Skip to main content
Note: For Age-specific gameplay mechanics, please refer to the dedicated Age Gameplay Mechanics document which covers Age transitions, Legacy Paths, and age-specific systems in detail.

​
Civilization & Leader Abilities

Existence: Civilization VII continues the tradition of giving each civilization a unique Civ Ability and each leader a unique Leader Ability. Every civ is tied to a specific historical Age and comes with a bespoke ability that defines its playstyle (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). Leaders similarly have their own special ability (and an Agenda) that influence gameplay. For example, Han China in the Antiquity Age has the “Nine Provinces” civ ability (granting extra population on the first growth of each city) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ), while leaders like Napoleon have distinct abilities depending on their persona (Emperor vs. Revolutionary) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). The game even allows mixing and matching leaders with civilizations, but under the hood each still provides their own unique trait (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). This confirms civ-specific and leader-specific abilities are very much present in Civ VII. Modifiability: Yes – modders can create or alter civ and leader abilities. Civilization VII’s modding framework (closely modeled on Civ VI’s) defines abilities as Traits with attached Modifiers that trigger effects under certain conditions (Custom Leader Ability Applies To ALL Civs | CivFanatics Forums) (Custom Leader Ability Applies To ALL Civs | CivFanatics Forums). Early community mods and dev comments show that these traits are accessible. For instance, a Civ VII cheat mod was able to grant “every single Leader ability” to the player (Civilization 7 mods explained), demonstrating that unique abilities are exposed and can be reassigned or combined via mods. In general, modders can add new traits or modify existing ones by editing the game’s XML/SQL data – for example, creating a custom leader ability that provides bonus yields or units under specific conditions. Implementation Notes: Abilities in Civ VII can be passive bonuses, triggered effects, or conditional modifiers – the design is flexible. Mods can therefore introduce abilities that act in a variety of ways:
  • Triggers: Abilities can be tied to in-game events. For example, one could mod a leader ability to grant a free unit when a certain building or improvement is constructed, similar to a Civ VI mod that spawned a free melee unit whenever a Camp or Pasture was built (Custom Leader Ability Applies To ALL Civs | CivFanatics Forums). Civ VII’s engine supports such triggers via modifiers (e.g. “on Build X, do Y”). Kills, city founding, era changes, etc., are all potential trigger points.
  • Ongoing modifiers: Abilities may also apply continuous effects. For instance, the Han civ ability adds +1 population on first growth – implemented as a one-time bonus per city growth threshold (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ). A modded ability for a custom Dacian civ could similarly grant, say, +5% Production in all cities (a constant empire-wide modifier), or +2 (Civilization 7 mods explained)Influence per turn if certain conditions are met.
  • Scope: Abilities can target different scopes – a whole civilization (e.g. increasing empire-wide yield rates), specific cities, or units. Civ VII’s trait system allows targeting “collection” scopes like ALL cities, specific unit types, or the capital city (Civ 7 Modding Questions | CivFanatics Forums) (Civ 7 Modding Questions | CivFanatics Forums). For example, a leader ability might only affect military units (such as boosting combat strength for units in Hills), or a civ ability might apply only to cities on a certain continent. Mods can utilize requirement conditions (terrain, unit type, etc.) to fine-tune where the ability applies.
In summary, Civ VII absolutely features unique civ/leader abilities, and modders have the tools to introduce custom abilities or tweak existing ones. When designing a custom Dacian civilization, you can confidently plan unique traits – e.g. a “Falx Warriors” leader ability that grants bonus strength to sword units on hills – and implement these via the modding system’s trait modifiers and requirements. Just be mindful to use only confirmed mechanics (e.g. terrain or combat modifiers that exist in Civ VII’s schema) when scripting these abilities.

​
Unique Units

Existence: Unique units are a staple of Civ VII’s design. Each civilization can field units that no other civ has, including both unique military units and sometimes unique civilian units (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). For example, Han China has the Chu-Ko-Nu (a unique ranged unit) and the Shì Dàfū (a unique civilian “scholar-bureaucrat” unit) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ). The Maya have the Jaguar Slayer, a special recon unit that replaces the Scout and can lay hidden traps (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ) (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). These unique units often come with special abilities or promotions. For instance, the Jaguar Slayer’s “Jaguar Trap” ability creates an invisible trap on jungle tiles that damages and stops enemy units (Jaguar Slayer (Civ7) - Civilization Wiki - Fandom). Another example: Persia’s Immortal (unique unit in Civ VII) heals whenever it kills a unit (Civ 7 Ground Combat Guide | Civilization VII｜Game8), and America’s Marines have an Amphibious trait allowing them to ambush from water (Civ 7 Ground Combat Guide | Civilization VII｜Game8). This confirms that unique units with bespoke combat bonuses and interactions do exist in Civ VII. Modifiability: Yes – modders can add new units or modify existing ones. Civ VII’s data defines units in a way very similar to Civ VI, so creating a custom unit (with unique stats or abilities) is feasible by adding entries to the Units database. While official mod tools were not available at launch, the community has already started tinkering (e.g. enabling hidden units via mods). The framework supports adding unique units for new civs – for instance, a mod could introduce a Dacian unique unit like a “Falxman” replacing Swordsmen. Modders can specify the unit’s combat strength, tech prerequisites, etc., and assign unique promotions or abilities. A testament to unit modding potential is that the Ea-Nasir’s Cheat Tablet mod planned an update to incorporate units and buildings, indicating the capability to manipulate unit data is there (Civilization 7 mods explained). In short, custom units are within reach for modders, even if more complex scripting (like entirely new unit abilities) might require careful use of the existing promotion/effect system. Implementation Notes: Unique units can leverage Civ VII’s promotion and modifier systems to achieve special effects:
  • Combat and terrain bonuses: A unique unit can be given inherent bonuses in certain situations. Civ VII natively supports this – e.g. the Hul’che (Maya’s unique archer) has no movement penalty in forests and can see through vegetation (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). A modded unit could similarly have a “Guerrilla” promotion granting extra combat strength in Hills or Forest. This is done by attaching a modifier to the unit class (e.g. increase combat on specific terrain). Terrain-based stealth or bonuses are also possible (Maya units gain Stealth in vegetation via a unique civic effect) (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). Your custom Dacian unit could, say, ignore hill movement costs or get +5 strength when fighting on hills.
