Highlights
- Building cities quickly in Civilization 6 is beneficial, as it allows for more projects and territory, giving players a head start.
- Players should focus on one victory path, rather than trying to pursue multiple victory types, to increase their chances of success.
- It is important to maintain good relations with other leaders in Civilization 6 to avoid war weariness and rebellious cities.
Civilization 6 has a few general guidelines that are not specifically rule of the game, but players would be wise to follow them anyway. A game with as heavy a strategic focus as Civilization 6 will naturally have several strategies in place that have been developed by fans over the years. These strategies will vary depending on civ, map, and victory type. In a way, this diversity in strategies shows off how strong Civilization 6's replay value is, since the game can be played in so many different ways. However, a few ideas apply to almost all strategies.
There's no question that Civilization 6 can be a tough game, especially on higher difficulties. Players not only have to worry about armies from other civilizations, but also their advancements in culture, religion, and science as well. It's a game that requires players to monitor and manage threats while trying to build their own civ, requiring a lot of shrewd moves in order to succeed. Thankfully, most of the game's mechanics are easy to learn, but learning in a vacuum is different from having to improvise on the fly, especially with potentially hostile AI opponents. However, these difficulties make achieving victory that much sweeter.
Players Should Build Cities Fast in Civilization 6
One important rule to keep in mind is that building cities in Civilization 6 is almost always a good thing. Unlike in Civilization 5, where too many cities caused happiness penalties, Cities in Civilization 6 have little downside, so the faster players develop more cities, the more projects they can have going at once. Not to mention, more cities means more territory controlled by the player, which can stem the growth of opposing civs as well. Building a lot of cities quickly lets the player get more units, improvements, and districts, giving them a strong head start before the other civs can move in.
Focus On One Way to Win Civilization 6, Not All of Them
As is traditional for the series at this point, there are many ways to win in Civilization 6, and players need to choose one to focus on. For example, Domination Victory requires a strong army, Culture Victory requires a lot of tourism and trade, Science Victory probably requires an academy in every city for science yield, and so on. Trying to spread too thin between several victory types will lead to a civ struggling while more specialized opponents can earn a runaway lead. Players should focus on one victory path, possibly with a backup, to give themselves the best chance of earning their victory.
Don't Start Too Many Fights With Civilization 6's Other Leaders
No matter what options are chosen, the player will always have to contend with the opposing leaders of Civilization 6. However, even if players are going for a Domination Victory, it is in their best interests early on to stay on good terms with as many of the opposing leaders as possible, or at least avoid making enemies. Other leaders that view the player as an enemy will be less receptive to diplomacy, and can even declare war if they hate the player's civilization enough. Fighting wars leads to war weariness, which can eventually cause cities to rebel, so players should only start fights they can win.
CIvilization 6 is a fun game, but it's one that takes some time to practice. Beginners in Civilization 6 can find a good starting point by committing these guidelines to memory when starting a new game. By expanding their empire quickly, focusing on their chosen victory route, and not starting trouble, they can get off to a fantastic start. Of course, with how many surprises Civilization 6 has in store, the more intricate aspects of strategy will need to be learned as well. However, the unwritten rules of Civilization 6 will rarely steer a player wrong.
Civilization 6 is available now for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.