For fans of the turn-based strategy genre, the Civilization series has always been reliable in providing a challenge and allowing players to choose how they conquer the game map. In Civilization 6 players take the role as one of many historical empires, be it as Saladin of Arabia or Cleopatra of Egypt. Players are tasked with using their chosen civilization's specialties to their advantage while making sure they are aware of the other powerful clans on the map. Throughout the many iterations and DLC, the strategy aspect has gone largely unchanged. That was until the news of a new feature in an upcoming DLC for Civilization 6 that could change the way the game is played.
In the final Civilization 6 Frontier DLC, Portugal Pack, players will get access to the Portuguese civilization and leader Joao III. This isn't anything surprising, as the game series has released new leaders like this in the past. What has come as the biggest surprise is the new zombie mode being released in this DLC. Usually found in the FPS genre, zombies have occasionally made an appearance in strategy games before. However, with Civilization 6 having such a distinct play style and strategy to it, one has to wonder how this new zombies defense mode will impact the gameplay.
I found a solution. The problem was for me that BitDefender thought Civ VI to be a ransomware. Solved it by adding CivilizationVI.exe and CivilizationVIdx12.exe to the trusted applications list. If you have a different virus protection, try to find if you can make an exception for civ VI in the ransomware list. Civ VI’s post-launch DLC has so far added only civs. John Curtin’s Australia are debuting for the first time, while Persia and Poland are old favourites with a new spin, as Civ V’s.
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Back From the Dead
In order for there to be zombies, there will need to be some living being that becomes a member of the undead. Well in this new game mode, any Civ 6 unit that gets killed on the battlefield will have the chance to come back to life as a zombie horde. These hordes can kill other troops and spread the zombie plague. It can continue to get around to all civilizations until the only beings walking the map are the undead.
This will add a new level of complications to gameplay, even Civilization 6's notoriously strategic gameplay, whereas the player used to be able to slay an enemy and move on. However, when those enemies have a chance to come back, the player may never have opportunity to lower their defenses.
Defensive Maneuvers
Civ 6 Dlc Civs
Along with zombies in the Civilization 6 DLC, players will have new options for traps and barricades to keep the hungry husks at bay. These new traps will harm zombies that pass or go near them and can be built on neutral or owned territories. Another interesting feature of the zombie game mode is the two new structures that allow leaders to temporarily control zombies within the city's limits. Players will be able to order the zombies to attack enemy forces in their city, or simply send them out and closer to another player's settlement.
The ideal scenario for taking on zombies, at least it seems in Civilization 6, is to be able to funnel them as close together in as few entry points as possible, as players can set up some traps and sentries in that funnel, and the zombies will likely be dead before they reach the city's outer wall. This doesn't account for any zombies directed at a civilization from other points, but it could help the player keep from being overwhelmed and losing more of their forces to the hordes. If the zombies manage to get inside the city's walls, then speed will be most important in taking out the undead before they have a chance to harm the workers and traders.
Some are sure to roll their eyes at this new mode for Civilization 6, as zombies have been an obsession with gamers for years. While the Civilization has typically relied on the realistic qualities of the empires it uses, this is an area where the studio is flexing its creative muscles. Although with every other zombie game on the market and releasing this year, one has to wonder how this new DLC will face against its undead competition.
Civilization 6 is available now for Linux, Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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Joao III of Portugal, the leader introduced in the new Portugal DLC pack, wraps up Civilization 6's New Frontier Pass. Nearly a year and six DLC installments later, the New Frontier Pass has been regarded as a huge success for the game, and many fans are hoping that a new DLC pack will be coming in the future.
In all, the New Frontier Pass introduced eight new Civilizations, nine new leaders (11 counting the persona packs for Teddy Roosevelt and Catherine De Medici), six new game modes, and a ton of quality-of-life changes. With no news on if or when Civilization 7 may come out, perhaps a new DLC pack just like the New Frontier Pass is what is best for the game.
