Civilization can be extremely hard to pick up for a novice player. To make this an easier process, this version of the series has introduced a quest system. Instead of the game throwing all of the bonuses and concepts at someone from their first turn, the quest system encourages and rewards players as they develop their civilization.

Veteran fans might shrug and say, "What's in that for me?" But have no fear: this system also allows for customization of your nation, and that's always a fun reward. You can give your buildings slightly different bonuses depending on how you want your civilization to function, making each game slightly different as you tweak your quest rewards to give exactly what you need at a given time.

This chapter explains the quest system and provides a list of the quests that are in the game.

Quest Rules

Quests are given at varying times throughout your play session. Some of them are handed out after you've met certain precursors. Building rewards are often given after you've already completed construction of the building type in question, so you don't have to worry about them ahead of time. Others might require you to send explorers out to specific areas, to deploy spies against your enemies, or to fight various alien targets.

Use the Quests and Victories menu to see what is currently available. Click on any of the quests that are active to see what you must do to complete them. Anything that focuses on a specific area has a link that immediately zooms to that part of the map. This is helpful for finding caves or other expedition sites that your explorers need to work with.

Once you complete all of the conditions for a quest, you receive your reward. This might be free resources or a permanent upgrade to some of your buildings. If there are choices between two different reward types, an icon pops up to let you quickly go and choose the one you want. Evaluate your options carefully; you can't redo your selection once it's accepted.

Each game, you get the same quests in most regards. Only affinity quests throw a spin at you; these vary depending on choices that you make with your nation. They'll branch out and let you specify whether you're heading toward Harmony, Purity, or Supremacy. Many of the affinity quests have follow-ups that reflect the consequences of your actions.