Leaders & Ages

Guide to leader–civilization associations and working with age-specific content.

This guide covers how to create leader-civilization associations and work with age-specific content using the Civilization VII TypeScript Modding Tools.

Creating Leader-Civilization Associations

In Civilization VII, the TypeScript Modding Tools primarily support associating existing game leaders with civilizations rather than creating entirely new leaders. The toolkit provides the LeaderUnlockBuilder class for this purpose.

import {
    ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE,
    CivilizationUnlockBuilder,
    LeaderUnlockBuilder,
    Mod,
    AGE
} from "civ7-modding-tools";

const mod = new Mod({
    id: 'my-leader-mod',
    version: '1.0',
});

// Define a leader-civilization unlock
// This associates an existing game leader with your custom civilization
const decebalusLeadsDacia = new LeaderUnlockBuilder({
    actionGroupBundle: ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE.AGE_ANTIQUITY,
    
    // Define the association
    leaderUnlock: {
        leaderType: 'LEADER_DECEBALUS',       // An existing leader
        type: 'CIVILIZATION_DACIA',           // Your custom civilization
        ageType: AGE.ANTIQUITY,
    },
    
    // AI leader preference for this civilization
    leaderCivilizationBias: {
        bias: 10,  // Higher bias = more likely to be chosen by AI
    },
    
    // Tooltip text that appears in the leader selection screen
    localizations: [{
        tooltip: `[B]Decebalus[/B] ruled [B]Dacia[/B].`
    }]
});

// Add to mod
mod.add([decebalusLeadsDacia]);

You can also define civilization transitions between Ages:

// Create a civilization unlock for Age transitions
const daciaTransitionsToRome = new CivilizationUnlockBuilder({
    actionGroupBundle: ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE.AGE_EXPLORATION,
    
    // Define which civilization transitions to what
    from: { 
        civilizationType: 'CIVILIZATION_DACIA',
        ageType: AGE.ANTIQUITY, 
    },
    to: { 
        civilizationType: 'CIVILIZATION_ROME',
        ageType: AGE.EXPLORATION, 
    },
});

// Add to mod
mod.add([daciaTransitionsToRome]);

Creating Entirely New Leaders

To create entirely new leaders (rather than just associating existing ones), you’ll need to use direct XML manipulation, as the toolkit doesn’t provide a dedicated LeaderBuilder class. Here’s how to approach this:

1. Create XML Files Directly: Define leaders using the database schema structure
2. Import XML Files: Use ImportFileBuilder to include your custom XML files

For example:

import {
    ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE,
    ACTION_GROUP_ACTION,
    ImportFileBuilder,
    Mod
} from "civ7-modding-tools";

const mod = new Mod({
    id: 'my-custom-leader-mod',
    version: '1.0',
});

// Create leader XML content
const leaderXML = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Database>
  {/*Define Leader Type*/}
  <Types>
    <Row Type="LEADER_YOUR_LEADER" Kind="KIND_LEADER"/>
  </Types>
  
  {/*Basic Leader Definition*/}
  <Leaders>
    <Row LeaderType="LEADER_YOUR_LEADER" 
         Name="LOC_LEADER_YOUR_LEADER_NAME" 
         InheritFrom="LEADER_DEFAULT" 
         Description="LOC_LEADER_YOUR_LEADER_DESCRIPTION"/>
  </Leaders>
  
  {/*Leader Traits*/}
  <LeaderTraits>
    <Row LeaderType="LEADER_YOUR_LEADER" TraitType="TRAIT_LEADER_YOUR_ABILITY"/>
  </LeaderTraits>
</Database>`;

// Import the leader XML file
const leaderDefinition = new ImportFileBuilder({
    actionGroupBundle: ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE.AGE_ANTIQUITY,
    content: leaderXML,
    name: 'leaders/your_leader.xml',
    actionGroupActions: [ACTION_GROUP_ACTION.UPDATE_DATABASE]
});

// Add to mod
mod.add([leaderDefinition]);

