Should You Settle on a Luxury Resource in Civ 6? A Comprehensive Guide
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The question of whether or not to settle on a luxury resource in Civilization VI is a common dilemma for players of all skill levels. The short answer is: it depends. While settling on a luxury provides immediate access to that resource and its amenity benefit, you must carefully weigh this against the potential opportunity cost of improved yields and strategic placement. This article will delve into the nuances of this decision, providing a comprehensive overview of the factors to consider.
Understanding Luxury Resources and Their Benefits
Luxury resources are vital for maintaining a happy and productive civilization in Civ 6. Each unique luxury provides amenities to several cities (typically four, but this can vary based on civilization abilities). Amenities combat negative effects from war weariness, overpopulation, and other factors that decrease citizen happiness, ultimately impacting your city’s growth, production, and overall efficiency.
Having multiple copies of the same luxury does not stack its amenity bonus. However, surplus luxuries can be traded to other civilizations for gold, resources, or diplomatic favors, making them a valuable economic asset.
The Pros of Settling on a Luxury Resource
Instant Access to Amenities
The most significant advantage of settling on a luxury resource is the immediate access it provides. From the moment your city is founded, it will benefit from the luxury’s amenity, potentially mitigating early game unhappiness and boosting your city’s performance. This is particularly valuable if your starting location lacks other amenity sources.
Resource Acquisition Without Improvement
Settling on a luxury resource grants you access to it without requiring you to research the necessary technology and build the corresponding improvement (plantation, mine, etc.). This saves valuable production and research time, allowing you to focus on other critical areas of your civilization’s development.
Potential for Strong City Placement
Sometimes, a luxury resource coincides with an otherwise excellent city location. Factors like freshwater access, strategic terrain features (hills for production, rivers for trade routes), and proximity to other resources can make settling on a luxury resource a worthwhile trade-off, even if it means sacrificing the potential yields from improving the tile.
The Cons of Settling on a Luxury Resource
Lost Yields from Improvement
The primary drawback of settling on a luxury resource is the potential loss of yields that you would have gained from improving the tile. Improvements like plantations and mines often provide food, production, gold, or culture, which can significantly boost your city’s output. Settling on the resource effectively “consumes” the tile, preventing you from building these improvements.
Opportunity Cost of Better City Locations
In some cases, settling on a luxury resource might mean passing up a more advantageous city location nearby. A tile with higher base yields, better adjacency bonuses for districts, or access to other valuable resources could offer greater long-term benefits than the immediate amenity from the luxury.
Reduced Flexibility
Once a city is founded, its location is fixed. Settling on a luxury resource can limit your future development options, particularly if that tile would have been better suited for a district or wonder. Careful planning is crucial to avoid hindering your city’s growth and potential.
When to Settle on a Luxury Resource: Key Considerations
- Early Game Needs: If your starting location is severely lacking in amenities, settling on a luxury resource can be a lifesaver, providing a crucial boost to your civilization’s early growth.
- Strategic Location: Prioritize strong city locations with freshwater, production, and defensible terrain. If a luxury resource is located on or near such a spot, settling there is often a good choice.
- Resource Yields: Evaluate the yields of the luxury resource and its corresponding improvement. If the improvement yields are significantly higher, consider settling nearby instead.
- District Planning: Consider your long-term district planning. If the luxury tile is ideally suited for a key district (e.g., a campus next to mountains), it might be better to settle elsewhere.
- Civilization Abilities: Some civilizations have unique abilities that mitigate the drawbacks of settling on resources. For example, some civilizations might receive additional yields from cities built on resources.
Decision-Making Framework
Here’s a simplified framework to guide your decision:
- Assess Amenity Needs: How critical is an immediate amenity boost to your civilization’s early development?
- Evaluate City Location: Does the luxury tile offer a strong overall city location (freshwater, production, defensibility)?
- Compare Yields: How do the yields of the luxury compare to the potential yields of improving the tile?