  • Triggered abilities: Some unique units have active abilities – like the Jaguar Slayer placing traps. Modders can replicate such features by giving a unit the ability to create a special improvement or effect. In Civ VII’s data, this might involve defining a constructible trap improvement and an ability for the unit to place it (the Maya trap likely works this way). While this is more advanced, it’s feasible if you mimic how the Jaguar Slayer is implemented. Similarly, a unit could have an ability that triggers on kills (like Persia’s Immortal healing on kill (Civ 7 Ground Combat Guide | Civilization VII｜Game8)) – modders can use the “on kill” modifier effect to grant healing or other benefits.
  • Replacement vs. additional units: Civ VII typically has unique units replace a standard unit (e.g. Jaguar Slayer replaces the generic Scout) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). When modding, you can choose to have your unique unit override a base unit or be an entirely new unit available only to your civ. Replacements are simpler (the game will use yours instead of the base for that civ), but unique additional units (like an extra unit type only you can build) are also possible by setting proper requirements (e.g. a trait that allows only your civ to train it).
When designing the Dacian civ’s unit, you might give them a unique warrior with a “Drain Life” ability (heal on kill) or a cavalry that gets bonus speed in hills. All these kinds of enhancements are supported by Civ VII’s mechanics and evident in existing unique units, so a mod can implement them through the defined promotion and modifier system.

​
Unique Infrastructure: Quarters, Buildings & Improvements

Existence: Civilizations in VII also enjoy unique infrastructure – this can be Unique Buildings, Unique Improvements, or even entire Unique Quarters (districts). Unlike Civ VI where each district had a fixed specialty, Civ VII allows any district (termed an Urban tile) to hold two buildings of any type (Dev Diary #3: Managing Your Empire | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #3: Managing Your Empire | Civilization VII ). A “Quarter” is a fully developed district (2 buildings on one tile) (Quarter (Civ7) | Civilization Wiki - Fandom), and some civs have quarters unique to them. For example, Rome in Antiquity has the Forum as a unique quarter created when Rome’s two unique buildings – the Temple of Jupiter and the Basilica – share the same district (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). This Forum quarter provides special bonuses and a distinct visual look (unique quarters reflect the civ’s culture) (Dev Diary #3: Managing Your Empire | Civilization VII ). Another example: Han China’s Great Wall is a unique improvement (tile improvement) that provides +Culture and boosts Happiness for adjacent wall segments, and also grants combat strength to units defending on that tile (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ). It is designated “Ageless,” meaning it persists through era transitions and cannot be overwritten (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). The Maya have two unique buildings (the K’uh Nah science temple and Jalaw culture building) which can combine into their unique quarter Uwaybil K’uh (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). These unique infrastructures are explicitly confirmed in civ profiles and the Civilopedia, so they are definitely part of Civ VII’s mechanics. Modifiability: Yes – modders can introduce custom buildings, improvements, or even districts for new civilizations. The game’s database-driven design means you can add a new building type and set it to be available only for your civ (via a prerequisite civ trait). Civ VI mods commonly added unique buildings/districts, and Civ VII uses a similar system. While we don’t yet have official mod tools, community modders have been editing the game’s XML to add content; for instance, the “Unlock All Civs” mod modified civ selection and presumably had to deal with unique civic content (Civilization 7 mods explained). Likewise, adding a Dacian unique building (say, a “Sarmizegetusa Fortress” replacing the default Walls) or a unique improvement (like a special mine) is achievable by defining those items in the data and associating them with the Dacian civ. In fact, the Ea-Nasir’s Cheat Tablet modders noted that adding units and buildings was on the roadmap (Civilization 7 mods explained), indicating these elements are accessible. Unique quarters (combined districts) are a new concept, but since Rome’s Forum is implemented in-game, a mod can follow that template – essentially create two unique buildings that yield an extra effect when in the same district. Implementation Notes: Unique infrastructure can grant adjacency bonuses, yield modifiers, or other conditional benefits, and these are all things a mod can replicate using Civ VII’s modifier system:
  • Adjacency Bonuses: Civ VII streamlined adjacency – bonuses are tied to certain buildings rather than the district tile (Dev Diary #3: Managing Your Empire | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #3: Managing Your Empire | Civilization VII ). For example, the Mayan K’uh Nah provides extra Science for each adjacent vegetation (jungle/forest) tile (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ) (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ), and the Jalaw provides Culture adjacency for each neighboring Quarter (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ) (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). As a modder, you can define similar adjacency rules in a building’s XML – e.g. a Dacian unique shrine that gets +2 Culture per adjacent Hill. Adjacency can target natural features (terrain, resources) or other districts/improvements (adjacent fortifications, wonders, etc.), all of which Civ VII supports (the Han Great Wall gives bonus Gold for adjacent Fortifications in the later Ming era variant (Civ 7 Ming Great Wall Building and Effect | Civilization VII - Game8) (Civ 7 Ming Great Wall Building and Effect | Civilization VII - Game8)).
