Table of contents

Highlights

  • Archery: Unlocking the Archers with the 'Archery' technology is crucial for defending against barbarians and hostile civilizations early in the game.
  • Writing: The 'Writing' technology unlocks important infrastructures like Campus and Library, which are essential for technological advancement and progressing in the game.
  • Industrialization: Unlocking the 'Industrialization' technology provides a significant production boost through the Industrial Zone and unlocks powerful units like the Man-At-Arms, allowing players to keep up with other civilizations.

Similar to almost every other grand-strategy game, Civilization 6 creates a necessity for players to advance their technology while also exploring, expanding, exploiting, and exterminating. Advancing such technologies is crucial to keep up with other civilizations that might either be friendly or hostile.

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Among these technologies in Civilization 6, some are more important than others due to their resulting buildings or benefits after being researched. For example, one important technology would enable a player to build the Manhattan Project to create weapons of mass destruction. In contrast, the other technology will enable the player to boost their cities' population by building an Aqueduct in cities.

10 Archery

Crucial Technology To Ensure Survival Against Hostile Threats

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Archery
  • Unlocks Archer
  • Unlocks Temple of Artemis (Wonder)

Early in the game, players will often struggle against barbarians that will harass their cities and civilians, and also hostile civilizations that wish to realize their ambition with warmongering. Early Archers that can be unlocked with 'Archery' technology solve the problem of defending against those threats.

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Moreover, the technology also unlocks a world wonder, the Temple of Artemis. The wonder provides huge bonuses depending on Camps, Pastures, and Plantations near the wonder itself. The boosts on amenities by the wonder will prove to be beneficial for any civilization that succeeds in building it.

9 Writing

The Backbone Of Every Technological Advance In The Game

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Writing
  • Unlocks Campus
  • Unlocks Library
  • Unlocks Etemenanki (Wonder)

Advancing further into the technological tree will require investments in infrastructures such as Campuses and Libraries, which can be unlocked by 'Writing'. It is crucial for players of Civilization 6 to not miss this technology in the early game and opt to rush other technology instead, as it could hinder their civilization's progress.

Additionally, obtaining the technology will be more than easy as a boost can be achieved in the form of Eureka simply by meeting another civilization in the game, which should be achievable in the early stages of the game.

8 Apprenticeship

The Start Of Early Production Boosts In Owned Cities

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Apprenticeship
  • Unlocks Industrial Zone
  • Unlocks Workshop

Before unlocking 'Apprenticeship', players would have been forced to 'chop' terrain features such as forests and jungles to aid their production progress while building world wonders or even crucial units while in war. By unlocking this technology, they will be able to preserve those improvements and build an Industrial Zone instead, boosting their production in return.

Moreover, the technology also unlocks the strong early to mid-game unit, Man-At-Arms, to aid either a player's survival or conquest in the game. It is almost always worth it for players to rush the technology as soon as possible to keep up with other civilizations.

7 Industrialization

Rapidly Expands A Civilization By Further Boosting Its Production

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Industrialization
  • Unlocks Factory
  • Unlocks Coal Power Plant
  • Unlocks Ruhr Valley (Wonder)

Entering the Industrial Era, many buildings and units will cost more production to be built. Moreover, players will start to look for resources to boost their production further such as Coals. Industrialization will unlock those necessities, giving a vast production boost to players who successfully researched it.

The added Factory and Coal Power Plant will rapidly advance a player's production throughout the Industrial Era. However, it is also worth noticing that these buildings will contribute to Global Warming, which will affect the game in various unexpected places.

6 Flight

Marks The Start Of Aerial Warfare Against Other Civilizations

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Flight
  • Unlocks Biplane
  • Unlocks Observation Balloon
  • Unlocks Aerodrome
  • Unlocks Hangar
  • Unlocks Airstrip (Improvement)

If the previous land and naval warfare is complex enough, researching the 'Flight' technology will add more layers to the battlefield with the addition of aerial units to the game. The earliest aerial unit unlocked by the technology, the Biplane, was strong enough to be able to gain superiority on the battlefield with its powers before the other civilizations managed to get anti-air units.

