Mastering City Placement in Civilization 6: A Guide to Optimal Proximity

The question of how closely to build cities in Civilization 6 is a crucial one, impacting everything from your economic growth to your military might. The generally accepted answer, striking a balance between maximizing space and preventing overextension, is to aim for 4-5 hexes between your City Centers. This spacing allows for optimal district placement, resource exploitation, and future city expansion.

Understanding the Nuances of City Spacing

While the 4-5 hex guideline is a good starting point, a deeper understanding of the game’s mechanics is required to truly optimize city placement. Several factors influence the ideal distance, including map size, terrain, resource distribution, and your chosen victory condition.

Key Considerations:

• Territorial Control: Each city exerts a cultural influence over surrounding tiles, eventually claiming them as part of its territory. Overlapping territory claims can lead to inefficiency and wasted potential. Aiming for a 4-5 hex separation ensures most tiles fall within a single city’s domain.
• District Placement: Districts are the engines of your civilization, providing science, culture, faith, production, and other crucial yields. Each city can only build districts within its territory, and their placement is often affected by terrain and adjacency bonuses. Closer cities might compete for ideal district locations, while widely spaced cities might miss out on potential synergies.
• Resource Availability: Cities founded on top of resources automatically gain access to them. However, strategic resource placement is often clustered, so closer cities might be necessary to secure access to vital resources like iron, horses, or oil.
• Growth Potential: Consider the long-term growth potential of each city. Cities with access to fresh water, food resources, and productive tiles will grow faster and become more valuable over time. Don’t sacrifice a potentially excellent city location simply to adhere to a rigid spacing rule.
• Defensibility: Closely spaced cities can provide mutual support in times of war, making them harder to conquer. However, they are also vulnerable to simultaneous attacks. Consider the strategic implications of city proximity when planning your defenses.

Deviating from the Standard: When Closer is Better

There are situations where building cities closer than 4 hexes can be advantageous.

• Coastal Cities: Snapping up prime coastal real estate is critical for naval power, trade routes, and access to sea resources. Don’t hesitate to build coastal cities closer together, even as close as 3 hexes, to secure valuable harbors and naval production centers.
• Choke Points: In areas with limited pathways or narrow corridors, placing cities close together can create a powerful defensive line, funneling enemy forces into kill zones.
• Resource Clusters: As previously mentioned, the need to secure crucial resources can justify closer city spacing.
• Domination Victory: When pursuing a domination victory, building cities near enemy borders allows for faster troop deployment and easier conquest.

The Perils of Overexpansion: The Importance of Balance

While more cities generally equate to higher overall yields, excessive city spam can lead to serious problems.

• Amenities Deficit: Each city requires amenities to keep its population happy. Overexpansion can strain your amenity supply, leading to unhappiness, reduced yields, and even rebellion.
• Loyalty Issues: Newly founded cities, especially those far from your capital, are vulnerable to loyalty pressure from neighboring civilizations. Unhappy or disloyal cities can flip to other empires.
• Production Bottlenecks: Building and maintaining a large number of cities requires significant production. Overextending can lead to production bottlenecks, slowing down the development of essential infrastructure and military units.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How far apart should you build cities in Civ 6?

Aim for 4-5 hexes between city centers as a general rule, but be flexible and adjust your spacing based on terrain, resource availability, and strategic considerations.

How far away can you build districts Civ 6?

You can only build Districts on tiles that fall within a city’s borders, regardless of how close the tile is to another of your City Centers.

Where should I place cities in Civ 6?

Ideally, settle on Plains (Hills) for the extra Production. Also, look for locations with fresh water, food resources, and potential for high-adjacency district bonuses.

Should I raze or keep captured cities in Civ 6?

Generally, you should keep captured cities, as they are worth at least the production cost of a settler. However, consider razing if the city is in a terrible location, has low loyalty, or is a major source of grievances.

Is it bad to have too many cities in Civ 6?

It’s difficult to have “too many” cities, but overexpansion can lead to amenity deficits, loyalty problems, and production bottlenecks. Manage your empire effectively to mitigate these risks.

Is it better to build tall or wide in Civ 6?

Wide empires (more cities) are generally more powerful in Civ 6 due to the increased science, culture, and production output they provide.

Is it worth taking city states Civ 6?

If a City-State occupies a strategically important location or its bonuses are irrelevant to your game plan, then taking it is worth it. However, be mindful of the diplomatic consequences.

Who is the best governor in Civ 6?

Pingala and Liang are widely considered to be the best governors due to their versatile bonuses that benefit a variety of strategies.

Why are hills good in Civ 6?

Hills provide Production, defensive advantages, and are often a good location for mines and other improvements.

Should every city have an industrial zone Civ 6?

Not necessarily. Focus on building Industrial Zones in cities with good adjacency bonuses from mines, quarries, and other districts.

When should I build my campus Civ 6?

Prioritize settling your second additional city before building your Campus, usually around turn 30-40.

How many cities should you build Civ?

Aim for at least 6 cities, but ideally 7-8 or more, depending on map size and resources.

Should I build multiple spaceports Civ 6?

Yes! Building multiple Spaceports in different cities can significantly accelerate your progress towards a science victory.

What happens if a city doesn’t have fresh water Civ 6?

Cities without fresh water receive up to 6 Housing, while those with fresh water receive only 2. Aqueducts can provide fresh water to landlocked cities.

Should you trade with your own cities in Civ 6?

Yes. Domestic trade routes are excellent for boosting the growth and development of your cities, particularly newly founded ones.

Conclusion

Mastering city placement in Civilization 6 is a complex but rewarding endeavor. By understanding the underlying mechanics, adapting to the specific circumstances of each game, and striking a balance between expansion and consolidation, you can build a powerful and prosperous civilization that stands the test of time. Remember that a nuanced approach is key, and the general guidelines should be adapted to the specific conditions of your game.

For more information on the intersection of gaming and learning, check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. Games such as Civilization VI offer rich learning environments that help players develop problem-solving and strategic thinking skills.