  • Conditional yields & effects: Unique buildings often carry special conditions. For instance, Maya’s Uwaybil K’uh quarter grants a burst of Production in its city whenever you complete a tech, scaled to the tech cost (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ) (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). This is a triggered yield tied to an event (tech researched). Similarly, you can script a building to provide a yield when a certain project is finished or when a policy is slotted, etc. Another example: Maya’s traditions make their Happiness buildings (like an entertainment center) yield Science or Culture (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ) (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ) – effectively converting one yield to another, which is done via modifiers. A custom infrastructure could, say, grant +50% City Defense if built on a Hill (a conditional effect based on terrain). Such complex conditions are possible using requirement tags in the modifier system.
  • Ageless and era effects: Civ VII unique infrastructure can be marked “Ageless,” meaning they stick around even if the civ progresses to a new era (they cannot be removed) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). When modding a civ that spans Ages (since Civ VII campaigns involve changing civs), you might want your Dacian unique building to remain on the map even after the player moves to a new civ in the next Age. Marking it as Ageless achieves this. Additionally, since each civ’s unique infrastructure is only buildable during its era, mods should ensure to flag buildings/improvements with the proper era/civ requirements so that they function the same way (only Dacia can build the Dacian improvement during Antiquity, for example, but it will remain in later ages).
  • Visual and design considerations: Unique buildings and quarters give a lot of flavor visually. While mods can’t easily add brand-new art without official tools, you can reuse existing art assets for your custom buildings (as many early mods do). Functionally, what matters is that you tie the building’s effects to your civ. The adjacency and yield systems are robust, so you can get creative (e.g. a Dacian Sanctuary that provides Influence when adjacent to Mountains, reflecting sacred mountain sites – this is doable by setting an Influence adjacency bonus on that improvement).
Overall, Civ VII fully supports unique infrastructure with adjacency and conditional bonuses, and these are mod-friendly. Just avoid trying to use a mechanic that doesn’t exist (for example, don’t attempt to give a building Faith output, since Faith isn’t a standard yield in Civ VII – more on that later). Stick to known yield types and conditions.

​
Yield Types and Modifying Yields

Existence: Civilization VII features a familiar set of yields with a few twists. Key yield types confirmed in the game include Food, Production, Gold, Science, Culture, Influence, and Happiness. Most of these work as in previous Civ games (Food grows population, Production builds things, Gold for trade and maintenance, Science/Culture for research). Two yields are new or significantly changed: Influence and Happiness. Influence is a new diplomatic currency earned per turn (similar to gold) that is spent on diplomatic actions (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+) (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+) – for example, establishing agreements or gaining control over city-states requires Influence. Happiness is essentially a replacement for Civ VI’s Amenities and War Weariness systems; it’s a yield measuring how satisfied your population is (Happiness (Civ7) | Civilization Wiki | Fandom). Happiness is generated by certain buildings (like entertainment buildings, celebrations, etc.) and affects city growth and stability. Notably, specialists (population assigned to districts) consume Happiness each turn (Dev Diary #3: Managing Your Empire | Civilization VII ), so it operates as a resource you must balance empire-wide. Traditional yields like Culture and Science are present and function toward victory paths (though Culture victory is handled differently now, see Tourism in the next section). To validate these yields: the IGN interface guide shows yield icons for all these at the top bar (Production “cog”, Gold coin, Science beaker, Culture lyre, Influence handshake, Happiness smiley) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN). In one UI image below, you can see some of the per-turn yields for different leaders (e.g. the center player is generating +12.2 Production, +13.0 Gold, +18.0 Science, +27.6 Culture, +17.0 Influence, and +? Happiness) (Civilization 7 mods explained). This aligns with known values (Influence and Happiness tend to be lower magnitude yields). In summary, Production, Influence, Culture, Happiness, Science, Gold, Food are all part of Civ VII’s core yields. Faith and Tourism are notably absent here (more on that later). Modifiability: Modders can modify how yields are produced and collected in several supported ways. The game’s Modifiers system allows adjusting yields from various sources, and mods can introduce traits or buildings that alter yields. For example, you can create a leader trait that gives +1 Production per mine or +10% Science in all cities – both are achievable by adding the appropriate modifier to the trait (Civ VII has effects like “EFFECT_ADJUST_YIELD_RATE” or yield per improvement). Mods can also define new Policy effects or Traditions that boost yields. Essentially, any yield type that exists in the game can be manipulated: you can increase it, decrease it, or grant one-time chunks of it via events. The one limitation is that modders cannot add entirely new types of yield beyond those the game already recognizes (so you should design around the existing yield types). But within the existing types, there’s a lot of flexibility. For instance, if designing the Dacians, you could give them a unique trait to get bonus Influence from killing enemy units (simulating intimidation) – Influence is a supported yield and killing units can trigger modifiers, so this is possible to mod in. On the other hand, giving them bonus Faith would be problematic since Faith isn’t an official yield in Civ VII’s economy (thus there’s no framework to generate or use Faith points in the game). Implementation Notes: Civ VII offers numerous mechanisms to modify yields, which a mod can leverage:
