Civilization VI tips and FAQs

Civ VI

Civilization VI is the latest in the popular series of strategy games by Firaxis. This latest instalment implements some new features and the entire experience can prove to be a little overwhelming for new players. Here's a short FAQ and a few tips to get you started and on the right path.

FAQ

What are the requirements for Civ VI?

Please see below the minimum and recommended specialisations for Civ VI:

  • Minimum
  • Intel Core i3 2.5GHz / AMD Phenom II 2.6GHz
  • 4GB RAM
  • 1GB DirectX 11 GPU
  • NVIDIA 450 / AMD Radeon 5570
  • Recommended
  • 4th-gen Intel i5 2.5GHz / AMD FX 8350 4.0GHz
  • 8GB RAM
  • 2GB DirectX 11 GPU
  • NVIDIA 770 / AMD Radeon 7970

Is multiplayer available?

Yes. Multiplayer functionality is available without extra DLC.

What DLC will be released?

So far there are four post-launch packs planned.

How many civilizations are there?

There are 19 in total:

  • America
  • Arabia
  • Aztecs
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Egypt
  • England
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • India
  • Japan
  • Kongo
  • Norway
  • Rome
  • Russia
  • Scythia
  • Spain
  • Sumeria

How do you win a game in Civ VI?

There are a total of five win conditions as part of the latest Civilization:

  • Cultural: Attract more tourists to your civilization than others have domestic tourists.
  • Domination: Conquer everyone. Leave nothing in your wake.
  • Religious: Have your religion followed by more than half of the cities under all other civilizations.
  • Science: Launch a satellite, land on the Moon, and establish a Martian colony.
  • Score: If none of the above is met, the civilization with the highest score at game end is the winner.

Where are save games kept on my PC?

C:\

[[ username ]] \Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization VI\Saves

Tips

New to Civilization VI? Even if you're a returning player of the series who has somehow managed to skip a few entries, we strongly recommend you check out the in-game tutorial which does a decent job on getting you started.

Here are some more quick-fire tips to help you out:

Gameplay

  • Think long-term as everything becomes more important at the later stages. Focus on building up your empire from the get go.
  • It's absolutely fine to start new games and try new things. Get comfortable with controls.
  • Use scouts! Try and locate bottlenecks and other strategic strong points for future warfare.
  • Don't ignore districts. Get some going to take full advantage of available bonuses.
  • Don't play to win on the first run through. Get used to controls, units, technologies and other parts of Civ VI.
  • Discovering locations, winning battles and achieving other things can unlock progress in various tech.
  • Workers now have limited actions before disbanding so keep an eye on available uses.
  • Cities generally do not expand past 3 squares so bear that in mind when building your nation.
  • Hover over resources, gold, etc. for more details.
  • Prepare to be addicted. Just one more turn...

Combat

  • Units that require resources to create won't heal if you do not have them available.
  • Barbarians hurt. They hurt bad. Try to take out their scouts and then their camps.
  • Barbarians only spawn in tiles not in your line of sight.
  • Take advantage of ranged units, especially when clearing out barbarians.
  • Be careful where you place your defensive units. The AI can be easily provoked.
  • A blue line encircling units show their maximum range for that turn.

Diplomacy

  • Agendas play an important role in diplomacy. Pay attention to the agendas of nearby civilizations.
  • Envoys don't just sound cool but allow you (or others) to gain gossip on other civs.
  • City states are your friends, so be sure to work with them to get all the bonuses.
  • Keep some military units around your cities, the AI is trigger-happy.

Have some tips of your own to share? Sound off in the comments!

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.