The first major expansion for Civilization VI, called Rise and Fall, has been unveiled. In addition to nine new leaders and eight new civs, the expansion adds a number of features designed to level out the playing field later in the game. While we there`s a lot we still don`t know about it, one thing is very clear: Rise and Fall is about comebacks.In an interview, Rise and Fall lead designer Anton Strenger explained the thought process behind the new systems. `I noticed in Civilization VI [vanilla] that it became very powerful to have a large empire, and it became really hard to challenge the civ in the lead.` Each of the main additions in Rise and Fall--the Great Ages system, Loyalty, and Governors--seems to work toward improving the base game`s perceived pitfalls.Great Ages are the most substantial of the upcoming changes. Based on how successful you are as a leader, your civilization can enter either a Golden Age or a Dark Age, with special bonuses, challenges, and modifiers to go with it. If you navigate a Dark Age carefully and complete the challenges posed to you, your next Golden Age will be a much stronger Heroic Age, giving you the edge even after you`ve slipped behind. Learn from your mistakes, and you won`t have to suffer for them through the entire game.`Of course, [Dark Ages give] us another challenge: how do you keep someone from quitting the game because they just reached a Dark Age?` Strenger said. `Our answer to that were Heroic Ages. They`re like Advanced Golden Ages, or Triple Golden Ages. They give unique bonuses when you crawl out of a Dark Age. You`ll also get unique policies during Dark Ages, so it`s not always necessarily a bad thing to enter one.`Loyalty, which is specific to each individual city, adds to this later-game balancing. If you let a city`s Loyalty fall too low, it will potentially declare independence, leaving room for another civ to swoop in, gain the city`s loyalty, and expand its borders. The new Governors--seven minor cha ...
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