Civ 7 Settling Strategy

Key Differences from Previous Civs

• Flexibility in Capital Placement

  • In Civ 7, the location of your capital doesn't significantly affect your yields.
  • Unlike previous games, settling on a hill for production isn't necessary.
  • Settling anywhere usually provides similar yields.

• Biomes and Yields

  • Tundra and grassland yields are now more comparable.
  • Improved yields in less favorable terrains are a welcome change.

Settling Strategies

Settler Lens

• Freshwater Indicator

  • Red: No settlement possible.
  • Yellow: No freshwater, middle ground.
  • Green: Freshwater available, preferred for happiness.

• Happiness Considerations

  • Two components: global and local.
  • Freshwater settlements improve happiness.

Resource Prioritization

• Important Early Game Resources

  • Prioritize tiles with +2 food and +2 production.
  • Some resources, e.g., 20% gold for units, are less useful early game.

• Movement Efficiency

  • Prioritize proximity and minimal movement cost when choosing tiles.

Leader and Civilization Bonuses

Example: Catherine

• Tundra Bonuses
  • Cities in Tundra gain science = 25% of culture per turn.
  • Prioritize tundra settlements if of equal value to grassland.

Example: Trung Trac

• Tropical Cities Bonus

Example: Egypt

• Navigable Rivers Bonus
  • +1 production on navigable rivers.

Early Game Mechanics

Leapfrogging Citizens

• Resource Maximization
  • Use leapfrogging to maximize resource use early on.
  • Eject a citizen and reassign to higher yield tiles.

Example Start: Napoleon on Persian Empire

• Desert Start Considerations
  • Prioritize food-rich tiles like dates.
  • Pastures become valuable with animal husbandry.

Gambles and Risks

• Gambling on Freshwater and Resources
  • Sometimes, moving settlers for a potential resource gain can be beneficial.

Summary

• Civ 7 offers more flexibility in settling due to less variation in base yields.
• Terrain and leader/civilization bonuses still influence strategic decisions.
• Early game strategies focus on maximizing growth and resource use via mechanics like leapfrogging.

Additional Tips

• Always consider leader and civilization biases when planning city placement.
• Early game decisions can have significant impacts on later success.
• Use the settler lens effectively to identify optimal settlement tiles based on water availability and terrain.

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Study Tip: Review the terrain and resource benefits specific to different leaders and civilizations to optimize your strategy in Civ 7.