Civilization VII – LLM models uncover secrets of title track

Anticipation for Civilization VII (which is due for release in 2025) reached a crescendo after the title track was revealed at The Game Awards 2024. This musical and literary excerpt, which is only a few minutes long but extremely rich in meaning and draws on four different sources, provided the impetus for deep reflections on human history and timeless human aspirations. It turns out that LLM’s artificial intelligence language models can not only help to understand the piece, but also enable experimentation with its textual layer.

Source: www.civilization.2k.com

Civilisation VII ‘s title track is based on excerpts from four key literary and religious texts that symbolise the diversity and timelessness of human ideas.

1 The Iliad (ancient Greece)

• Original text: ‘Me man aspoudi ge kai akleios apoloimen, megas rhexas ti kai essomenoisi puthesthai.’

• Translation: ‘Let me not perish without glory and without struggle, but let me first do a great deed, that those to come may hear of it.’
• Additional quotation (also from The Iliad):

• Original text: All‘ ei tis ge kai emmenai ameibomenos hae te lêthê.’

• Translation (free): ‘Although each of us changes with the times, the memory of great deeds does not fade.’

These passages emphasise the desire for immortality, which manifests itself through heroic deeds and the desire to be recorded in the annals of history.

2. ‘Beowulf’ (Old English epic)

• Original text: ‘Ure æghwylc sceal ende gebidan worolde lifes; wyrce se þe mote domes ær deaþe.’

• Translation: ‘Each one of us will live to the end of his life; may he who can, gain fame before he dies.’
• Additional quotation (from ‘Beowulf’):

• Original text: ‘Gleawe men sceolon gieddum wrecan. “

• Translation: ‘Wise men should tell songs of times gone by.’

These lines are a reminder that, although death is inevitable, people can persist in the collective memory through their achievements and the stories they leave behind.

3. ‘Popol Vuh’ (K’iche’)

• Original text: ‘Nab’e chel iwe, Nab’e nay puch kixq’ijiloxik Rumal saqil al, Saqil k’ajol. Ta chuxoq. Mawi chisachik i b’i‘.’

• Translation: “You will be the first to rise, the first to be worshipped by the sons of the mighty, by the civilised vassals. This will happen! Your name will not be lost.”
• Additional quotation (from ‘Popol Vuh’):

• Original text: ‘Xa kikamisaj rumal ri nab’e wachib’al, nab’e sikilal.’

• Translation (free): ‘It is through a deep understanding of the first visions that the clarity of our world is created.’

Excerpts from the Popol Vuh introduce the spiritual dimension of history, reminding us of the beliefs and mythologies of past civilisations, which were as important as the power of the sword or the genius of engineering.

The 4th ‘Ramayana’ (Sanskrit)

• Original text: ‘Ihaiva nidhanam yamaah mahaaprasthaanam eva vaa.’

• Translation: ‘Here let us prepare for death or embark on a great journey.’
• Additional quotation (from the Ramayana):

• Original text: ‘Dharmo rakshati rakshitah.’

• Translation: ‘Righteousness protects the one who supports it.’

This epic reminds us of the moral foundations of civilisation and the necessary balance between ambition and ethics.

Fun with additional quotes – LLM’s creative experiments

As part of broadening horizons and exploring the topic, the LLM tool was used to generate quotations from different cultural backgrounds. Although they do not form part of the official title piece, they are a curiosity, enriching the context with new perspectives.

1. the ‘Aeneid’ (Latin)

• Original text: ‘Audentes fortuna iuvat.’

• Translation: ‘Fortune favours the bold.’

2. ‘Book of Changes’ (I Ching, Old Chinese)

• Original text:‘天行健，君子以自強不息’ (Tiān xíng jiàn, jūnzǐ yǐ zìqiáng bùxī)

• Translation: ‘The heavens move strongly; a noble man continually improves himself.’

3rd Swahili proverb (Africa)

• Original text: ‘Umoja ni nguvu, utengano ni udhaifu.’

• Translation: ‘Unity is strength, division is weakness.’

Further expansion – further examples of inspiration

To show the full creative potential, it is worth looking at two additional quotes suggested by LLM:

4. ‘Hávamál’ (Old Norse, Viking culture).

• Original text: ‘Deyr fé, deyja frændr, deyr sjálfr it sama; en orðstírr deyr aldri, hveim er sér góðan getr.’

• Translation: ‘Cattle die, relatives die, and we ourselves perish in the end; but the fame that a man has gained never passes away.’

5th ‘Dhammapada’ (Pali, Buddhist tradition).

• Original text: ‘Appamādena sampādethā.’

• Translation: ‘Endeavour to remain steadfast in vigilance and perseverance.’

These additional examples show that a virtually infinite number of inspirations from different eras, cultures and languages could be added to the work. Each successive quotation deepens the meaning and context, creating a multi-layered web of references to human history, spirituality and universal aspirations.

New intellectual quality and entertainment

By analysing the original texts and enriching them with additional quotes generated with the help of LLM, we can see how the collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence can take games to a new intellectual level. Games are becoming not only a form of entertainment, but also a space for reflection on universal values and ideas. With the support of LLM, game developers are able to weave fragments of different cultures and traditions into their world, transforming them into an interactive library of human achievements. This kind of fusion of human creativity with the capabilities of artificial intelligence not only enriches the narrative and symbolic layer of the titles, but also opens the way to a deeper understanding of the history, philosophy and emotions that accompany the development of each civilisation – both real and virtual.

Will Civilization VII have a multiplayer mode?

The multiplayer option will still be available in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, but without one feature – the hot seat. This involves taking control of the game when it is the next player’s turn.

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/faq/

When will Civilization VII be available to play?

The game will be available from 6 February 2025 as part of the so-called early access.

Will Civilization VII be available on Macs?

The developers have announced(https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/faq/) that the game will be available on:

• PS5,
• PS4,
• Xbox Series X|S,
• Xbox One,
• Nintendo Switch,
• PC (Steam also on Mac and Linux),
• And also on the Epic Games Store.

Source of title graphic: www.civilization.2k.com