative director at Firaxis Games, Ed Beach, has shared crucial advice for players embarking on their journey with Civilization 7. In a recent Steam post, Beach highlighted the game's complexity and the introduction of new systems, urging even seasoned Civilization players to engage with the tutorial for their inaugural campaign.

"With Civilization 7, we've introduced a host of new mechanics that significantly differentiate it from its predecessors," Beach stated. "Given the depth of content, we strongly recommend that players, including our veterans, use the tutorial to ensure a rewarding first experience."

A standout feature in Civilization 7 is the innovative Ages system, which marks a departure from previous titles. A complete campaign spans three distinct Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. At the transition between each Age, players and AI opponents simultaneously undergo changes, selecting a new civilization, choosing which Legacies to carry forward, and witnessing the evolution of the game world—a first for the series.

Beach also touched on the default map size choice for Civilization 7, opting for Small over larger options. "We understand the allure of vast maps for our dedicated players," he noted, "but the Small map size, featuring three empires on your home continent and additional ones to explore later, offers a more manageable learning curve, especially when mastering our new Diplomacy system and managing Diplomatic Influence."

He further recommended sticking with the Continents Plus Map Type to ease into ocean exploration, a key aspect of the Exploration Age. When it comes to the Tutorial and Advisors, Beach emphasized their importance, stating that the tutorial is automatically enabled for the first game. "It's tailored to provide timely tips and explanations," he said, "and even experienced players will benefit from it given the extensive updates to our game systems."

The game features four Advisors, each guiding players through different aspects of gameplay. Beach suggested focusing on one Advisor at a time to avoid information overload. Additionally, for those who feel ready to disable the tutorial, he recommended switching to the "Only Warnings" setting, which allows Advisors to alert players of potential setbacks—a feature utilized even by the Firaxis team.

In other news, Firaxis has revealed Civilization 7's post-launch plans during a livestream, with the game set to launch on multiple platforms including PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox on February 11. The Deluxe Edition offers early access from February 6, while Great Britain will be available as DLC post-launch.