Everything you need to know about Diplomacy and maintaining global relationships in Civilization 7.
Victory comes in a lot of shapes and forms in Civ 7, including military, cultural, economic, technological, as well as other types of victories.
Civ 7 also significantly fleshes out and overhauls the diplomatic mechanics, which previously was not a viable method of victory in the series.
Diplomacy in Civ 7 is all about building relationships, and the entire system relies on a new currency you can earn called Influence. Using Influence, you can start Endeavors, like cultural exchanges and research collaborations, or sanctions.
This article is your guide to Diplomacy in Civ 7, how it works, and how you can use your Influence.
How to Get Influence
While playing on Standard speed, you’ll get 10 Influence per turn. You can also gain Influence Buildings such as the Alter, as well as certain Wonders, Policies, Diplomatic Pacts, and leader or civ abilities
Building Relationships
Some player actions can also get you Influence. For example, settling near another leader’s capital can give you Influence, though it will create tension with that leader.
Relationships with other leaders develop over time and include the following stages: Helpful, Friendly, Neutral, Unfriendly, and Hostile.
You’ll be able to build military alliances with civilizations you have a healthy relationship. Trade with Unfriendly and Hostile civilizations is difficult.
Spending Influence
Unlike other currencies, Influence isn’t used to purchase Units and Buildings. Rather, you can use Influence to sway relationships, enforce treaties and sanctions, and sabotage other leaders.
Befriending City States
Befriending a City State will cost you 170 Influence. With this one-time investment, you’ll start building a relationship with a city state, and be rewarded with some valuable resources.
In the beginning, some City States might be hostile towards you. But once their military stops being hostile, you can work towards being their suzerain, and get a suzerain bonus like a unique tile improvement or a free technology.
At the highest level, you can spend some more influence to integrate them into your kingdom and bring their capital under your control.
You can also spend Influence to promote a city state’s growth, strengthen their military, or levy some of their military units, which gives you permanent control of them.
Moreover, if you’re competing with another leader over a city state, you can spend influence to sway the city state to your favor.
Endeavors
Endeavors are friendly interactions with other civilizations. In the early game, you will have access to Endeavors such as Sending Aid, and Research Collaboration, which gives both civilizations Science each turn.
As you progress your relationship, you’ll get access to more Endeavors such as:
- Local Festival
- Grants +2 Happiness to you and +2 Influence to your target if accepted.
- If the festival is supported, both civilizations receive +3 Happiness per turn in Cities.
- Lasts for 15 turns.
- Military Aid
- If accepted, your units get +2 Combat Strength. The other leader gets +2 gold per turn.
- If the endeavor is supported, both leaders get +3 Combat Strength.
- Lasts for 15 turns.
- Reconciliation
- Improves your relationship with another leader.
- If accepted. relationship improves by 30.
- if supported, relationship improves by 60.
Sanctions
While Endeavors are positive interactions, sanctions are negative interactions you can use to hinder another civilization’s progress. Sanction options include:
- Hinder Public Morale
- Reduces another civilization’s happiness at a 10% cost per turn.
- -15 relationship if accepted
- Hinder Military Production
- Reduces the military production of another civilization.
- Military units cost 20% more to train
- . Lasts 10 turns.
- -15 relationship if accepted.
- Denounce
- Reduces your relationship with targeted leader by -60.
Treaties
These are long-term agreements with other civilizations that require Influence to implement. These include Open Borders, Denouncing Military Presence, and Improving Trade Relations
Espionage
You can also use Influence to conduct high-risk operations that hinder other civilizations, such as Stealing Technology. However, if you are caught, your Influence generation is reduced.
War Support
Each war in Civ 7 has a tug-of-war mechanic called War Support. Simply, it represents which side is seen as being in the right by the rest of the leaders.
For example, declaring a Surprise War will give your opponent high War Support in that war. Moreover, if you’re on the losing side of a war and have low War Support, you will suffer from penalties such as War Weariness.
For every point you’re behind in War Support, your units will have a stacking combat penalty against the opposing leader’s units, and it will also reduce overall Happiness in each of your settlements.
As such, it’s not a good idea to be in a war where you can’t consistently be ahead in War Support.