Working with Age-Specific Content

Civilization VII’s Age system affects how leaders and civilizations evolve throughout the game. Here’s how to work with age-specific content:

Age-Specific Leader Abilities

You can create leader abilities that only apply in specific Ages:

import {
    ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE,
    ModifierBuilder,
    Mod,
    COLLECTION,
    EFFECT,
    REQUIREMENT,
    AGE
} from "civ7-modding-tools";

const mod = new Mod({
    id: 'my-age-specific-mod',
    version: '1.0',
});

// Create an Antiquity Age-specific leader ability
const ancientLeaderBonus = new ModifierBuilder({
    actionGroupBundle: ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE.AGE_ANTIQUITY,
    modifier: {
        collection: COLLECTION.PLAYER_UNITS,
        effect: EFFECT.UNIT_ADJUST_COMBAT_STRENGTH,
        permanent: true,
        requirements: [
            {
                type: REQUIREMENT.PLAYER_IS_IN_AGE,
                arguments: [{ name: 'AgeType', value: AGE.ANTIQUITY }]
            }
        ],
        arguments: [{ name: 'Amount', value: 5 }]
    },
    localizations: [{
        description: 'Military Legacy: +5 Combat Strength for all units in the Antiquity Age.'
    }]
});

// Add to mod
mod.add([ancientLeaderBonus]);

Leader Transitions Between Ages

Similar to civilizations, you can define how leaders transition between Ages:

import {
    ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE,
    LeaderUnlockBuilder,
    Mod,
    AGE
} from "civ7-modding-tools";

const mod = new Mod({
    id: 'my-leader-transition-mod',
    version: '1.0',
});

// Define how a leader should transform in a new Age
const decebalusToTrajan = new LeaderUnlockBuilder({
    actionGroupBundle: ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE.AGE_EXPLORATION,
    leaderUnlock: {
        leaderType: 'LEADER_TRAJAN',          // New leader for new Age
        type: 'CIVILIZATION_ROME',            // New civilization
        ageType: AGE.EXPLORATION,             // New Age
        fromLeaderType: 'LEADER_DECEBALUS',   // Previous leader
        fromAgeType: AGE.ANTIQUITY            // Previous Age
    },
    localizations: [{
        tooltip: `As Rome conquered Dacia, [B]Trajan[/B] now rules the [B]Roman[/B] empire.`
    }]
});

// Add to mod
mod.add([decebalusToTrajan]);

Best Practices for Age and Leader Content

When working with leaders across multiple Ages, keep these points in mind:

1. Historical Accuracy: Leaders should generally transition in ways that make historical sense
2. Gameplay Balance: Consider how a leader’s abilities interact across different Ages
3. Civilization Synergy: Ensure leader abilities complement their civilization’s strengths
4. XML Documentation: Thoroughly document any direct XML leader definitions
5. Leader Traits: Use appropriate traits to guide AI behavior in different Ages

Multiple Leaders for the Same Civilization

You can define multiple leaders for the same civilization:

// First leader for Dacia
const decebalusLeadsDacia = new LeaderUnlockBuilder({
    actionGroupBundle: ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE.AGE_ANTIQUITY,
    leaderUnlock: {
        leaderType: 'LEADER_DECEBALUS',
        type: 'CIVILIZATION_DACIA',
        ageType: AGE.ANTIQUITY,
    },
    // Configuration...
});

// Second leader for Dacia
const burebistLeadsDacia = new LeaderUnlockBuilder({
    actionGroupBundle: ACTION_GROUP_BUNDLE.AGE_ANTIQUITY,
    leaderUnlock: {
        leaderType: 'LEADER_BUREBISTA',
        type: 'CIVILIZATION_DACIA',
        ageType: AGE.ANTIQUITY,
    },
    // Configuration...
});

// Add both to mod
mod.add([decebalusLeadsDacia, burebistLeadsDacia]);

This approach gives players more choices when selecting a leader-civilization combination.