It looks like Paradox Interactive is also showing up at the historical 4X scene with a new title, Millennia.
Developed by C Prompt Games, Millennia offers another interesting take on the historical 4X sub-genre of strategy games dominated by Civilization, and recently contended by Humankind, with another big title in Ara: History Untold, joining the competition.
C Prompt Games is a team led by Rob Fermier, Ian Fischer and Brian Sousa, with experience from RTS games like Age of Empires II, Age of Mythology and Starcraft II. On the dev diary posted here, the team is “have basically wanted to make a 4X since forever” and calls “4X is a cornerstone of the entire genre” of strategy games.
For Millennia, the trick up its sleeve is how Ages work. A normal game of Millennia can have 10 different Ages, starting from the Stone Age. But there will also be Variant Ages, a what-if scenario where the game goes into alternate history. What if the internal combustion engine was not invented and steam power continues, ushering the Age of Aether? Here’s all the ages namedropped in the teaser trailer:
- Age Of Stone
- Age Of Bronze
- Age Of Iron
- Age Of Kings
- Age Of Plague
- Age Of Utopia
- Age Of Intolerance
- Age Of Discovery
- Age Of Renaissance
- Age Of Heroes
- Age Of Blood
- Age Of Monuments
- Age Of Conquest
- Age Of Alchemy
- Age Of Heresy
- Age Of Old Ones
- Age Of Harmony
- Age Of Aether
- Age Of Dystopia
- Age Of Information
- Age Of Ecology
- Age Of Visitors
- Age Of Colony Ships
- Age Of Archangel
- Age Of Transcendence
- Age Of Rogue AI
Millennia will also have its on nation building. Instead of picking predefined civilisations or cultures, you pick unique Nations Spirits, which itself is a tech tree that lets you develop a nation’s ability. From becoming monument builders to a warmonger.
The economy system is also fascinating, as the same resource can produce deferent yields depending on how you invest in them. Logs can bring production, but it can be refined into books to produce knowledge. So this should bring new depths unseen in this space.
There’s also a Domains system where you can used Domain Powers, like claiming territory or adopting new governments. An an army-based combat system. Also, the usual historical 4X gameplay beats are there, from building the pyramid and beating up barbarians to competing in a space race and engaging in diplomacy.
Millennia will be released sometime in 2024.