The World Congress in Civilization VI is a theater of global politics, a forum where alliances are forged, wars are sanctioned, and the very rules of international trade can be rewritten with a flood of Diplomatic Favor. Leaders rise and fall on the outcomes of its resolutions. But what if its power transcended mere policy? What if the collective will of the world’s civilizations could literally reshape the planet, calling forth a new Natural Wonder from the earth itself? This is not just a fanciful idea; it’s a scenario that would fundamentally rewire the strategic DNA of the game, turning the late-game into a frantic, high-stakes battle for geological supremacy. This guide delves into the strategic depths of such a monumental power, analyzing how it would work, the types of wonders the community has theorized, and the ripple effects that would touch every aspect of a campaign for victory.
A New Global Power: The “World Shaper” Resolution
Analysis on forums shows that for such a feature to be balanced, it would need to be a late-game resolution, likely appearing first in the Industrial or Modern Era. This prevents an early-game diplomatic snowball from creating an insurmountable advantage. The proposed mechanic, often dubbed the “World Shaper” or “Terraforming” resolution, would be the most expensive and impactful vote in the World Congress.
The Mechanics of Creation
According to the player community, a multi-stage voting process would be essential for strategic depth.
- Stage One: The Sanction. The first vote would be a simple binary choice: “The World Congress shall sanction the formation of a new geological marvel.” This is a straightforward YES/NO vote. Winning the “NO” vote simply maintains the status quo. Winning the “YES” vote, however, triggers a second, more complex stage. The Diplomatic Favor cost for this initial vote would need to be immense, likely costing hundreds of Favor for even a handful of votes, ensuring that only those who have diligently cultivated their diplomatic standing can meaningfully participate.
- Stage Two: Defining the Wonder. Upon a successful “YES” vote, a new resolution would immediately follow in the same session. This vote would determine the nature of the wonder to be created. The options would not be specific wonders, but categories, each aligned with a victory type or strategic focus. For example:
- A) A Wonder of Scientific Revelation.
- B) A Wonder of Cultural Significance.
- C) A Wonder of Economic Prosperity.
- D) A Wonder of Militaristic Importance.
- The Prize: Placement. The civilization that contributes the most Diplomatic Favor to the winning category in Stage Two becomes the “Sponsor.” The Sponsor earns the right to place the new Natural Wonder. The placement rules are a subject of debate, but a popular theory suggests the Sponsor could place the wonder on any owned, unimproved, and valid tile (e.g., a mountain wonder on a flat plains tile would be invalid). This act of placement would be the ultimate reward, allowing a player to surgically enhance their empire in a way never before possible.
Community-Proposed Natural Wonders: A Strategic Analysis
The true excitement of this hypothetical feature lies in the new wonders themselves. Many professional gamers suggest that these Congress-created wonders should be powerful, multi-tile features that can define a city’s purpose. Based on community discussions, several compelling concepts have emerged.
The Geothermal Vents (Scientific)
- Description: A two-tile wonder of bubbling mud pots and steaming geysers, impassable to land units.
- Effects:
- Provides +4 Science to all adjacent tiles.
- Provides +2 Power to its host city.
- Grants a +4 adjacency bonus to any adjacent Campus district.
- Unlocks a unique city project, “Harness Geothermal Energy,” which provides a burst of Production and additional Power when completed.
- Strategic Analysis: The Geothermal Vents would be a game-changer for the science victory. A player falling behind in the space race could use a massive cache of Diplomatic Favor to win this vote, instantly creating a scientific hub. The ideal placement would be next to a city with a university and research lab, surrounded by tiles that can be purchased and worked by citizens. This wonder single-handedly makes a Diplomatic-to-Science victory pivot a viable and powerful strategy. A popular strategy is to prepare a location with multiple adjacent, unbuilt Campus districts in different cities to maximize the adjacency bonus across your empire.
The Whispering Steppes (Cultural/Faith)
- Description: A three-tile, passable grassland wonder covered in unique, iridescent flora that hums with a strange energy.
- Effects:
- Provides +3 Culture and +3 Faith on each of its tiles.
- Owner’s religious and combat units that move onto a Whispering Steppes tile gain the “Song of the Steppes” promotion: +7 Combat Strength and +7 Religious Strength for the next 20 turns. This promotion cannot be stacked.
- Grants a +2 adjacency bonus to any adjacent Theater Square or Holy Site.
- Strategic Analysis: This wonder is a dual-threat, bolstering both Cultural and Religious victory paths. For a cultural player, it’s a massive source of raw Culture and a perfect spot for a National Park. For a religious player, it’s an incredible force multiplier. Analysis on forums shows that the “Song of the Steppes” promotion could turn a wave of Apostles into an unstoppable crusade, capable of converting even the most entrenched rival holy cities. The strategic placement would be on a border with a religious or cultural competitor, serving as both a buffer and a staging ground for theological or ideological warfare.
The Resplendent Reef (Economic/Diplomatic)
- Description: A two-tile coastal wonder, a vibrant coral ecosystem teeming with life.
- Effects:
- Provides +6 Gold and +3 Food on each of its tiles.
- Grants +3 Diplomatic Favor per turn.
- Any adjacent Harbor district automatically grants +1 Trade Route capacity.
- Naval units from any civilization that end their turn on the reef heal +50 HP.
- Strategic Analysis: According to the player community, the Resplendent Reef would be the ultimate tool for economic dominance and diplomatic self-perpetuation. The raw gold yield is formidable, but the extra Diplomatic Favor is the true prize. It creates a powerful feedback loop: winning the reef gives you more Favor, making you more likely to win future resolutions. The additional trade route from an adjacent Harbor could translate to tens of thousands of gold over the course of the late-game. This wonder would make coastal cities, often neglected in the late-game, prime real estate and a major target for naval invasions.
The Sentinel Peaks (Military)
- Description: A single, impassable mountain tile, jagged and imposing, with a flat top.
- Effects:
- Acts as a natural fortress, granting +10 Defensive Strength to all friendly units within a 2-tile radius.
- Grants the owner a unique unit: the “Highland Sentinel,” a powerful anti-cavalry and anti-air unit that can only be trained in the city that owns the wonder.
- Allows the construction of the “Aerie” improvement on an adjacent tile, which functions as an airfield that cannot be pillaged and grants a free promotion to any air unit built there.
- Strategic Analysis: The Sentinel Peaks is the ultimate defensive anchor. A popular strategy is to use it to create an unbreakable chokepoint, securing a border against a technologically superior foe or protecting a vulnerable capital. For a civilization like Macedon or the Ottomans, placing this wonder near a conquered city could make it impossible for the original owner to reclaim. The Highland Sentinel unit would be a powerful deterrent against late-game tank rushes, while the Aerie provides unparalleled air superiority. Winning this vote would be a top priority for any civilization on the defensive or one looking to secure a forward operating base for a future invasion.
The Ripple Effect: How This Resolution Changes Everything
The “World Shaper” resolution would do more than just add new tiles to the map; it would fundamentally alter the strategic calculus of the entire game.
Diplomatic Blackmail and Bloc Voting
The mere existence of this resolution creates a new form of diplomatic leverage. A player with a commanding lead in Diplomatic Favor could use the threat of proposing a wonder as a bargaining chip. “Vote with me to repeal this luxury tax,” one might say, “and I will refrain from proposing a Scientific wonder that would seal my victory.” This would lead to the formation of powerful voting blocs, with smaller civilizations pooling their Favor to either push for a wonder that benefits their alliance or, more likely, to vote “NO” and prevent a powerful rival from running away with the game.
Territorial Strategy and “Wonder Farming”
City planning would take on a new dimension. Players might intentionally leave a 3×3 grid of unimproved tiles in the center of their empire, a “wonder farm” waiting for the perfect geological addition. Settling new cities in the late-game would no longer just be about resources; it would be about claiming potential wonder locations. The value of land would shift dramatically, with seemingly useless flatland suddenly becoming prime real estate for a potential Whispering Steppes.
Counter-Play and Strategic Sabotage
Stopping an opponent from securing a wonder would become a major strategic objective.
* The “NO” Vote: The most direct counter is to pour all your Diplomatic Favor into the “NO” option during Stage One. This would become a desperate, all-or-nothing gambit for the rest of the world against a diplomatic leader.
* Forced Category Split: If you cannot stop the wonder from being created, the next best thing is to influence its type. If your scientific rival is pushing for a Geothermal Vent, you could pour your Favor into the “Cultural” or “Economic” categories. Even if you don’t win, you might split the vote enough to allow a third party to win, denying your primary rival their prize.
* Espionage: A new spy mission would be essential: “Fabricate Geological Data.” A successful mission could delay the wonder’s creation by several turns or, if critically successful, cancel it entirely, refunding only a portion of the Favor spent and enraging the would-be Sponsor.
Is It Balanced? The Potential Pitfalls
The most significant concern is the “win-more” problem. The civilization already leading in diplomacy is the most likely to win the vote, further cementing their advantage. To counter this, several balancing mechanics have been proposed by the community.
- Scaling Costs: The Diplomatic Favor cost for the resolution could scale based on the era and the number of wonders already created by the Congress. The first might be expensive; the second, astronomically so.
- Global Consequences: Creating a wonder isn’t a simple act. It could trigger a temporary global penalty, such as “-2 Amenities in all cities for 10 turns” due to the “Geological Instability.” This would force the Sponsor to weigh the benefit of the wonder against the immediate global backlash.
- The “Wonder Envy” Emergency: A new type of Emergency could be triggered upon a wonder’s creation. All other civilizations would be given the option to join a limited war with the goal of capturing the city that hosts the new wonder. If successful, the captors would gain a significant lump sum of Gold and Culture, and the wonder’s yields would be suppressed for an era.
In conclusion, the ability for the World Congress to create a Natural Wonder would be one of the most transformative additions to Civilization VI. It elevates the diplomatic game from a series of abstract trades and resolutions to a tangible, world-altering force. It would create new strategic pathways, new forms of conflict, and new stories of triumph and despair. This feature embodies the ultimate fantasy of the Civilization series: not just to build a civilization that stands the test of time, but to actively and permanently leave your mark upon the very world it inhabits.