  • Buildings and Infrastructure: The simplest way to mod yields is via buildings. You can set a unique building to produce extra of a yield. For example, a Dacian Hillfort building might provide +2 (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN)Influence per turn (in XML, you’d add an Influence yield to that building). Buildings can also have adjacency-based yields (as discussed, e.g. +X yield for each adjacent resource). The Maya’s K’uh Nah adds Science for adjacent vegetation (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ), which is done through an adjacency yield modifier. You can mimic that for any yield.
  • Trait modifiers: Civilization or leader abilities can directly modify yields empire-wide. A trait could grant +10% Culture in all cities, or +1 Happiness from each Luxury resource, etc. Civ VII’s modifier definitions include many such effects. For instance, one of Han China’s traditions gives +Influence on Science buildings (meaning each Campus-type building yields extra Influence) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ) – a clear example of a trait adding a cross-yield bonus. You can combine conditions too: e.g. “if city is on a hill, +1 Production.” These kinds of compound requirements are supported by the Requirement system.
  • Events and one-off boosts: Yields can also be granted or deducted on one-time events. The “Local Festival” diplomatic action gives +9 Happiness in all your cities for supporting it (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN). City-state Projects like “Promote Growth” add +15 Food per turn for a city-state temporarily (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN). In modding, you could simulate an event – for example, a Dacian unique civic could instantly grant some Science when completed (Maya have a similar effect where finishing a tech yields Culture equal to a fraction of its cost (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII )). To implement this, you attach a modifier to the civic or policy that triggers on completion, awarding the yield.
  • No new yields: As a caution, you cannot mod in a brand-new yield type (like “Mana” or something not in the base game) because the UI and core systems wouldn’t know how to handle it. You also shouldn’t assign yields to things that don’t normally produce them – e.g., don’t try to have a unit directly generate Gold per turn; units don’t have yield outputs in Civ VII. Instead, tie such effects to a policy or building. Stick to using Production, Gold, Science, Culture, Influence, Happiness, Food in your custom content. (If you need something analogous to Faith or Tourism, see below for why those aren’t present and how you might design around them.)
By understanding these yield systems, you can ensure your Dacian civ mod properly tweaks yields – perhaps giving them high Culture (to reflect rich heritage) or bonus Production in hill cities (reflecting mining), all achievable with Civ VII’s modding tools.

​
Civics and Traditions (Unique Civic Trees)

Existence: One of Civ VII’s new innovations is that each civilization has a unique Civics mini-tree for the era in which they appear, and from these civics the civ earns Traditions. In addition to the main shared Civic tree that all players progress through, every civ has a small bespoke civic branch (usually 3–4 civics in 1–2 tiers (Civic Trees - CivFanatics Forums)) reflecting that culture’s historical nuances. Completing these civ-specific civics unlocks Traditions, which are special policy-like bonuses that you can carry forward into future eras (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). In other words, Traditions are like legacy bonuses from your past civ – they remain active even after you switch to a new civ in the next Age. For example, Han China’s unique civic tree has civics such as Zhi, Li, Yi, Junzi, each granting an immediate bonus and unlocking a Tradition (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ). The Han traditions are Guanxi, Jiu Qing, Tianxia, etc., which, once earned, can be slotted into your empire’s policies in later ages no matter which civ you choose next (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). As another example, the Maya have civics like Lords of Xibalba (which unlocks the Jalaw unique building and grants their units Stealth in forests) and yields the “Miracles of the Twins” Tradition (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). That Tradition then provides a unique effect (Maya’s gives units a Poison attack bonus against wounded enemies) persisting into future ages. Each civ thus has a tailored civic path that enhances their playstyle and provides lasting perks. This system is well documented in dev diaries and the Civilopedia, confirming its existence (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII ). Modifiability: Yes – modders can add unique civics and traditions for new civilizations, although it’s a more complex task than standard traits. Since the base game supports a different civic list for each civ, the structure is already in place to plug in new civics for a modded civ. You