The Elusive Ideal: Unveiling the Optimal City Number in Civilization 6
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The question of the optimal number of cities in Civilization 6 is deceptively simple. The truth is, there isn’t a single, universally applicable “magic number.” Instead, the ideal city count hinges on a complex interplay of factors, including your chosen victory condition, your civilization’s unique abilities, the map size and type, and even your personal play style. However, as a general rule, aiming for 10-15 well-developed cities is a solid baseline for most victory types on standard-sized maps. This provides a strong foundation for science, culture, faith, or domination, allowing you to leverage multiple specialist districts and generate significant yields across your empire. The most important thing is to make sure your city spacing is well planned and functional.
Understanding the “Wide vs. Tall” Debate in Civ 6
For many iterations, Civilization has revolved around the core question: Is it better to build a few “tall” cities with high populations or many “wide” cities spread across the map? In Civilization 6, the scales are heavily tipped in favor of going wide. The primary reasons for this shift are:
- Districts are King: Districts are the heart of any successful civilization in Civ 6. Each city can support a limited number of districts (based on population), but even small cities can support the early game districts needed for your victory condition. The ability to build multiple campuses, holy sites, theater squares, and industrial zones across numerous cities provides a substantial advantage in terms of science, faith, culture, and production.
- Global Amenities: Amenities, which influence city happiness and growth, are managed on a per-city basis. Having more cities means more opportunities to acquire local amenities, preventing empire-wide happiness penalties.
- Trade Routes Multiply: Each city can contribute trade routes, which provide significant yields of gold, science, culture, and production. A larger empire naturally generates more trade routes, providing a compounding effect on your overall economy.
- Strategic Resource Control: Expanding to control strategic resources is crucial for military strength and production. A wide empire grants greater access to these vital resources, ensuring a steady supply for your units and infrastructure.
Key Considerations for Determining Your City Count
While the general advice leans towards wider empires, several factors warrant consideration when determining your ideal city count:
- Victory Condition: Different victory conditions benefit from different city distributions.
- Science Victory: Prioritize cities with strong production and adjacency bonuses for campuses and industrial zones. More cities are generally better for research output.
- Culture Victory: Focus on cities with high appeal for national parks and seaside resorts. Cities with many wonders can provide extra tourism. A wide empire allows you to generate more Great People and build more cultural wonders.
- Domination Victory: More cities mean more production for military units and more strategic locations for launching attacks. Be mindful of loyalty and the logistical challenges of managing a sprawling war effort.
- Religious Victory: Establish a network of holy cities and spread your religion aggressively. More cities provide more opportunities to generate faith and convert rival civilizations.
- Diplomatic Victory: A sufficient number of cities is still important to have a higher base score than opponents in world rankings. Prioritize generating diplomatic favor by building wonders and expanding your influence throughout the world.
- Civilization Abilities: Certain civilizations have unique abilities that influence city planning.
- Rome: Receives a free building in each city founded, incentivizing rapid expansion.
- Germany: Gains an extra district slot in each city, encouraging more specialized development.
- Kongo: Receives bonuses for having many cities, but cannot found religions.
- Map Type and Size: Larger maps naturally support more cities, while smaller maps may require a more concentrated approach. Coastal maps favor coastal cities, while inland maps emphasize production and resource control.
- Natural Wonders and Resources: Prioritize settling near natural wonders and valuable resources, regardless of city count. These locations provide unique benefits that can significantly boost your civilization’s growth.
- Loyalty: The loyalty mechanic in the Gathering Storm expansion can create challenges for wide empires, particularly in the early game. Be mindful of city placement and consider using governors to maintain loyalty in newly founded cities.
Beyond Quantity: The Importance of Quality
While maximizing city count is generally advantageous, it’s crucial to ensure that your cities are productive and contribute to your overall strategy. Consider the following factors:
- City Placement: Choose locations with access to fresh water, resources, and defensible terrain. Prioritize settling near hills for production bonuses.
- District Planning: Plan your district placements carefully to maximize adjacency bonuses. Group similar districts together to create powerful synergies.