- Consider District Planning: Is the luxury tile essential for a key district or wonder?
- Weigh the Trade-Offs: Based on the above factors, determine whether the immediate amenity and resource access outweigh the potential loss of yields and flexibility.
Settling Strategically: Beyond Luxury Resources
Remember that strategic resources (iron, horses, niter, etc.) function differently. Settling on a strategic resource grants you access to the resource, but not its yields. It’s generally better to settle near strategic resources and build the necessary improvement to maximize their benefits.
Learning More About Civ 6
For those interested in delving deeper into the world of Civilization VI and other educational games, I recommend checking out the Games Learning Society website. It’s a great resource for understanding the intersection of gaming and learning: GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does settling on a luxury resource remove the resource?
No, settling on a luxury resource does not remove it. You will gain access to the luxury resource and its associated amenity benefit.
2. Do I get the yields from the luxury resource if I settle on it?
Yes, the city will yield +2 when settling on a luxury which normally give 2. You lose 1 gold compared to the improved luxury, but potential +2 is just so much better. Generally, the only luxuries with bad yields are those which use plantations or camps.
3. Is it better to settle near a luxury resource or on it?
It depends. If the tile is otherwise a strong city location and you need the immediate amenity boost, settling on it is often a good choice. However, if improving the tile would provide significantly higher yields or if the tile is ideal for a district, settling nearby might be better.
4. What happens if I found a city on a strategic resource?
You gain access to the strategic resource, but you do not gain the yields you would get from building an improvement on it.
5. Can I build a district on a luxury resource?
No, you cannot build a district on a luxury resource.
6. Can I build a district on a strategic resource?
Districts and wonders cannot be built on tiles with revealed strategic resources.
7. How many amenities does each luxury resource provide?
Typically, each unique luxury resource provides 1 amenity to four cities. This can vary based on civilization abilities.
8. Do multiple copies of the same luxury resource stack their amenity bonuses?
No, multiple copies of the same luxury resource do not stack their amenity bonuses.
9. Should I sell my duplicate luxury resources?
Yes! Trading duplicate luxuries to other civilizations can be a lucrative source of income.
10. How far apart should I settle my cities in Civ 6?
In general, it is recommended that players settle their cities quite close to one another in Civilization 6, and four tiles in between City Centers is a reasonable rule of thumb. It is much better to go wide and build many smaller cities than to try to go tall with just a handful of high-population cities.
11. What are the best tiles to settle on in Civ 6?
Hands down, the best tiles that players can find for their first city are plains hills tiles. Plains hills tiles give the largest production and food bonuses for cities and are often located near other productive tiles.
12. What is the most important thing to look for when settling a new city?
- Amenities or strategic resources you need.
- Strong adjacency bonuses for your districts; for example, a lot of mountains for a campus.
- High production potential, making for a good military or wonder production city.
13. What is the best beginner civilization in Civ 6?
Canada. Canada is a powerful pacifist Civ and one that’s well suited to beginners looking to get a grasp of how to win the game with a diplomatic victory.
14. When should I start settling new cities in Civ 6?
Ideally you should settle in the first turn, but if there are better locations it is worth to take some turns. Three turns being the absolute maximum if you intend to settle on a very godlike location (including yields and surroundings). Otherwise taking 2 turns for a good location is ok.
15. Can you settle on a natural wonder in Civ 6?
Since players can’t choose which Natural Wonders they’ll find, they can’t start out their empire with a specific wonder in mind; their strategy can only be thought out after they’ve encountered a Natural Wonder and decided if its benefits will help them win the game, and if this is the case, they should consider settling it.
Conclusion
Deciding whether to settle on a luxury resource in Civilization VI is a complex decision that requires careful consideration of various factors. By weighing the pros and cons, understanding your civilization’s needs, and planning for the future, you can make informed choices that will contribute to your ultimate victory. Remember to prioritize strong city locations, assess amenity needs, and consider the long-term implications of your decisions. Happy settling!