would define new civic entries tied to your civ (with prerequisites possibly on the era’s main civic tree, usually the era’s start or a specific civic like Mysticism/Piety if Antiquity/Exploration). You would also define the Tradition that the civic unlocks, and mark it as a policy that is only available once unlocked by that civ. While no example mod of a full custom civics tree exists yet (given the game’s recent release), the consensus in the modding community is that it’s feasible – the game’s database uses tables for Civic unlocks and Tradition effects that a mod can populate. For instance, you could create a Dacian civic “Dacian Kingdom” in the Antiquity Age that unlocks a Tradition “Wolf Warriors”. Provided you attach that civic to Dacia’s civ definition and integrate it into the Antiquity civic era, it will function similar to official civ unique civics. The CivFanatics forum notes that these mini-trees are small and self-contained (Civic Trees - CivFanatics Forums), which is helpful – your mod only needs to add a handful of civics and policies, not an entire 50-civic tree. In short, unique civics/Traditions are mod-supportable, just be prepared to do more XML editing (for civics, policies, requirements) compared to a simple trait or unit mod. Implementation Notes: The unique civics and Traditions system gives you a lot of design space for custom civs, letting you create civ-specific upgrades, unlocks, or bonuses that feel earned through that civ’s development:
  • Unlocking unique content: Often, a civ’s unique civic is how they unlock their unique units or buildings in gameplay. For example, Han’s Zhi civic unlocks the Great Wall improvement (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ), Maya’s Lords of Xibalba unlocks the Hul’che and Jaguar Slayer units’ Stealth ability (and the Jalaw building) (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). As a modder, you’ll likely use your Dacian civics to unlock the civ’s uniques. You might have a Dacian civic that unlocks a unique unit (rather than the unit coming from a global tech). This is done by tying a Modifier to the civic that enables the unit, or by setting the unit’s prerequisite civic to that unique civic. It’s a neat way to gate the civ’s power to its historical context. Make sure to also give the player an incentive on that civic immediately – e.g. unlocking the unit or building itself is the incentive, but you can also throw in a one-time yield or a minor buff so it feels rewarding right away.
  • Civic bonuses: Unique civics can give instant or ongoing bonuses upon completion. For instance, Maya’s Calendar Round civic gives a one-time Culture boost (a percent of tech cost) each time a tech is completed, and a matching Science boost for civics completed (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ). In modding terms, that civic likely applies a modifier that listens for tech/civic completion and grants yields. You can design similar things – maybe a Dacian civic that immediately grants a free fort in every city (could be done by a completion modifier spawning an improvement in each city’s territory), or a civic that reduces unit maintenance by 20% to reflect a militaristic reform. These are achievable by using modifier effects targeted by the “CivicCompleted” trigger or as passive effects unlocked by the civic.
  • Traditions:
    Traditions in Civ VII function similarly to policy cards, but with a key difference: they unlock automatically (no Wildcard slot required) and become available to slot into your government once earned. Each unique civic typically unlocks a Tradition (Dev Diary #2: Leaders and Civs | Civilization VII). Traditions often represent the long-term identity of a civilization.     For example, Han’s “Tianxia” Tradition gives bonus Science from Specialists in all future eras (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII), and Rome’s traditions (not quoted above but present in-game) likely provide military or economic perks that persist beyond Antiquity. When designing your custom civ, consider what enduring bonus the Dacians might offer. For instance, a “Wolf Totem” Tradition could grant +10% combat strength when fighting stronger units, remaining with the player even after progressing past Antiquity. Implementation in Modding:
    • Define a new Policy (in the Policies table) with the desired effects.
    • Mark it as unlocked by completing the specific civic (typically via a Policies < - > Civic unlock link).
    • Assign it to a Policy slot type (Economic, Military, etc., or a special “Tradition” category). Developers have likely categorized Traditions in their own slot or as wildcards.
    • Community discussions suggest Traditions are like “civ-specific policies from previous eras” that remain slot-able later (How do Policies and Traditions work? - CivFanatics Forums).
    For simplicity, you might treat your modded Tradition as a wildcard policy that becomes available at the appropriate time. Ensure your Tradition is slottable in an appropriate slot for best compatibility.
  • Civic Tree Integration: One practical point – you will need to insert your civ’s unique civics into the era’s civic tree. Typically, each civ’s starting unique civic might branch off from the era’s starting civic (e.g. Chiefdom or equivalent in Antiquity). In the data, you’d specify prerequisites accordingly. The CivFanatics reference indicates civ mini-trees “funnel into a future tech at the end of the era” (What are civic trees in Civ 7? How do they work? Do we … - Reddit) – meaning they don’t gate the main tree but exist alongside it. So you can safely add your Dacian civics without breaking the main progression. Just make sure each unique civic has a logical prerequisite (often the base government civic of that age).
