Civ 7's Score Victory Is Based On A New Core Gameplay Feature

The Score Victory in Sid Meier's Civilization 7 is technically a Point Victory, and it works on a completely different system than the Score Victory that Civilization 6 players are familiar with. A Score Victory in Civ games is the default win condition if players cannot achieve one of the other Victory types, such as a Culture or Science Victory with their civilization. Score Victories have been calculated based on different metrics for each Civ game, and past versions have often been confusing or overly convoluted. Civilization 7 seeks to resolve that to some extent with a more straightforward system based on Legacy Points.

Civilization 7 includes a range of overhauled gameplay systems, the main one being that it will be divided into three Ages - the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages. Each Age has specific Legacy Paths based on Culture, Science, Military, and Economic strategies. These Legacy Paths are at the core of a Score Victory in Civ 7 because they award points based on completed objectives within each path. This is a departure from previous games that used a range of metrics to calculate each player's total score. Here's a look at Civilization 7's version of a Score Victory based on Legacy Points.

Civ 6 And 7’s Score Victories Are Based On Different Metrics

Civ 6 Bases Score On Civ Development, Not Legacy Points Across Ages

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In Civilization 6, if players complete all turns and nobody has met the Victory Conditions for a Science, Culture, Domination, Religious, or Diplomatic Victory, the player with the highest score wins. Scores in Civ 6 are tallied based on the number of cities, wonders, and districts in a player's civilization, as well as the number of Great People, beliefs under a founded Religion, Civic and Technology research, and total number of Citizens within a player's empire. This system favors widespread city-building, awarding five points for each city and Wonder owned, yet only two points for each Civic and Tech unlocked.

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In Civilization 7, a Score Victory does not rely on the above metrics at all and instead will be based on the number of Legacy Points acquired throughout the Ages of a Campaign. This Score Victory is the only way to win Civilization 7's Single-Age mode, which allows players to select one of the three Ages and compete in a quick match for as many Legacy Points as possible, which are awarded for pursuing specific Legacy Paths in a given Age. For example, the Treasure Fleet Economic Path awards points for returning Distant Land Treasures during the Exploration Age, which count toward the player's score total.

Civ 7 Will Still Have A Default Victory Based On Points

Legacy Points Are Awarded For Completing Legacy Path Objectives

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The Legacy Path system is a core feature of Civilization 7, and it makes sense that the Score Victory would emphasize these Legacy Points and encourage the pursuit of Legacies in general. The four Legacy Paths build across the Ages, and multiple milestones along each path reward Legacy Points that are spent on bonuses in the following Age, but are also tallied toward the player's total score. Tying players' scores to these Legacy Points incentivizes choosing a specific area of focus and working toward a Victory Condition, but also makes those Legacy Points more meaningful in case the conditions aren't met.

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Civ 7 is making many big changes to gameplay, and the new Score Victory and how scores are tallied are a direct result of those big shifts. Features such as Legacy Points in Civ 7 work to help focus gameplay and smooth the edges from previous Civ installments. Connecting players' total scores to Legacy Points pushes players toward pursuit of one of the four Victory Conditions as opposed to a Score Victory, which developers believe is more gratifying. Basing Civilization 7's Score Victory on a new core mechanic makes sense when considering the new Ages structure and emphasis on Legacy Paths.

Source: Civ Streams: The Modern Age