Where is the Best Place to Build Your First City in Civ 6? The Ultimate Guide
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The most crucial decision in any game of Civilization 6 is undoubtedly where to place your first city. This single act sets the stage for your entire game, influencing your growth, research, production, and eventual victory. So, where is the absolute best spot? The golden answer is: settle on a plains hill tile adjacent to a river and at least one additional resource (luxury or bonus).
This might sound specific, but let’s break down why this is the optimal choice:
- Plains Hill: Provides a guaranteed +1 production from the start. Production is king in the early game, allowing you to quickly build essential units, buildings, and districts.
- River: Essential for fresh water, granting your city crucial housing. Also, rivers are a key to some buildings and districts, and for some civilizations rivers boost production.
- Resource (Luxury or Bonus): Provides an immediate boost to your economy or food production. A luxury resource (like copper, jade, or citrus) will improve your city’s amenities, keeping your population happy and productive. Bonus resources (like wheat, rice, or cattle) bolster food production, allowing your city to grow faster.
But the best locations can change depending on your starting civilization. If you are playing as a civ that favors coastal locations, like England, look for coastal locations with resources.
While finding the “perfect” tile is ideal, flexibility is key. Don’t spend too many turns wandering around. Two or three turns at most is usually fine if you can find a good location.
Understanding Tile Yields and Their Importance
To make the best decision, you need to understand the importance of each tile yield:
- Food: Determines how quickly your city grows. More food means more citizens, which translates to more production, science, culture, and faith.
- Production: Essential for building units, districts, and wonders. High production allows you to develop your city and military quickly.
- Gold: Needed to maintain your military, purchase tiles, and build commercial districts.
- Science: Drives technological advancement. More science means unlocking new units, buildings, and districts faster.
- Culture: Drives civic advancement. More culture unlocks new policies and forms of government more quickly.
- Faith: Needed to found a religion and train religious units.
Prioritizing food and production in the early game is crucial. Early growth enables you to build your districts and support your military.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
One of the most common early-game mistakes is settling too far from resources or choosing a location with low production. Here are some tips to avoid these pitfalls:
- Don’t be afraid to move: While settling on turn one is tempting, a few extra turns exploring can make a huge difference.
- Prioritize fresh water: Housing is essential for growth. Without fresh water, your city’s growth will be severely limited.
- Consider defense: Placing your city on a hill or near terrain that hinders movement can provide a defensive advantage.
- Think long-term: Consider the potential for district placement and wonder locations when choosing your initial city site.
- Watch Out For Barbarians: Barbarians can cause a ton of issues early in the game if you aren’t careful. Make sure to scout out your location early and keep units nearby if you can.
The Importance of Scouting
Before settling, use your starting scout to explore the surrounding area. This reveals resources, natural wonders, and potential city locations. Scouting also allows you to identify potential threats, like barbarian camps.
A good starting scout can make a world of difference in your game. It’s easily the best unit to build early.
Beyond the First City: Planning Your Expansion
Once you’ve established your first city, it’s time to start planning your expansion. Consider the following when choosing locations for your next cities:
- Distance from your capital: Cities too far from your capital can be difficult to manage.
- Resource availability: Prioritize locations with resources that your capital lacks.
- Strategic importance: Consider locations that provide access to key trade routes or strategic chokepoints.
- Potential for districts: Look for locations with good adjacency bonuses for your desired districts.
Remember, settling cities close together is generally recommended in Civ 6. This allows you to share resources and maximize district adjacency bonuses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is it always best to settle on turn one?
No! While speed is important, taking a few turns (2-3 max) to find a significantly better location is worth it. A superior location will pay dividends throughout the entire game.
2. What if I can’t find a plains hill tile?
Settle on a regular plains tile next to a hill. The river and resource adjacency are more important. You can later purchase or acquire the hill tile for its production bonus.
3. What if there’s no fresh water nearby?
Consider building an aqueduct later in the game to provide fresh water. However, starting without fresh water puts you at a significant disadvantage early on. Look for other options first.
4. Is coast really that bad?
Not always, but inland fresh water is generally superior. Coastal cities are vulnerable to naval attacks and may lack production in the early game. Civilizations with bonuses to coastal cities, like England or Portugal, can certainly use the coast to their advantage.
5. Should I prioritize luxury resources or bonus resources?
Luxury resources are generally more valuable in the early game because of the amenities they provide. However, bonus resources can be crucial for boosting early food production. It’s a trade-off that depends on your civilization and strategy.
6. What about settling near natural wonders?
Natural wonders can provide significant bonuses, such as faith, science, or culture. Settling near a natural wonder can be a strong strategic move, but don’t sacrifice essential resources or fresh water.
7. How close should I build my second city to my first?
Generally, aim for about 4 tiles between city centers. This allows each city to work its surrounding tiles effectively without overlapping too much.
8. What should I build first after my scout?
A monument to boost your culture output. This will let you get your government structure in place early and help your civilization rise.
9. Which pantheon should I choose first?
It depends on your surroundings and civilization. God of the Open Sky (bonus culture from pastures) is good for civilizations near lots of pastures. Religious Settlements (free settler) is a good catch-all and will allow you to get an early boost to your empire.
10. Should I always build a Holy Site in my first city?
Not necessarily. It depends on your victory condition. If you’re aiming for a religious victory, then yes, build a Holy Site early. Otherwise, focus on production and growth first.
11. Which civilizations are easiest for beginners in Civ 6?
Rome, Germany, and Japan are often recommended for beginners. They have straightforward bonuses and are relatively easy to play.
12. Is it better to go wide (many cities) or tall (few large cities)?
In Civ 6, going wide is generally more effective. More cities mean more production, resources, and district capacity.
13. What is the most important early game research?
Animal Husbandry to reveal horses, and Pottery for getting your first culture boost from a Shrine.
14. How important are governors?
Governors are extremely important! They provide powerful bonuses to your cities and can significantly impact your empire’s growth and development. Try to get 1 or 2 governors up as quickly as possible.
15. Where can I learn more about game design and the educational aspects of games?
The Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ is a great resource for exploring the intersection of games and education. The GamesLearningSociety.org delves deep into the theories and practices surrounding how games can be leveraged for effective learning.
Building a strong foundation with your first city is essential for success in Civilization 6. By following these guidelines and adapting to your specific circumstances, you’ll be well on your way to building a thriving empire!