All told, the Civics/Traditions system is robust and moddable. It lets you give your custom civ a narrative arc – early unique civics that grant special units/buildings, and Traditions that preserve the civ’s spirit going forward. When implementing a custom civ like the Dacians, plan a mini civic tree of perhaps 2–4 civics. For example, “Transylvania Fortress” civic (unlocks a unique fortress improvement and Tradition “Carpathian Alliance” for diplomatic bonus) and “Decentralized Tribes” civic (grants a one-time influx of Happiness and Tradition “Unconquered Spirit” boosting combat in home territory). These would make the Dacian civ feel unique and carry its legacy into later ages, all using Civ VII’s existing mechanics for unique civics.

​
City Defense, Terrain, and City-State Diplomacy

City Defense: Civ VII maintains city defenses (walls, city hit points, etc.), though the system is streamlined. Cities can build Walls for defense (and these can gain bonuses from certain Town types or improvements). For instance, a Fort Town specialization gives extra health to Walls in that town (Dev Diary #3: Managing Your Empire | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #3: Managing Your Empire | Civilization VII ), confirming walls and city HP exist. The combat dev diary also notes that Commanders and sieges are important for taking cities (Dev Diary #5: Combat | Civilization VII ) (Dev Diary #5: Combat | Civilization VII ), implying cities have strength values and can fight back as usual. From a modding perspective, you can affect city defense in a few ways. While you likely won’t alter the core mechanic of walls (without deep modding), you can create civ bonuses that interact with city defense. For example, you could give your Dacian civ +5 City Strength in cities on Hills (this could be done with a trait modifier targeting city combat strength with a terrain requirement). Or a leader ability might cause all newly founded cities to start with free walls (by granting a walls building upon city founding – a possible modifier effect). These kinds of modifications are supported by the game: city strength is a modifiable attribute via effects, and buildings (like walls) can be granted or made cheaper for a specific civ. A historical note: in Civ VI, Scotland’s leader had a bonus to city defense, and implementing something analogous in Civ VII should be possible using the trait system. In summary, city defenses exist and can be buffed or altered by mods (just avoid anything that would require a wholly new mechanic – stick to increasing wall HP, city ranged attack strength, etc., which the game already models). Terrain Modifiers: Terrain has tactical effects in Civ VII, just as in prior entries. Units receive combat bonuses or penalties based on terrain elevation and features. High ground (hills) and vegetation (forests/jungle) confer defensive advantages. According to community guides, these bonuses apply on both attack and defense: occupying a hill or forest gives your unit a strength boost when fighting (Civ 7 Ground Combat Guide | Civilization VII｜Game8). Additionally, certain terrain blocks line of sight – e.g. ranged units cannot shoot over hills/mountains unless on a hill themselves (Civ 7 Ground Combat Guide | Civilization VII｜Game8). None of this is radically new, but it’s confirmed that terrain matters in combat. For mod design, this means you can safely include abilities that reference terrain. Civ VII’s modifiers allow requirements like “Is on Hills” or “Target is in Forest” to adjust outcomes. Many unique abilities already do this: the Hul’che archer ignores forest visibility and movement penalties (Maya Civilization | Civilization VII ), and the Jaguar Slayer’s trap can only be placed in Vegetation (forest/jungle) tiles (I can set traps AND ambush with ranged units who quickly traverse …). You can give your custom Dacian units promotions such as “Forest Ambusher” (bonus damage when attacking from a forest) or “Mountain Home” (bonus defense in hills) – these can be implemented as inherent unit abilities or promotions. Likewise, a civilization ability could interact with terrain: e.g. “Units receive +1 movement in hills” or “Farms on hills produce +1 Food.” Both are viable: movement bonuses by terrain can be done via promotions (there’s likely an effect that modifies move cost on certain terrain), and yield bonuses on improvements by terrain can be done via traits (e.g. a trait that targets Farm improvements on Hills and gives +Food – Civ VI had similar modifiers and Civ VII should too, given its more flexible improvement system). Terrain modifiers are thus a rich area for modding. Just remember, the base terrain effects (like the default +Defensive bonus for woods/hills) are baked into the game and generally not something you need to mod – you’ll be adding on top of them. Also, elevation (hills) is now more crucial since maps can have significant highlands; any modded bonus that interacts with elevation will find plenty of use in-game. City-State (Independent Powers) Diplomacy: Civilization VII overhauled city-state interactions. City-states (now often called Independent Powers) still exist as one-city entities on the map, but the old envoy system is gone – it’s replaced with Influence and a semi-timed Suzerain race. To engage a city-state, you spend Influence to “Befriend Independent”, which starts a countdown towards becoming its suzerain (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+) (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+). During this time, other civs can also invest influence. Ultimately, whichever civ has invested the most (and meets the minimum threshold) when the timer ends becomes the Suzerain (sole leader) of that city-state (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+). Multiple players can claim suzerainty in progress, but only one gets it if contested (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+). Once Suzerain, you gain specific benefits: you can direct the city-state’s units or even eventually incorporate the city-state into your empire. In Civ VII, incorporation is a late-stage option – for example, you can spend Influence on the “Incorporate City-State” project to annex the city into a Town under your control (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN). You can also Levy units (spend Influence to temporarily control one of their units, cost based on its production) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN), Bolster the city-state’s military (make it build a unit) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN), or Incite it to raid an enemy (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN). These actions cost Influence and function like projects or diplomatic actions you undertake with the city-state. All of these mechanics are confirmed in official guides and essentially replace Civ VI’s envoy and unique bonus system. Notably, instead of each city-state giving a passive unique