Analysis of player communities reveals a consensus: a well-planned city is the cornerstone of victory in Civilization 6, and for America’s Teddy Roosevelt, this principle is magnified. His unique abilities, particularly as the Bull Moose leader, transform the very landscape into a wellspring of Culture and Science. This guide provides a visual and strategic blueprint for crafting city layouts that harness Roosevelt’s full potential, leading to a dominant Cultural Victory. We will delve into the granular details of tile Appeal, district placement, and National Park optimization, offering a clear, actionable framework for players of all levels.
The Core Philosophy: Painting with Appeal
Before a single Settler is moved, understanding the concept of Appeal is paramount. For Bull Moose Teddy, Appeal is not merely a cosmetic feature; it is the engine of his progress. His “Antiquities and Parks” ability grants +2 Science to Breathtaking tiles adjacent to Natural Wonders or Mountains, and +2 Culture to Breathtaking tiles adjacent to Wonders or Woods. This transforms high-Appeal landscapes into powerhouses of yields.
Visualizing Appeal:
- Breathtaking (Dark Green): The highest tier of Appeal, generating the most significant bonuses. These are the tiles to prioritize for National Parks and around which to build your cities.
- Charming (Light Green): The second-highest tier, still valuable and often upgradeable to Breathtaking.
- Average (No Color): Neutral tiles that can be improved.
- Uninviting (Light Brown): Tiles with negative Appeal, to be avoided or actively improved.
- Disgusting (Dark Brown): The lowest tier, actively detrimental to your plans.
A successful Teddy Roosevelt player, therefore, thinks like a landscape artist, constantly assessing and manipulating the Appeal of their territory.
Early Game City Placement: The First Brushstrokes
The initial placement of your cities is a critical decision that will have cascading effects throughout the game. The goal is to secure locations that are not only defensible and have access to resources but also possess the raw materials for high Appeal.
Key Considerations for Your First Three Cities:
- Proximity to Mountains and Natural Wonders: These features are the foundation of high Appeal. A city settled within two or three tiles of a mountain range or a Natural Wonder will have a significant head start. Many professional gamers suggest moving your initial Settler a few turns to secure such a location.
- Fresh Water and Production: While Appeal is crucial, do not neglect the fundamentals. Settle on or near rivers, lakes, or the coast to ensure adequate Housing. Hills and forests provide essential early-game production.
- City Spacing: A popular strategy is to space cities approximately 5-6 tiles apart. This allows for a greater number of cities, each controlling a respectable amount of territory, and provides ample room for future National Parks.
Visual Example: The Ideal Starting Location
Imagine a Settler at the confluence of a river, with a mountain range to the north and a large forest to the east. This location offers:
- Fresh Water: From the river.
- Production: From the forest (which can be harvested or kept for Appeal) and potential mines on hills.
- High Appeal: The mountains and forest will naturally create Charming and Breathtaking tiles.
This is the kind of starting location that sets the stage for a powerful Bull Moose Teddy game.
Mid-Game Development: Sculpting the Landscape
With your core cities established, the mid-game is about strategic district placement and the active manipulation of Appeal. This is where you begin to truly “paint” your landscape, preparing it for the late-game tourism boom.
District Placement: A Tale of Two Synergies
Districts have a profound impact on the Appeal of adjacent tiles. A careless placement can sabotage a potential National Park, while a thoughtful one can create a Breathtaking masterpiece.
Districts that Increase Appeal:
- Holy Site: Essential for Faith generation to purchase Naturalists. Place them adjacent to mountains for the adjacency bonus and to boost the Appeal of surrounding tiles.
- Theater Square: The heart of your cultural efforts. Place these near Wonders or Entertainment Complexes to maximize their own yields and enhance the Appeal of the area.
- Entertainment Complex & Water Park: These districts, along with their buildings, increase the Appeal of adjacent tiles, making them excellent “buffers” between your city center and your pristine wilderness.
- Preserve: This district is a game-changer for Bull Moose Teddy. It grants +1 Appeal to adjacent tiles and its buildings (the Grove and Sanctuary) provide substantial yields to unimproved Charming and Breathtaking tiles. A well-placed Preserve can single-handedly create a viable National Park location.