- Infrastructure Development: Invest in infrastructure such as sewers, neighborhood, and farms to support population growth and maintain amenity levels.
- Governors: Utilize governors to enhance city yields, improve loyalty, and specialize cities for specific purposes. Pingala and Liang are two of the best governors in the game.
- Trade Routes: Focus on making sure each city has a trade route active, either with other players, or with a city in your own empire.
In conclusion, there is no magic number for cities in Civ 6. 10-15 is a good target but the optimal city count depends on the factors outlined above. The main takeaway is that you should be more inclined to expand your empire in Civ 6, but also be mindful of amenity levels, city loyalty, and the happiness of your empire.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many cities should I have in Civ 6 by turn 50?
By turn 50, you should aim to have 3-5 cities, depending on your starting location and the surrounding terrain. Focus on securing strategic resources and establishing a strong foundation for future expansion.
2. What is the best city spacing in Civ 6?
A spacing of 4 tiles between city centers is a reasonable rule of thumb. This allows each city to work a sufficient number of tiles and prevents excessive overlap. However, you may need to adjust this spacing based on terrain and resource distribution.
3. Is it bad to have too many cities in Civ 6?
In most cases, it is not really possible to have too many cities in Civilization 6. The benefits of additional cities, such as increased production, science, and culture, generally outweigh the drawbacks. Keep an eye on loyalty and amenities.
4. Should every city have an industrial zone in Civ 6?
Not necessarily. Focus on building industrial zones in cities with good adjacency bonuses, such as those near mountains, mines, or quarries. Cities with poor adjacency bonuses may be better suited for other districts.
5. How many farms should I have in Civ 6?
Aim for 2-3 farms per city, particularly in overlapped tiles between cities. Farms are essential for providing housing and supporting population growth. Granaries and aqueducts should also be prioritized for their housing and food bonuses.
6. Is it better to build tall or wide in Civ 6?
Building wide is generally more effective in Civ 6. The advantages of having more cities, such as increased district capacity, trade routes, and resource control, outweigh the benefits of focusing on a few high-population cities.
7. Should I raise or keep a captured city in Civ 6?
You should almost always try to keep captured cities, as they represent a significant investment of production. However, if a city is in a strategically undesirable location or poses a significant loyalty risk, it may be better to raze it.
8. What is the best tile to build a city in Civ 6?
Plains hills are considered among the best tiles for founding a city, providing a balance of food and production. Being near hills also boosts the production of the city. Being next to fresh water is another bonus.
9. What happens if a city doesn’t have fresh water in Civ 6?
Cities without fresh water receive a lower amount of housing, limiting their population growth. Building an aqueduct can provide fresh water and unlock additional housing.
10. How many turns should a Civ 6 game last?
A standard game lasts 500 turns, an epic game lasts 750 turns and a marathon game lasts 1500 turns.
11. Should I trade with my own cities in Civ 6?
Domestic trade routes are extremely beneficial, especially for newly founded cities or cities working on wonders. They provide boosts to production, food, and other yields.
12. Should I keep or remove rainforest tiles in Civ 6?
Generally, clearing rainforest is beneficial for production, but there are exceptions. Certain civilizations, like Brazil and Kongo, receive bonuses from rainforest tiles. Also, if you can place a Campus so that it is adjacent to two Rainforest tiles then a player should consider keeping them for the adjacency bonus.
13. Do districts affect other cities in Civ 6?
Yes, the effects of certain district buildings extend to other cities within a 6-tile radius. This includes buildings like factories, power plants, and research labs.
14. When should I start a war in Civ 6?
The timing of a war depends on your civilization’s unique units and strategic goals. Attacking when you unlock a powerful unique unit can provide a significant advantage. Otherwise, focus on building a strong military and attacking when the opportunity arises.
15. Who is the best governor in Civ 6?
Pingala and Liang are generally considered to be the two best governors in Civ 6. Pingala boosts science and culture, while Liang enhances city infrastructure and production. Choose the governor who best complements your overall strategy.
The strategies and mechanics of Civ 6 are constantly being studied. You can find helpful resources and a vibrant community at the Games Learning Society website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.