perk, Civ VII city-states offer these active Influence-spend options and the eventual reward of adding the city to your empire. Modifiability (City-States): While the diplomacy system itself is fixed, modders can adjust variables related to city-states. For instance, a mod could alter the Influence cost of certain actions or the time it takes to befriend a city-state (though this might require editing core constants). For a custom civ, the more straightforward approach is to give that civ advantages in dealing with city-states using existing hooks. You could design a Dacian civ ability like “Tribute of the Getae: Influence cost to befriend or incorporate city-states is reduced by 50%.” This is implementable by a trait that modifies the cost of those projects for that player – if the costs are exposed as modifiers, a trait could likely adjust them. Another approach: grant extra Influence generation when interacting with city-states. For example, Hungary in Civ VI got bonuses for levying troops; in Civ VII a similar concept might be “Gain +10 Influence whenever you successfully befriend a city-state.” Mods can achieve that by tying a yield reward to the “befriend completed” event (if such an event can be targeted by a modifier). At the very least, you can give a flat increase to Influence income for your civ (e.g. +2 Influence per turn (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) via a leader ability) to indirectly make city-state diplomacy easier. Additionally, since city-states can eventually join your empire, a modded civ could have a bonus upon incorporation – e.g. “When you incorporate a city-state, it starts with +1 extra population or a free building.” That would involve detecting the event of incorporation. If that event isn’t directly accessible to mods, a workaround is giving a unique trait to the city-state’s town once acquired (perhaps too hacky). Simpler: just grant a reward for becoming suzerain (which precedes incorporation). Suzerain status could be a trigger for a bonus – in Civ VI mods, one could detect suzerain changes; Civ VII might allow it via a requirement like “IsSuzerainOfCityState = true” on a modifier. If so, you could give Dacia +10% gold income when suzerain of at least one city-state, for example. Implementation Notes (City-States):
  • The Influence yield is central to city-state interactions, so any mod that wants to play with city-state diplomacy will likely involve Influence. For a custom civ, focus on increasing Influence generation or efficiency. We know Influence is gained via buildings and policies (e.g. Monuments, Piety civic, etc.) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN). A mod can add an extra +1 Influence on some building uniquely for your civ. This would make befriending independents easier for you compared to others.
  • Suzerain bonuses: Unlike Civ V/VI, Civ VII doesn’t give each city-state a unique bonus to the suzerain by default. Instead, you gain the ability to use their units and eventually annex them (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+) (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+). If you want your custom civ to feel a bit like old-school suzerain bonuses, you could script something like: “Your Trade Routes to city-states produce double yields” or “Your units get +5 combat strength in city-state territory.” These are indirect, but effectively make being suzerain more profitable for you. Mods can implement such effects as traits with conditions (trade route yield modifiers exist, and combat strength modifiers can check if target city belongs to a city-state).
  • City-State Units: A unique angle – Civ VII allows controlling city-state units by spending Influence (the “Levy unit” action) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN). You might consider a mod ability that enhances that: e.g. “Levyed units from city-states get +1 movement and +10% combat strength under your command.” This could be done by a modifier that applies a buff to all units you control that originally belong to city-states (perhaps by checking unit origin or a hidden promotion given on levy). It’s a bit complex but within theoretical bounds. Simpler: reduce the Influence cost to levy units for your civ, which would be easier if cost is tied to a Modifier that can be scaled for a specific player.
  • Incorporation aspect: When a city-state is incorporated, it becomes a normal city (technically a “Town” in your empire) (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+) (How Civ 7 diplomacy works using Influence | GamesRadar+). A mod could let your civ do this faster or with less penalty. Maybe normally incorporating costs 120 Influence and some cooldown – a Dacian civ ability could make it cost only 60 for you. If direct cost reduction is not mod-accessible, another way is refunding some Influence to you after incorporation (like a rebate). A tradition or leader agenda might cover this.
To avoid unsupported ideas: do not plan anything involving Envoys or Diplomatic Favor, as those do not exist in Civ VII. Influence replaced those systems. Also, don’t assume religious city-states or unique suzerain bonuses exist – tie your designs to what Civ7 actually uses (Influence projects, suzerain control).

​
Deprecated/Unconfirmed Mechanics to Avoid

Finally, it’s important to highlight some major Civ series mechanics that are NOT present or confirmed in Civilization VII, so you can steer clear of them in your custom content design:
  • Faith & Religion Yield: Civ VII does have a religion system (Pantheons, Temples, and founding a religion in the Exploration Age) (How to Found a Religion - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) (How to Found a Religion - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN), but it does not use “Faith” as a universal currency the way Civ V and VI did. You do not accumulate faith points to spend on missionaries or Great People. Instead, religious units and spread are tied to civics and projects (for example, building a Temple lets you found a religion, and presumably missionaries are built with Production or triggered via Piety projects). No official source lists Faith per turn as a yield; in fact, the IGN review explicitly notes the absence of the tourism system, and by omission we know faith is also not part of the standard yields (Civilization 7 Review - IGN). Some community discussions mention faith in speculative terms, but in practice Civ7’s religion is civic-based rather than faith-point-based. What this means for modders: Avoid designing anything that requires accumulating or spending Faith, as there’s no interface for that. For instance, don’t give the Dacian civ a trait “Gain Faith from kills” expecting it to matter – there is no Faith stockpile to use. If you want a religious aspect, use Happiness or Influence or direct bonuses to religious buildings. (E.g., a “spiritual” civ could generate extra Happiness from Temples, which is supported, instead of Faith.)
