I think losing the builder makes every game feel the same.

[bleak kelp]

Before you needed to protect your builder, move them around the map maybe they wouldn’t even be able to get to certain locations so it created interesting scenarios, more challenges to overcome . That decision could be halted by something in the environment but now without the builder, you can follow the same plans over and over and no matter how different the map is there’s nothing really halting you or at least there’s less things halting you from going down your original path planned path. I think to fix this problem. If you don’t want to bring the builder back, you have to add another system that makes you think from turn to turn because let’s follow my logic for a little bit deeper here. Let’s say that there’s barbarians on the map and we had a builder and now the barbarians take my builder now I can’t build that thing I was trying to build Until I get my builder back or until I make another builder right that just can’t happen in this version of the game. You might say sooo everything‘s running smoother for me but just because it’s running smoother doesn’t mean that my experience is better. If you take the gaps out of Mario, the game might run smoother, but it would also be boring and this is a game. Think of it as timelines when the builder exist and has to navigate a landscape of barbarians there’s a lot of different timelines that are available to the player without the builder. We lose those different timelines and those fun little micro decisions. I think we need to add back more of those little micro decisions so that each game feels different . Or my civ 6 crossplay lol.

[sharp hare]

I personally hate builders and love the new thing

Warehouse buildings kinda are the builder replacement

[junior epoch]

I don't mind losing the builders but I hate losing another little mechanic. It was really fun to play with magnus and chopping woods to speed up wonders or districts. Now as almost everything it's simplified and boring.

[tame smelt]

Tbh I like both systems. The old system of builders and chopping was interesting, since I could essentially take production from one city and transfer it to another to super charge it. Even if I couldn't work all the improved tiles immediately, at least I could shape the land to how I saw fit.

But I also like the new system. I don't have to worry about over building a forest because I don't need to (can't) chop it, so if I place a building on top of it I'm not losing anything. And not having to deal with tedious builder micro and having limited uses on them was annoying too.

Over all I'm genuinely fine with the new system. It is a bit more boring but the micro has moved elsewhere (commanders imo) so it's not like I'm out of micro heavy gameplay choices.

[sharp hare]

Was it? I personally hated chop meta, way too much micro managing for me

[junior epoch]

It's kinda hard. In the beginning of the game it was a real fun for me but in the endgame it started to be very frustrating. I guess it's very hard to make a mechanic that can be fun throughout the entire game. Maybe if civ vi had something like automatization of builders that they will be replaced by the system of civ vii in like industrial age it could be fun. I hope civ vii will make each era more distinguish and every age will have same amount of micromanaging.

[nimble ravine]

I like both systems, but I don’t want builders in 7, it’s part of the changes

I don’t miss it in 7. But if I played 6 again I would miss it there.

[junior epoch]

I miss we dont have enough non military units. Missionaries and explorers are basicly the same concept just re-skin. Great people are not as important and complex as they were before. You spawn them in capitol and most of the times you just sent them to certain tile in capitol or neighborhood city. And scouts even though they cannot attack still feel more of a military unit than non military unit.

[severe kiln]

I would like to have seen a system where the builders were replaced with a 'improvements build queue'. either integrated into the main build queue or a separate queue. I think the way it creates a new improvement every pop up creates a dynamic that isn't very flexible and has negatively affected the game alot.

For example, population loss doesn't really work any more and its impossible to flip tiles from 1 city to the next. Probably more examples too.

[bleak kelp]

OK, I just wanna be clear. I guess what I’m saying is I don’t really care about the builder. I care about the micro decisions that makes this play through different than the next play through. I’m sure they can come up with a less tedious replacement.

[nimble ravine]

Ok, a lot of your post was focused around the builder so that’s likely where the confusion was 😁

[nimble ravine]

This I agree with

[ember stream]

Maybe the problem here is that you can just buy stuff for money. Frankly, it is a bit boring. The builders were a part of the game that required choice. However, they were also yet another distraction for the AI. I can see why they got removed, but a build queue and a stop to magically purchased buildings, that would work for me, I think. All this to say I rather agree with the OP: it is too easy.

[rigid iron]

In the Vox Populi mod for Civ 5, you instead invest in buildings to lower its production cost by 50% (with some modifiers by policies and wonders). You can also only buy 1 unit per turn on each city. I think something similar to that could work for Civ 7.

[ashen sun]

You could just buy the buildings in Civ 6 as well. The tile improvements which were constructed by builders can't be bought in 7 either.

[kind jackal]

Having to constantly make builders was one of my least favorite parts of Civ 6. I love that I don't have to constantly make them now in Civ 7. I can focus more on city building or making military units, which I appreciate a lot more.