However, a player that wishes to harness the power of flight will need to invest in Aerodrome districts which may hinder their progress in some cases. Building an Aerodrome could also alert other players since it signals the beginning of aerial warfare in the game.

5 Rocketry

Reveal The Entire Map With A Single City Project With This Technology

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Rocketry
  • Unlocks Spaceport
  • Unlocks Missile Silo (Improvement)
  • Unlocks Launch Earth Satellite (Special Project)

Additional explorations are typically hard to achieve in the later stages of the game due to border limitations and geographical challenges. Rocketry will solve the problem by unlocking the crucial 'Launch Earth Satellite' project. By completing the project, a player will be able to reveal the entire map, gaining crucial information on resources and border layouts of other civilizations.

This will allow the player to gain an edge in having information on what will happen and to maximize their efficiency in the future. In addition, it will also enable the player to advance further into several other crucial technologies, such as 'Satellites' and 'Guidance Systems'.

4 Nuclear Fission

The Start Of Nuclear Races, Potentially Ending In Mutually Assured Destruction

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Nuclear Fission
  • Unlocks Nuclear Power Plant
  • Unlocks Build Nuclear Device (Special Project)
  • Unlocks Manhattan Project (Special Project)

Unfortunately, technological advances could also lead to disastrous results, as exemplified by 'Nuclear Fission'. The technology unlocks a dangerous project called the 'Manhattan Project' which will enable the player to build nuclear devices, starting with a Nuclear Device, capable of killing everything and reducing a city's defenses to zero in a small radius.

Once the 'Manhattan Project' is finished, tension will be at an all-time high as civilizations will need to safeguard their cities with adequate anti-air defenses to hold off any attempts to drop an atomic bomb into their cities.

3 Satellites

A Signal Of Intention For A Civilization To Win A Scientific Victory

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Satellite
  • Unlocks Mechanized Infantry
  • Unlocks Solar Farm (Improvement)
  • Unlocks Launch Moon Landing (Special Project)

One of the most complex victory types in the game, which is Scientific Victory, starts with the technological advancement of 'Satellites'. This will allow a player to start a project 'Launch Moon Landing', a prerequisite for a Scientific Victory further down the line. Moreover, completing the project will also grant a huge one-time Culture bonus for the civilization.

Other civilization that noticed the project will be made aware that one of their rivals are aiming to complete a Scientific Project in the future. This might lead to a world war to stop the victory from ever happening.

2 Robotics

Take Advanced Warfare To The Next Level With Giant Death Robots

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Robotics
  • Unlocks Giant Death Robot
  • Unlocks Launch Mars Colony (Special Project)

In the late-game stage of Civilization 6, a final form of warfare will consist of Giant Death Robots walking down the fields to decimate their foes to halt their progress or even complete a Domination Victory. This deadly late-game unit will be unlocked once a player successfully researches 'Robotics'.

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Moreover, this will also mark another step for a player to complete a Scientific Victory, as it allows them to complete the project 'Launch Mars Colony', another step before launching an Exoplanet Expedition to ultimately win a Scientific Victory.

1 Nuclear Fusion

Develops Weapons Of Mass Destruction Further Into A Terrifying Nuclear Device

An image of Civilization 6 technology: Nuclear Fusion
  • Unlocks Operation Ivy (Special Project)
  • Unlocks Build Thermonuclear Device (Special Project)

If the previous Nuclear Device is not enough for some players, the next step would be the Thermonuclear Device, with two times the area of devastation with the same amount of destruction. This will be enabled by researching the technology 'Nuclear Fusion' and completing the project 'Operation Ivy'.

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Players that researched this technology can be expected to either fire a pre-emptive nuclear strike against their rivals to gain an advantage or haggle a tense cold-war treaty to gain victory within other types, such as Scientific or even Cultural Victory, without setting off a chain of mutually assured destruction.

CIVILIZATION 6
Sid Meier's Civilization 6

Platform(s)
PS4 , Xbox One , Switch , PC , Android , iOS
Released
October 21, 2016
Developer(s)
Firaxis Games
Genre(s)
Strategy