Modding Impact with 1.4.0 + Current State of UI Modding and What’s Changing

With the scope of changes coming in Test of Time (Update 1.4.0), we want to give modders a heads-up that this update is likely to have a significant impact on existing mods.

A number of core systems, gameplay rules, UI elements, and underlying data structures have been updated as part of the work going into this release. Because of that, some mods may experience compatibility issues, require updates, or stop functioning as intended once 1.4.0 goes live.

We know how important the modding community is to Civilization VII, and we’re hugely grateful for all the creativity, experimentation, and passion our modders bring to the game. We recommend:

• Backing up important files and projects before updating

• Reviewing logs and dependencies after the update launches

• Anticipating that some mods may need time to be updated by their creators

We’ll continue working to improve the modding experience over time, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as you dig into the new update and adapt your projects for Test of Time.

Current State of UI Modding and What’s Changing

The transition to Solid-JS and Vite has significantly improved our internal UI development workflow. It allows us to build more reactive, performant screens at a much faster pace.

At the same time, we recognize this shift has made UI modding extremely difficult. While the new system benefits internal development, it prevents modders from effectively enhancing or replacing existing screens. Since our goal is to maintain robust support for the modding community, we aim to ensure that most mods remain functional across updates, even as Civ VII’s underlying UI architecture evolves.

Here’s where things currently stand:

• (Addressed with 1.4.0!) Vite Bundling and Asset Obfuscation: Vite’s default bundling behavior led to unstable file layouts and export renaming, which made it difficult for modders to reliably import a specific component or utility function. 

  • Status: To address this, we’ve added stable entry points and well-defined, human-readable exports for modders to reference. In other words, files that are relied on for importing should be less likely to disappear from under you, and it should be easier to understand what is being imported/exported between javascript files.

• (Addressed with 1.4.0!) Absence of Original Source Code: Our current workflow excludes TypeScript (.ts and .tsx) files from the final game build, as they are not required for runtime execution. This differs from our initial approach at launch where original source files were included alongside the compiled JavaScript.

  • Status: We will include the latest UI source files within an updated Modding SDK for modders to reference.

• (Still In-Progress) Build Configuration and Tooling: We do not currently ship a functional VS Code workspace or the necessary build configurations to compile a Solid-JS mod using Vite. While a dedicated modder could manually reverse-engineer our environment, this creates a significant barrier to entry.

  • Status: We’re still working on improving the end-to-end modding workflow and currently investigating a tool to generate a VS Code workspace, and updates to our Modding SDK documentation. We’re not quite there yet, but this is on the way!

Lastly, thank you! 

We appreciate you sticking with us while we work through these changes!  The work of our modding community plays a huge role in shaping the long-term experience of Civ, and providing you the resources you need has been a priority for the team. 

This build is a step in that direction, with more to come. We’re excited to see what the modding community has in store for Test of Time!