Civilization 7 may begin with establishing your own Settlements, but every game ultimately sees you meet Leaders expanding their own Civs across the map. It can be tempting to ignore them and discount the value of a Friendly Greeting, but these Leader relationships will have a ripple effect throughout an entire campaign in Civ 7.

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Before you scoff at spending precious Influence on it, there's more to a Friendly Greeting than just revealing Capitals. This guide breaks down the benefits of using a Friendly Greeting and when it's the right choice in Civilization 7.

When to Use a Friendly Greeting in Civilization 7

Civ 7 Friendly Greeting between Friedrich and Jose Rizal

Immediately after meeting any other Leader in Civilization 7, you'll have to decide between three options: Friendly Greeting, Neutral Greeting, and Hostile Greeting. Each of these will have value in certain situations, and the first thing to consider is how much Influence these actions cost.

The possibility of either Capital being revealed is most impacted by exactly where you first meet a Unit from the other Civ and how far that spot is from each Capital - revealing another Civ's Capital may be helpful, but it shouldn't be the biggest factor in your decision.

Friendly Greeting and Hostile Greeting both cost 20 Influence, but Neutral Greeting has no cost. If you're low on Influence or trying to save up for another purpose, Neutral Greeting is usually a safe choice.

The main risk of Neutral Greeting will be in situations where you might need a better relationship with that Leader. If they're situated close to some of your Settlements, damaging that relationship is likely to lead to additional hostility and eventually war.

If your Civ isn't prepared to defend itself, choosing Friendly Greeting is a better option to help foster that relationship and lower the chances of that Leader becoming hostile.

When you're playing a particularly antagonistic game, especially if that includes pursuing the Military Legacy Path during any Age, it will usually be better to use a Hostile Greeting.

Emperor Napoleon and Prussia even get extra bonuses from negative relationships with other Leaders. Hostile Greeting is best when playing as these Leaders, but you can also use a Friendly Greeting if either is an opponent to try and prevent them from gaining those bonuses. With these tips in mind, you can now make a more informed decision on whether a Friendly Greeting is the right call in Civilization 7.

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Sid Meier's Civilization VII Tag Page Cover Art
Sid Meier's Civilization VII
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9 /10
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Released
February 11, 2025
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Developer(s)
Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)
2K
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
Yes - all platforms, restrictions apply
Cross Save
Yes, via 2K account
Franchise
Sid Meier's Civilization
Number of Players
1-8 players
Steam Deck Compatibility
Verified
PC Release Date
February 11, 2025
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
February 11, 2025
PS5 Release Date
February 11, 2025
Nintendo Switch Release Date
February 11, 2025
Genre(s)
Grand Strategy, Turn-Based Strategy, 4X
X|S Optimized
Yes
Local Co-Op Support
No
OpenCritic Rating
Strong
Sid Meier's Civilization VII Press Image 1
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