How Important are Luxury Resources in Civ 6?

Luxury resources in Civilization VI are crucially important for maintaining your empire’s happiness and facilitating trade with other civilizations. They directly contribute to Amenities, which prevent your cities from falling into unhappiness, hindering growth and productivity. Moreover, trading duplicate luxury resources is a reliable way to generate significant gold income, fueling your expansion and military endeavors. Understanding how to acquire, manage, and leverage luxury resources is a fundamental skill for any successful Civ 6 player.

Amenities: The Key to Happy Citizens

At the heart of luxury resource importance lies the concept of Amenities. Each unique luxury resource provides Amenities to a set number of cities, typically 4 (or 6 for the Aztecs). These Amenities counter the negative effects of high population and war weariness, keeping your citizens content. Unhappy citizens lead to decreased yields, slower growth, and even revolts, crippling your empire’s progress.

The Unhappiness Scale

It’s essential to understand how unhappiness manifests. Here’s a brief overview:

• Ecstatic: +3 Amenities or more per city: +10% yield to all city yields
• Happy: +1 or +2 Amenities per city: +5% yield to all city yields.
• Content: 0 Amenities per city: No bonuses or penalties.
• Unhappy: -1 or -2 Amenities per city: -10% yield to all city yields.
• Rebellious: -3 Amenities or less per city: -20% yield to all city yields and other negative effects.

As you can see, even a slight dip into unhappiness can severely impact your production, science, culture, and gold output. Luxury resources are your primary defense against this.

Trade: Turn Luxury into Liquid Gold

While Amenities are essential for internal stability, trading duplicate luxury resources is where you can truly amass wealth. Other civilizations are always looking to diversify their access to luxury goods, and they are willing to pay handsomely for them.

Maximizing Trade Value

Several factors influence the value of your luxury trade deals:

• Relationship: A positive relationship with another civilization will result in better trade terms.
• Their Needs: Civilizations that lack a particular luxury will pay more for it.
• Diplomatic Visibility: Higher visibility grants bonuses to trade.
• Economic Policies: Certain economic policies can boost trade revenue.

Don’t underestimate the power of trade. A well-managed trade network based on luxury resources can provide a consistent stream of gold, allowing you to fund infrastructure, military units, and even purchase city-states.

Acquisition Strategies: Claiming Your Luxuries

Securing a steady supply of luxury resources requires a proactive approach. Here are the primary methods:

• Settling New Cities: Founding cities near or even on top of luxury resources is a direct way to claim them. Settling on top of a luxury resource provides both the resource and the bonus yields.
• Conquest: Capturing cities belonging to other civilizations can grant you access to their luxury resources.
• City-State Suzerainty: Becoming the Suzerain of a city-state that controls a unique luxury resource grants you access to it.
• Trading: If all else fails, you can always trade with other civilizations for the luxury resources you need.

The Importance of Early Exploration

Early exploration is crucial for identifying available luxury resources. Sending out scouts to map the surrounding terrain will allow you to make informed decisions about city placement and expansion. Remember, the map is one of the most important features of Civilization VI, and exploring your surroundings is key.

FAQs: Deep Diving into Luxury Resources

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the importance and mechanics of luxury resources in Civ 6:

1. Should you settle on a luxury resource in Civ 6?

   Absolutely. Settling on a luxury resource immediately provides you with the resource and its bonus yields. This is generally a strong strategic move. The player will gain use of that resource (if it is strategic or luxury) and the resource’s bonus yields.

2. What happens if you build on a luxury resource in Civ 6?

   Founding a city on a luxury resource provides the luxury resource as well as the resource yields. The underlying resource is not destroyed.

3. Do luxury resources stack in Civ 6?

   No. Luxury resources provide happiness boosts to your empire, but these bonuses do not stack for multiple goods of the same type. If you have multiple copies of the same luxury, you should trade the extras.

4. Can you put a district on a luxury resource?

   No, districts and wonders cannot be built on tiles with revealed strategic resources.

5. Do luxury resources get destroyed when you build a city on them?

   No, the resource stays, and you gain access to it immediately. However, features like woods, marsh, and rainforest are removed.

6. How many cities benefit from a single luxury resource?

   Typically, each luxury resource provides Amenities to 4 cities. This number is 6 for the Aztecs.

7. How are cities chosen to receive Amenities from a luxury resource?

   The cities are chosen automatically based on which cities have the greatest need for Amenities.

8. Is it better to improve a luxury resource tile or settle on it?

   Settling on it provides immediate access to the resource. Improving it is generally not necessary if you settle on it, but if you settle next to it, improving it with the appropriate improvement (e.g., a plantation) is essential.

9. What if I have no luxury resources?

   You’ll need to prioritize acquiring them through trade, conquest, or settling new cities. Neglecting Amenities can lead to significant penalties.

10. Are some luxury resources better than others?

    Not necessarily. All luxury resources provide the same amount of Amenities. The value of each luxury for trading depends on what other civilizations need.

11. How do I know which luxuries other civilizations want?

    Pay attention to their diplomatic status and their trade offers. If they are constantly offering you deals for a specific luxury, they likely need it.

12. What is the best way to manage my luxury resources?

    Prioritize acquiring unique luxuries to maximize your empire’s Amenities. Trade duplicate luxuries for gold or strategic resources.

13. Does difficulty level affect the importance of luxury resources?

    Yes, on higher difficulty levels, managing Amenities becomes even more critical, as the AI receives bonuses that can exacerbate unhappiness problems.

14. Are there any civics or technologies that improve luxury resources?

    Yes, certain civics and technologies can unlock improvements that provide additional yields from luxury resource tiles.

15. What happens if I lose access to a luxury resource?

    Your cities that were receiving Amenities from that resource will become less happy, potentially leading to negative consequences. You’ll need to find a replacement quickly.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Luxury Management

As you become more experienced with Civ 6, you can begin to employ more advanced strategies for managing luxury resources. This includes:

• Exploiting City-State Synergies: Some city-states provide unique bonuses related to luxury resources.
• Using Great Merchants: Certain Great Merchants provide abilities that enhance luxury resource yields or trading.
• Strategic Warfare: Targeting civilizations with crucial luxury resources can be a viable strategy for expanding your empire’s access to them.

The Bigger Picture: Luxury Resources in the Grand Strategy

Luxury resources are not just about happiness and gold. They are an integral part of the broader Civ 6 experience. They influence your diplomatic relations, your economic strength, and even your military strategy. Mastering the art of luxury resource management is essential for achieving victory in any of Civilization VI’s various victory conditions. You can learn more about games and learning at the Games Learning Society website. (GamesLearningSociety.org)

In conclusion, luxury resources are far more than just pretty icons on the map. They are a vital component of a thriving civilization, providing happiness, wealth, and strategic advantages. Don’t underestimate their importance. Master their mechanics, and you’ll be well on your way to dominating the world of Civilization VI.