Civilization 7 reveal confirms Greece and explains multiple gameplay mechanics

While the release of Civilization 7 is still months away, the first official developer livestream has begun marching us down the road of reveals. Plenty of leaders and civs are expected when it arrives next year, but only a handful have been confirmed so far. While showcasing some active gameplay from the Antiquity Age and the transition to the Exploration Age, we've also now got confirmation that Greece will return in Civ 7.

Civ 7 livestream clarifies multiple new gameplay mechanics

While some of the core changes in Civilization 7 had already been revealed, particularly the trio of ages and separation of leaders from civs, the first official livestream gave the most extensive look at live gameplay we've seen so far. Over nearly two hours, they showcased several turns of gameplay as Augustus leading Rome in the Antiquity Age. Plenty is changing, but Civ 7 is looking just as exciting and complex as we expect from this franchise.

Here are just a few of the gameplay details they revealed:

• Founder units can create a City, but Settlers create a Town.
• Minor rivers run through tiles and can be settled on, but navigable rivers are treated as water tiles.
• City growth will now culture bomb every adjacent tile when placing an improvement, building, or district.
• Narrative choices will appear throughout the game which can be specific to leaders or civs, may require a specific combination of leaders and civs, or could have other hidden triggers.
• Combat unit promotions can be banked and activated later, and the unit will continue to level up without being forced to activate a promotion.
• Civs have a soft settlement limit which can be increased through civics and other methods, and any settlements above that limit will negatively impact your entire civ's happiness.
• Architecture and building styles are unique to each civilization, and every civ has a unique soundtrack theme.
• Every unit type has a variety of versions which will be shown depending on your civilization.
• Diplomacy can be spent to strengthen relations with other leaders or impose sanctions on them.
• If you switch to a different civilization when transitioning to the next age, unique units that were exclusive to your previous civ will change into the default version or the version specific to your new civ, but they'll retain all promotions and experience.
• Every age includes Culture, Military, Science, and Economic Legacy Paths which can be completed to provide major bonuses and trigger a Golden Age when moving to the next age.
• Pantheons and religions will return, but will feature more heavily in future reveals specific to the Exploration Age when religion is more prevalent.

This is still just scratching the surface of everything that was shown, which included some active combat and the conquering of a city. You can watch the full livestream on Twitch or YouTube.

Greece revealed as an Antiquity Age civilization

While they concluded the stream with a first look at Hatshepsut, the bigger news was confirmation that Greece will be included as an Antiquity Age civilization. They've been scarce about some details concerning age transitions, but it does appear that players may have the option to continue as the same civilization between ages or keep a heavier influence from their previous civilization on the newly chosen culture. 

Greece will be a Cultural and Diplomatic civ which gains additional diplomatic influence per turn for a Palace building. They'll also feature Logios as a unique civilian scholar unit which can only be built in cities with an Acropolis, and these seem to be the new version of Great Scientists that players saw in the past. Greece can have the following Logios which each have a unique ability:

• Arete of Cyrene: Activated on an Acropolis to grant Influence.
• Aristotle: Activated on an Academy to add Culture to the Building.
• Aspasia: Activated on a Library to add Happiness to the Building.
• Hypatia : Activated on a Library to add Science to the Building.
• Plato: Activated on an Acropolis to give this City Culture per turn equal to a percentage of its Influence yield.
• Pythagoras: Activated on an Acropolis to immediately trigger a Celebration.
• Sappho: Activated on a Constructible with a Great Work Slot to grant a Codex called 'Hymn to Aphrodite' that grants Culture.
• Socrates: Activated on a Palace or City Hall to add Influence to the Building.
• Thales of Miletus: Activated on an Acropolis to give this City Science per turn equal to a percentage of its Influence yield.
• Xenophon: Activated on an Acropolis to grant a set number of Hoplite Unique Military Units with increased Combat Strength.

In addition, Greece will get the unique Hoplite infantry unit which has increased combat strength when adjacent to another Hoplit unit. You can find the full Greece game guide here with additional details about civic trees, unique buildings, and more.