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A Social Policy is a bonus card that can be slotted into a civilization's government in Civilization VII and its expansions. These policies primarily grant bonuses in the form of increased yield accumulation,
Combat Strength for military units, or other elements. Unlike previous games, there is no distinction between different policy classes.
Mechanics[]
Social Policies represent the governing principles and strategic directives that shape an empire's development over time. By selecting and managing these policies, players can influence their economy, military, culture, and diplomacy to adapt to various challenges and opportunities.
There are three types of Social Policies:
Social Policies are unlocked by advancing through the civic tree, meaning that prioritizing
Culture gain is the primary method for acquiring multiple policies. Policies can only be swapped upon completing a civic, allowing civilizations with high
Culture output to adapt more flexibly to different situations and strategies.
Most civilizations start with 1 policy slot per Age, but additional slots can be gained through various means:
- Triggering a celebration (+1 slot per event)
- Earning a Diplomatic Attribute Point (+1 slot)
- Assigning insert Memento (+1 slot)
- Playing as certain leaders (insert leaders)
This system makes accumulating excess Happiness valuable for players who want to expand their governing capacity and leverage
Social Policy bonuses to enhance prosperity and growth.
Standard Social Policy[]
Standard Social Policies are universally available to all civilizations and are tied to specific Ages. Upon entering a new Age, all previous standard
Social Policies (except for
Traditions) become obsolete, and
Social Policy slots reset to two in the Exploration Age and three in the Modern Age.
Ideology[]
An exception occurs in the Modern Age, where players can choose an Ideology. Once an ideology is selected, exclusive policies tied to that ideology become available, while policies from other ideologies are permanently locked for the remainder of the game. These ideology-specific policies offer powerful but specialized bonuses that align with different victory conditions. Players should strategically consider their choice of ideology, possibly planning ahead to maximize its benefits.
Tradition[]
Traditions are a special category of
Social Policies tied to unique civics associated with specific civilizations. These policies:
- Are exclusive to their respective civilizations.
- Do not become obsolete when progressing to a new Age.
- Represent deep cultural roots and historical continuity, maintaining influence over time regardless of global developments.
Traditions encourage players to align their civilization's playstyle with its historical and cultural identity. Since
Traditions often provide superior but more specialized benefits, players should adapt their strategies to maximize their effectiveness throughout the game. Additionally, because players must choose a new civilization upon advancing to a new Age, it is advisable to select one whose strengths complement the
Traditions of the previous civilization. For example, if a civilization benefits from desert-focused
Traditions, switching to a civilization that thrives in tundra or coastal environments would make those
Traditions ineffective, disrupting the synergy between Ages.
Crisis Policy[]
Crisis Policies are mandatory policies that must be slotted when a civilization enters a
Crisis period towards the end of an Age. These policies typically impose negative effects but can also offer benefits with trade-offs, similar to Dark Age Policy Cards in Civilization VI: Rise and Fall.
Crises have three stages, each requiring an increasing number of Crisis Policies:
- Initial
Crisis Stage – Requires two
Crisis Policies.
- Second
Crisis Stage – Requires three
Crisis Policies.
- Final
Crisis Stage – Requires four
Crisis Policies.
Each Crisis has a specific theme that is randomly assigned to each civilization, ensuring that players must prepare for various potential challenges. To survive and mitigate the effects of a crisis, civilizations must strategically allocate resources and develop contingency plans, preventing their empire from collapsing after a period of prosperity.
List of social policies[]
See also[]
- (Social) Policy in other games
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