Play Each Age as Its Own Game

Civilization VII is built on Ages of human advancement. The publisher describes three - Antiquity, Exploration and Modern - and says that accomplishing scientific, cultural, militaristic and economic milestones within each Age unlocks advantages in the next.

Score the Age you are in

The four milestone categories are the closest thing the official description gives to a scoreboard. Because those milestones convert into later advantages, an Age that felt comfortable but produced nothing is worse than an Age that was messy and delivered in two categories.

Check what the next Age needs

Each new Age expands the game’s scope, which is why the store frames this as deciding how and when your empire’s identity and strategy develop. Before an Age ends, ask what the next one will punish and whether the milestones you are chasing answer it.

Expect a different map in Exploration

The middle Age is where the world opens up. Growth is described through new Settlements, architectural Wonders and technological breakthroughs, so a plan that only worked inside a small starting region has to be rebuilt rather than repeated.

Convert the lineage into a Victory

By the Modern Age the publisher is talking about distinct paths to Victory and a wide range of Triumphs. The empire you carried through two earlier Ages is the material you have to work with, which is why planning forward beats optimising one Age in isolation.

Decide what carries forward in evolve, endure or hybridise. For the military half of the plan, read moving armies as one with Commanders.