RELATED:Everything Added in Civilization 6's New Frontier Pass So Far
More Leaders, More Fun
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The New Frontier Pass added several new leaders and Civilizations to Civilization 6, and gave fans something new to look forward to every couple of months. The great thing about all of these leaders is that each pack sought to bring a different approach to the game that was missing at the time. For example, there were few leaders who could specialize in both Religion and Domination until Basil II came along. No other leader plays remotely close to how Hammurabi of Babylon does, and having him in a game makes for an entirely unique experience to both play as and to fight against. No other leader can utilize tile features quite like Ba Trieu of Vietnam, and Joao III's trade routes are second to none.
The fan-base for Civilization 6 will always have recommendations for new Leaders and new Civilizations to add to the game, so the list can go on-and-on so long as the developer wants to dedicate time and resources into making the expansions. The developer of Civilization 6 really hit it out of the park with the Civs introduced in the first New Frontier Pas, and if another New Frontier Pass-inspired pack were to be released, fans hope that the new leaders introduced with that would continue to meet and even exceed expectations.
There are plenty of different angles to approach the new leaders with for each different win condition. For example, the game could use another leader or two that have a heavier Diplomatic focus, and perhaps another heavy Religious leader for a Religious Victory. While Menelik can generate a lot of Faith, he can very easily branch off to Culture or Science as well. More DLCs means more variety and more interesting match-ups, and that's never a bad thing.
Civ 6 Dlc Packs
Spicing Things Up with New Game Modes
A welcome surprise with the New Frontier Pass was all of the new optional game modes that shake up how each game plays out. Each of the six DLC packs came with a new game mode that could be selected at the creation of a lobby, and these could be mixed-and-matched to create some interesting games. While each one changed the game to different degrees, they added a lot of variety to each game of Civ as they meshed together in interesting ways.
Combining the Civ 6 Heroes and Legends mode with the Monopolies and Corporations mode made Anansi and Maui a lot more valuable. Secret Societies can make great Civs even more powerful, like Joao III or Kublai Khan with the Owls of Minerva, or Eleanor of Aquitaine with the Void Singers. Some leaders even had reworks to their abilities just for certain game modes. Tamar of Georgia excels in the Dramatic Ages mode, while Gilgamesh gets some powerful bonuses in the Heroes and Legends mode.
Civilization 6's new Zombie game mode shakes up the formula quite a bit, and adds more interesting combat and spy options that can be used against opponents. Apocalypse mode completely changes the settling pattern of everyone in the game, and adds new risks and opportunities throughout the game. These game modes are great for when players want to shake up how their games are going. Some players play with a few turned on all the time.
Civ 6 Dlc
Monopolies and Corporations mode is quite popular within the Civ 6 community, and is featured in many games. Heroes and Legends and Secret Societies are also featured quite a bit. With more DLC content, more game modes could be featured as well, perhaps some that shake up the game even further. Fans have been asking for things like an Economic Victory game mode (fans were hoping the Monopolies and Corporations mode would add this), or maybe a new victory condition that fans haven't even thought of yet.
Further Quality-of-Life Improvements
Alongside every DLC pack in the New Frontier Pass came sweeping Quality-of-Life changes and additions that really helped the game shift into a better place. From AI tweaks to new Natural Wonders, a lot of work went into gameplay fixes and balancing changes that have accompanies each DLC (as well as the ones in-between packs). The Civilization 6 official Twitter announced that there would be one final 'FREE update' to Civilization 6, with an emphasis on the free part, so perhaps it is hinting at another paid expansion that would be accompanying any balancing updates.
There are still some parts of Civilization 6 that could use some more balance tweaking, and it is perhaps a bit of a stretch to assume that all will be fixed in one final update, so here's hoping that any future paid DLC will feature balancing alongside it.
Civ 6 Dlc Switch
Arguably, the biggest reason above all else that a new Season Pass would be a good idea is that it would buy for development time for the next Civilization game. While Civilization 7 has yet to be officially confirmed, it's a pretty safe assumption that it will be coming eventually. Each installment in the Civilization series has typically been a massive step up in graphics, game design, and quality, so it may take some time for Civilization 7 to see the light of day, but that's why a new Season Pass for Civilization 6 is the perfect idea.
The previous Civ 6 DLC packs were spread out over the course of a year, and if the developer had a small team working on those, then a larger portion of the team can work on other projects like the next installment in the Civilization franchise, whatever that may be.
Upcoming Civ 6 Dlc
Civilization 6is available now for Linux, Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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