Districts that Decrease Appeal:
- Industrial Zone: The smokestacks of the Industrial Zone are the bane of high Appeal. Place these districts on the outskirts of your cities, far from any planned National Parks. Consider creating a dedicated “industrial city” that houses the majority of your polluting districts.
- Encampment & Aerodrome: These military districts also have a negative impact on Appeal. Position them strategically for defense, but keep them away from your high-value landscapes.
- Spaceport: A late-game district that also reduces Appeal.
Visualizing District Placement:
Consider a city with a mountain range to the north. A strong layout would be:
- City Center: Placed three tiles south of the mountains.
- Holy Site: Placed directly adjacent to the mountains for the adjacency bonus.
- Preserve: Placed to the east of the city, with its six surrounding tiles being a mix of woods and open land.
- Theater Square & Entertainment Complex: Placed to the west of the city.
- Industrial Zone: Placed far to the south, with mines and quarries clustered around it.
This layout creates a clear “green zone” to the north and east, ripe for National Parks, and a “grey zone” to the south for industry.
The Conservation Civic: Your Most Powerful Tool
Rushing the Conservation civic is a cornerstone of many Teddy Roosevelt strategies. It unlocks two crucial abilities:
- Planting Woods: Builders gain the ability to plant new forests. This is the primary method for transforming mediocre landscapes into Breathtaking ones. A tile with a newly planted forest will increase the Appeal of all adjacent tiles.
- National Parks: Unlocks the ability to create National Parks with Naturalists.
Once Conservation is unlocked, a significant portion of your efforts should be dedicated to “reforesting” your territory. Identify areas with Charming Appeal and use Builders to plant forests on adjacent tiles, pushing them into the Breathtaking category.
Late Game Flourish: The National Park Symphony
The late game is when your careful planning comes to fruition. With a network of high-Appeal cities and a healthy Faith income, you can begin to create a symphony of National Parks, generating massive amounts of Tourism.
The Anatomy of a National Park
A National Park has very specific requirements:
- Shape: It must be a diamond of four tiles.
- Appeal: All four tiles must be at least Charming.
- Ownership: All four tiles must be owned by the same city.
- Improvements: The tiles must be unimproved (roads are an exception).
Visualizing National Park Placement:
The in-game Appeal lens is your best friend here. Look for diamond-shaped clusters of light and dark green tiles. The Naturalist unit will also highlight potential National Park locations, making it easy to identify viable spots.
Common National Park Configurations:
- The Mountain Retreat: A diamond of four tiles on the slopes of a mountain range. These are often the easiest to create due to the high base Appeal of mountains.
- The Forest Preserve: A diamond of four tiles within a large, old-growth or newly planted forest.
- The Coastal Resort: A diamond of four tiles along the coast, often incorporating cliffs or a Natural Wonder.
Analysis on forums shows that players often create “chains” of National Parks, creating vast wilderness areas that generate incredible Tourism.
Wonders of the World: Amplifying Your Masterpiece
Certain World Wonders are particularly synergistic with a Teddy Roosevelt city layout strategy.
- Eiffel Tower: This is the single most important Wonder for a Bull Moose Teddy player. It grants +2 Appeal to every tile in your civilization, making it significantly easier to create Breathtaking tiles and National Parks. Many professional gamers suggest making the Eiffel Tower a top priority.
- Golden Gate Bridge: Provides a massive +4 Appeal to tiles in its city, and the bridge itself has a high base Appeal.
- St. Basil’s Cathedral: Provides a Tourism bonus to relics, which can supplement your National Park tourism.
The Final Composition: A Thriving, Touristic Empire
By following these visual and strategic guidelines, you can transform the American empire under Teddy Roosevelt into a cultural and scientific powerhouse. Your cities will be carefully planned, your districts will work in harmony with the landscape, and your National Parks will stand as testaments to your strategic foresight. The result is not just a victory, but a beautifully crafted empire that is both powerful and aesthetically pleasing. The key, according to the player community, is to see the map not as a collection of hexes, but as a canvas, and to wield Appeal as your brush.