Civilization 7: What is Influence and How to Use it

Civilization 7 has elevated the franchise by adding new content and improving on existing mechanics. One area that has seen some adjustments is the way in which diplomacy works. In Civilization 7, Influence plays a significant role in how players and the AI alike engage in numerous types of diplomatic actions.

In past Civilization titles, diplomacy was mainly focused around making a deal. Either you or your opponent make a deal to obtain Gold, Culture, or various other resources. From there, the offer is either accepted or rejected, with the option to renegotiate. Diplomacy has longer lasting effects in Civilization 7 and Influence is important to consider if you want a successful empire.

More Civilization 7 guides

Civilization 7: Biggest Changes From Civilization 6 | Civilization 7: All Difficulty Levels Explained |

What is Influence in Civilization 7?

Influence is a new yield making its debut in Civilization 7 and is the currency that makes up the diplomacy system. Similar to Gold, you accumulate Influence with each passing turn.

Influence comes from buildings, social policies, attributes, leaders, abilities, world wonders, and more. Some narrative events even include Influence as a bonus. However, certain events such as settling too close to another player’s Capital, can result in a relationship penalty and surplus Influence for them to spend against you. Of course, engaging in war can hinder how much influence you earn per turn.

Over the course of the game, you spend Influence on four main types of diplomacy actions between empires. The four types of diplomacy that require Influence points are:

• Endeavors: These are mutually beneficial actions between two empires. For example, you can initiate a “Research Collaboration” request, giving both players Science per turn.
• Sanctions: These are negative actions against another empire. If you choose to “Hinder Military Production,” for example, the other player will be hit with a decrease to military production output at the cost of a relationship penalty.
• Treaties: Longer-lasting decisions that have utility and improve relationships with other Civs.
• Espionage: High-risk, high-reward actions that award a bonus or negatively impact another empire, with a chance for your actions to be revealed. Getting caught in espionage reduces relations with your target and decreases how much Influence you earn for a time. Think the way in which Spies worked in Civilization 6.

Influence is also used to build relations with Independent Powers that spawn at the beginning of an Age. You can befriend an Independent Power on the map to turn them into a City-State with you as Suzerain. As a result, you’ll be able to take advantage of the bonuses offered by the Independent Power.

Additionally, when an Independent Power becomes a City-State, you’ll unlock even more options for diplomacy. Using Influence, you can promote their border growth and build up their military. It’s even possible to levy their units to make them permanently yours and incorporate the City-State into your empire to become one of your Settlements.