In the grand strategy of Civilization 6, America, under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt, stands as a powerhouse of culture and tourism. While other civilizations may focus on military might or scientific advancement, America’s true strength lies in its ability to captivate the world with its natural beauty and cultural achievements. A key to unlocking this potential is the strategic placement of districts, a skill that separates novice players from seasoned veterans. This guide will provide a comprehensive analysis of American district placement, offering actionable strategies to guide your civilization to a glorious Cultural Victory.
The Foundations of District Placement: A Universal Guide
Before delving into the specifics of American strategy, it is crucial to understand the fundamental principles of district placement that apply to all civilizations. According to the player community, mastering these concepts is the first step towards building a thriving empire.
Understanding Adjacency Bonuses
Districts are the heart of your cities, and their effectiveness is determined by their adjacency bonuses. These bonuses provide extra yields, such as science, culture, or faith, based on the district’s proximity to certain terrain features, other districts, and wonders. A popular strategy is to meticulously plan your city layouts to maximize these bonuses, creating powerful urban centers that fuel your civilization’s growth.
- Mountains: A boon for both science and faith, mountains provide significant adjacency bonuses to Campuses and Holy Sites.
- Rivers: The lifeblood of commerce, rivers grant a substantial gold bonus to Commercial Hubs.
- Woods and Rainforests: These natural features offer minor adjacency bonuses to Holy Sites and Campuses, respectively.
- Other Districts: Many districts receive a standard bonus for being adjacent to other districts, encouraging the creation of specialized city sectors.
- Government Plaza: This unique district is a powerful tool for urban planning, as it provides an adjacency bonus to all adjacent districts.
The Art of City Specialization
Analysis on forums shows that attempting to build every district in every city is a common mistake among new players. Instead, many professional gamers suggest specializing your cities based on their geographical advantages and your strategic goals. A city nestled in the mountains, for instance, is an ideal location for a high-yield Campus, while a coastal city can become a bustling center of trade with a well-placed Harbor.
America’s Unique Advantage: A Cultural Juggernaut
With a solid understanding of district placement fundamentals, we can now explore the unique strategies that make America a cultural titan. Theodore Roosevelt’s abilities, combined with America’s unique buildings, create a powerful synergy that, when properly leveraged, can lead to a swift and decisive Cultural Victory.
The Roosevelt Corollary: The Power of Appeal
Theodore Roosevelt’s “Roosevelt Corollary” ability is the cornerstone of America’s cultural strategy. This ability grants +1 Appeal to all tiles in a city with a National Park. This seemingly small bonus has a profound impact on the game, as high Appeal is essential for generating tourism from seaside resorts and National Parks.
- National Parks: These unique improvements are the key to an American Cultural Victory. They generate a massive amount of tourism based on the Appeal of the tiles they encompass. A popular strategy is to identify potential National Park locations early in the game and carefully plan your city development around them.
- Appeal Management: It is crucial to be mindful of how your districts and improvements affect Appeal. Industrial Zones, Encampments, and Quarries all reduce the Appeal of adjacent tiles, making them detrimental to your tourism-focused cities. Conversely, features like woods, wonders, and Holy Sites increase Appeal.
The Film Studio: Projecting Cultural Power
America’s unique building, the Film Studio, replaces the standard Broadcast Center in the Theater Square. This building provides a staggering +100% tourism pressure from its city towards other modern-era civilizations. This ability is a game-changer, allowing you to overwhelm your rivals with your cultural influence in the late game.
American District Placement: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now, let’s synthesize this information into a clear, actionable guide for placing America’s districts.
The Unholy Trinity: Theater Squares, Holy Sites, and National Parks
For America, the path to a Cultural Victory is paved with a powerful combination of three key elements: Theater Squares, Holy Sites, and National Parks. According to the player community, this “unholy trinity” forms the core of any successful American cultural strategy.
- Theater Squares: These districts are the engine of your cultural output. They generate Culture and Great Works of Art, Music, and Writing, all of which are essential for attracting tourists. The presence of the Film Studio in the late game makes Theater Squares an absolute must-have in every city.
- Placement: Place your Theater Squares adjacent to wonders and Entertainment Complexes to maximize their adjacency bonuses. A popular strategy is to create a “culture-hub” in your cities, with a Theater Square at its center.
- Holy Sites: While not directly related to culture, Holy Sites are crucial for generating Faith. This Faith is used to purchase Naturalists, the only unit capable of creating National Parks.
- Placement: Place your Holy Sites adjacent to mountains and natural wonders to maximize their Faith output. The extra Faith will allow you to create National Parks at a much faster rate.
- National Parks: As mentioned earlier, National Parks are the key to an American Cultural Victory. They generate a massive amount of tourism, and their creation is fueled by the Faith generated from your Holy Sites.
- Planning: From the very beginning of the game, you should be identifying potential National Park locations. These are diamond-shaped areas of four tiles that are all owned by the same city, have an Appeal of “Charming” or better, and are on land.
The Supporting Cast: Campuses, Commercial Hubs, and Industrial Zones
While the “unholy trinity” is the star of the show, a successful American empire also requires a strong supporting cast of other districts.
- Campuses: While America is not a science-focused civilization, a steady stream of science is still necessary to unlock key technologies and civics.
- Placement: Place your Campuses adjacent to mountains and geothermal fissures to maximize their science output.
- Commercial Hubs: A strong economy is essential for any victory type. Commercial Hubs provide the gold you need to purchase buildings, units, and even Great Works.
- Placement: Place your Commercial Hubs on rivers to gain a significant adjacency bonus.
- Industrial Zones: While you want to avoid placing Industrial Zones in your tourism-focused cities, they are still necessary for building wonders and other key infrastructure.
- Placement: Designate a few cities as your industrial centers and place your Industrial Zones there, away from your high-Appeal areas.
Advanced Strategies: Maximizing Your Cultural Output
Once you have mastered the basics of American district placement, you can begin to explore more advanced strategies to further enhance your cultural output.
The Power of Wonders
Wonders are a powerful tool for any civilization, but they are especially important for America. Many wonders provide a direct boost to culture and tourism, and they also increase the Appeal of adjacent tiles.
- Eiffel Tower: This wonder provides +2 Appeal to all tiles in your empire, making it an absolute must-have for an American Cultural Victory.
- Christo Redentor: This wonder prevents your seaside resorts from being pillaged and provides a significant boost to tourism.
- Broadway: This wonder, unique to the Gathering Storm expansion, provides a free building in your Theater Squares and a significant boost to your cultural output.
The Role of Governors
Governors can also play a key role in your cultural strategy.
- Reyna, the Financier: Reyna’s “Curator” promotion allows you to purchase Great Works with gold, providing a powerful alternative to generating them through Great People points.
- Pingala, the Educator: Pingala’s “Grants” promotion provides a significant boost to your science and culture output, making him an excellent choice for your capital city.
A New Era of American Dominance
By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you will be well on your way to leading America to a glorious Cultural Victory. Remember to focus on the “unholy trinity” of Theater Squares, Holy Sites, and National Parks, and to carefully plan your city layouts to maximize your adjacency bonuses. With a little bit of practice and a lot of strategic thinking, you can turn America into a cultural juggernaut that will stand the test of time. The world is waiting to be captivated by your civilization’s story. Go forth and write it.