  • Tourism & Cultural Victory: Tourism as a separate yield or “pressure” mechanic is removed in Civ VII. Cultural victories work differently (likely through accumulating Culture itself or artifacts). The IGN review flatly states “There’s no tourism anymore” (Civilization 7 Review - IGN). So do not incorporate Tourism or tourists in your mod. For example, a Dacian ability that doubles Tourism from castles would be meaningless. Instead, if you want to represent cultural influence, use Culture or perhaps Relics/artifacts (Civ VII has relics via Belief systems (Belief (Civ7) | Civilization Wiki | Fandom) (Belief (Civ7) | Civilization Wiki | Fandom)). But Tourism as a measurable quantity is gone – any “100 Tourism per turn” type of design should be avoided.
  • Loyalty & City Flip Mechanics: The Loyalty mechanic from Civ VI (cities flipping to neutral or other civs under pressure) is not evident in Civ VII. There’s no mention of per-city loyalty scores in official materials, and players have noted its absence (Loyalty in CIV VII? : r/civ). Instead, Civ VII seems to handle empire breakaways through scripted Crisis events during Age transitions (e.g., you might lose far-flung towns when entering a new era if you overexpanded). But there is no explicit loyalty meter to manipulate. Therefore, avoid any mod feature that relies on “loyalty pressure” or Governor effects. For instance, do not give a leader “+5 Loyalty in occupied cities” – there is no loyalty stat to modify (occupied cities likely have other penalties, but not a numeric loyalty countdown). If your concept is keeping conquered cities happy, translate that to Happiness (since happiness is the proxy for city contentment). In short, drop any direct loyalty mechanics in your custom civ; use Happiness or just faster assimilation (which could be flavor-texted but mechanically might mean reducing unrest via Happiness).
  • Great Person Points: The traditional system of accumulating Great Person Points (GPP) for Great Scientists, Artists, etc., is not present in Civ VII. Great People exist, but they’ve been redesigned – now they are civ-specific individuals unlocked via unique units or civics rather than a global race (Great People and Civ VII | CivFanatics Forums) (Great People and Civ VII | CivFanatics Forums). For example, Egypt has a roster of unique “Tjaty” great people they alone can earn (Imhotep, etc.), and Han China’s Shì Dàfū units function as one-off mini-great-people with specific effects (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ) (Han Civilization | Sid Meier’s Civilization VII ). Great Works can be obtained through these individuals, but there’s no generic Great Person pool or points competition (Great People and Civ VII | CivFanatics Forums). Therefore, when modding, you should not implement anything like “Great Engineer Points” or “double GPP from wonders” – those concepts don’t translate to Civ VII’s mechanics. If you want to boost great people for your civ, you’d probably give them an extra Shì Dàfū-type unit or reduce the cost of their unique great person unit. But since that’s highly civ-specific, it might be easier to avoid directly meddling with Great People in your mod until more is understood. A safer proxy is to boost things like explorers finding artifacts or relics, which contribute to cultural victory in lieu of Great Artists (since artifacts seem to be the new culture victory route (Civilization 7 Review - IGN)).
  • Others: Governors (like Civ VI’s governor system) do not appear in Civ VII. Emergencies/World Congress have been replaced by the new Influence diplomacy actions and crisis events, so avoid references to them. Espionage does exist but is simplified (spies perform basic steal or sabotage via Influence actions) (How to Get and Use Influence - Civilization 7 Guide - IGN) – you likely won’t be modding that for a custom civ specifically, so it’s not critical except to not grant “extra spy capacity” as a trait (no evidence that spy capacity is a thing as it was in Civ VI). Also, Amenities are effectively rolled into Happiness, so don’t use the term amenities – use Happiness. Era Score from Civ VI is gone (Civ VII handles eras differently with the Ages system), so ignore anything related to era score or dedication bonuses. And of course, any mechanic not explicitly confirmed in Civ VII’s official sources should be approached with caution in your mod design.
By focusing on the robust systems Civ VII does have (unique civ/leader abilities, units, infrastructure, influence diplomacy, etc.) and avoiding those deprecated systems, you’ll ensure your custom Dacian civilization mod is both fun and fully compatible with Civilization VII’s gameplay. Good luck with your design – Civ VII’s modding capabilities, while still developing, are promising and already allow deep customization of civ traits and content (Civilization 7 mods explained) (Civilization 7 mods explained). With the information gathered above, you can proceed confidently, knowing which mechanics to utilize and which to leave in the annals of Civ history. Sources: