In Civilization VI, effective city population management can make the difference between winning and losing, especially on higher difficulties like Deity. Many players mistakenly believe that maximizing population in every city is the key to success. However, as expert player Soar explains, this is not the most efficient path to victory. This guide explores why focusing on specific population targets can lead to faster wins in any chosen victory type.
Maximizing Population
A common misconception among players is that growing a city’s population as much as possible will lead to higher production and, consequently, more yields. However, this strategy often proves counterproductive. Outside of your capital and a few key cities, there is rarely a need for a city to exceed 7 population. Soar argues that production is not the key to winning; instead, culture, science, and faith are the true driving forces behind each victory condition.
The “Seven Population Meta”
Achieving a population of 7 in each city is an ideal target for most games. This population level allows for three districts to be built, which should be tailored to your chosen victory type:
- First District: Typically a Holy Site in the early game to generate faith, an extremely versatile and powerful currency.
- Second District: A trade district, either a Commercial Hub or a Harbor, which provides a trade route. This helps your city grow quickly and can assist future cities in expanding faster.
- Third District: This should align with your game-winning yield. For a Culture Victory, build a Theater Square; for a Science Victory, build a Campus.
By sticking to this setup, players can generate the most important yields for their victory type without wasting time or resources on unnecessary district slots.
Why You Don’t Need Massive Cities
Once you reach the mid-game, the Holy Site’s role in generating faith diminishes. At this point, your focus should shift. Either maintain smaller cities with just two districts or expand to 10 population for an additional utility district, such as an Industrial Zone or Encampment, if you need strategic resources like aluminum.
Beyond this, growing cities to 10+ population becomes unnecessary and inefficient. Your capital will naturally reach around 15-20 population throughout the game and is typically the only city that benefits significantly from having multiple districts.
District Efficiency and the Importance of Amenities
As cities grow, they demand more amenities. Every two population points require an additional amenity. This means that a city with 10 population requires more amenities than a city with 7. When low-yield cities start consuming amenities that could otherwise benefit your more productive cities, you end up reducing your overall efficiency.
For this reason, it’s crucial to avoid unnecessary population growth in cities that aren’t contributing significantly to your game-winning strategy. By keeping cities at 7 or 10 population, you can ensure that your most productive cities maintain an “ecstatic” level, which grants them a +20% bonus to all yields.
Why Tile Improvements Aren’t Always Worth It
Another common mistake is over-prioritizing tile improvements. While tile yields are beneficial, they don’t win games—districts do. Very few tiles provide science or culture, but districts can generate these critical yields in abundance. Therefore, focus on building districts and trade routes that help your cities reach optimal population levels instead of wasting resources on unnecessary tile improvements.
The Role of Trade Routes in Population Management
Trade routes play a vital role in managing your city population effectively. Early on, they can help boost a city’s growth to reach the ideal population levels of 7 or 10. Once that’s achieved, you can redirect the trade routes to other cities, slowing down further population growth and maintaining manageable amenity costs.
Exceptions to the Rule: Khmer and Genghis Khan
There are two significant exceptions to this strategy: the Khmer and Genghis Khan civilizations. Both benefit greatly from high population cities, and in these cases, you should disregard the above advice. For all other civilizations, the “Seven Population Meta” is the most efficient way to manage your cities.
Final Tips
When you focus on maintaining cities at a population of 7 to 10, you’ll find it much easier to keep your most productive cities ecstatic, thus maximizing your yields. This will lead to faster and more efficient victories across all game types. The key is to work your cities in a way that caps out their population while prioritizing districts over unnecessary tile improvements.
- Aim to hit the 7-population mark in each city to unlock the optimal number of districts.
- Keep amenities in mind and avoid unnecessary population growth to maintain high-yield cities.
- Only invest in tile improvements if they provide essential yields for your victory type.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out!