Millennia: A Deep Dive into the Innovative 4X Strategy Game

 

Millennia: A Deep Dive into the Innovative 4X Strategy Game

Paradox Interactive and the emerging indie team, C-Prompt, have jointly announced their inaugural foray into the world of 4X strategy gaming with "Millennia." I had the unique opportunity to spend an hour exploring this exciting game during this year's Gamescom event. Under the leadership of Robert Fermier, former co-founder of Irrational Games, and Ian M Fischer, the lead designer of Age of Empires II, Millennia promises to take players on a grand journey across ten distinct historical epochs, starting from the Stone Age and concluding in a "post-modern future," as explained by the game's designer, Ben Friedman.

However, what sets Millennia apart is the introduction of 'Variant Ages.' These allow players to manipulate the course of history in creative ways. Some of these variants have a historical flavor, like the Age of Monuments, where players build Egyptian pyramids. Others embrace the fantastical, incorporating elements like steampunk, alchemy, and space alien invasions. My experience with Millennia was exhilarating as I witnessed my formidable Kyoto army conquer neighboring settlements like Telford before venturing on to Rome. If you're a fan of historical melting pots in your 4X strategy games, this one's for you.

My journey in Millennia began in the Age of Iron, which, according to Friedman, marks the game's third historical era. Typically, players must meet specific research criteria to advance to the next historical age or choose one of the intriguing Variant Ages. However, during my demo, the focus was on triggering one of Millennia's 'Crisis Ages,' specifically the Age of Plague. Exciting, right?

Friedman explained, "If you're not paying attention or making bad decisions, some of these crises will come up, and you'll be forced to deal with them." In my case, the city of Kyoto, my title city, had long neglected its sanitation, likely due to ongoing conflicts with the Romans and Barbarians. Unfortunately, by the end of my demo, I didn't witness the full effects of the crisis. Other crisis scenarios include the potentially catastrophic Age of Floods and the whimsical-sounding Age of Luddites, where technology is rejected by your civilization. Fortunately, these Crisis Ages aren't permanent, and players receive ample warnings before things truly go awry.

In single-player mode, the responsibility for navigating these disaster periods falls squarely on the player's shoulders. However, in multiplayer, it becomes a game-changer. As Friedman explained, "When you go into one of these Ages, it sets the timeline for everyone in the game, so the first person to set the Age guides the historical timeline of your game." This applies to both crises and variant ages.

But that's not all that sets Millennia apart. Each civilization boasts a unique 'National Spirit' that defines its style and personality. Friedman mentioned options like 'German engineering' and 'French cuisine,' which players can choose at the game's outset. While I couldn't explore these features in-depth during my demo, I remain hopeful that they steer clear of clichéd stereotypes.

Moreover, as you advance through the ages, more Spirits become available. You can see from the screenshot above that you can have Spartans and Raiders as special warfare units or Olympians to enhance your diplomacy, for instance. The game provides players with choices—be it the traditional path of the Japanese, who begin with samurai units, or the option to play as the British and acquire samurai later. The game empowers players to shape their strategies and stories.

Millennia's primary objective seems to be flexibility, offering players the ability to delve into the details of their civilization, as evident in its economic and supply chain systems. Friedman highlighted that, unlike other games where constructing a forester or woodcutter yields straightforward production, in Millennia, a woodcutter produces logs, which can be sent to a saw pit, paper maker, wood crafter, or other specialized facilities. Each resource has its unique characteristics.

Food production, though more linear, offers depth in its utilization and production. It follows a step-by-step process where wheat is sent to a flour mill, then to a bakery, and so forth. This complexity encourages strategic thinking regarding resource usage, adapting to changing ages, and aligning with national spirit strategies. Building these structures on individual hexes requires improvement points and an adequate workforce allocation, which Friedman calls "the trifecta to getting production out of your region."

Similar strategic thinking applies to armies, which function as single forces comprising individual units that can be interchanged or operated independently. For example, one of my starter armies featured a non-combatant pioneer, best used for establishing outposts in unclaimed hexes and expanding territory.

Combat with hostile nations, like the Romans, primarily occurs in open fields, requiring a declaration of war before entering their claimed hexes. Battles are conducted in rounds, switching to an optional screen where units face off for three turns. Detailed outcomes can be avoided, with tooltips indicating the likelihood of victory or defeat. Units possess two bars, representing HP and morale, with the latter susceptible to breaking, causing retreat and ending combat early. The retreating unit moves back a few tiles on the world map, enabling pursuit.

Outside friendly borders, units gradually heal, but recovery accelerates within friendly territory. This knowledge prompted me to keep troops within a vassal town while facing threats, engage in combat, and return home for healing afterward. Initiating an attack ends the unit's turn, underscoring the importance of strategic positioning.

Inevitably, players may declare war, which can be done through the diplomacy menu. Unlocking envoys opens diverse options, such as sending gifts, issuing threats, or turning minor nations into vassals. However, these features weren't available in my demo, leading to a full-scale war with Rome. After causing some damage and pestering them with my warbands, Rome eventually sought peace, a choice I accepted to claim their city and expand my influence.

In Millennia, research and warfare are complemented by culture. Culture powers are described as "major historical events" that can be employed when the culture bar is full. These events include enacting government reforms, establishing new towns, or assembling armies. In my demo, I transformed one of my outposts into a town, extending my territory and population.

Additionally, Millennia introduces Domain powers, categorized into Government, Exploration, Warfare, Engineering, and Diplomacy (with Arts becoming available later). These powers, earned through accumulating experience points, offer strategic advantages at crucial moments. For instance, Exploration points can be gained by using scouts to discover landmarks, and the abundance of nations and cultures means diverse landmarks like Mount Fuji and the Grand Canyon can coexist. Unlike Culture, Domain meters can fill repeatedly, encouraging their regular use.

This overview only scratches the surface of Millennia's intricate systems. The game offers a wealth of details, including tech trees, unit upgrades, and the myriad effects of its various Variant and Crisis Ages. Millennia represents a compelling addition to the turn-based historical 4X genre, competing with the likes of Civilization, Humankind, and Old World. Scheduled for release on PC in 2024, I eagerly anticipate tracking its development - Variants, Crises, and all - in the months ahead.