A lot has changed in the Civilization formula with the release of Sid Meier’s Civilization 6. Some features have been removed, replaced by others, and altogether the game has become a much more solid experience because of it. One of the newest features, however, changes how the game plays completely. Cities no longer stack, allowing you to simply build and build new items and structures. Instead, thanks to the introduction of Districts, you’re going to need to be a bit smarter about where you place your city, and which structures you want to build there. In this article we’ll be going over Districts, explaining what they are, what they mean, and how you can use them effectively to grow your empire.
What are Districts in Civilization 6?
Unlike previous Civilization games, cities have now become unstacked, and the structures that you unlock throughout the game will all fall into different categories. These categories will requrie special Districts to be built before you can construct the structures in question. This feature is a very new to the series, and it opens the door to a lot deeper and more complex strategy compared to previous titles in the series.
Structures like Holy Sites, Barracks, and even the Aqueduct that helps provide more food to your city all rely on different Districts to be available in your city before they can be built. Each District has a requirement, and based on your city’s placement, you may or may not be able to rely upon the buildings of certain Districts. This means that city placement has become an even more important part of your empire’s early-game strategy.
What do Districts Do in Civilization 6?
Districts act as parts of your city that allow specific buildings and structures to be built. For example, building the Entertainment District will allow you to focus on structures that add Amenities to your empire. This in turn keeps your population happy, which allows you to rule in a more stable environment.
Certain districts also allow you to build more housing structures. This is a feature that is completely new to the series, however, it plays a vital part in the game’s depth and strategy as you’ll need to increase your housing if you want to continue growing as a city. Districts are vital to your success as a leader, which means you should always look at the options that each one will unlock for you. We won’t include all the information here, as it would clog the article. However, you can easily view what each District specializes in by mousing over it in the city’s Production menu.
How to Use Districts Effectively in Civilization 6
Using Districts in Civilization 6 can be tricky. Not only do you have to choose city tiles for them to take up, but you also have to be willing to destroy any tile improvements you might have made before that specific District became available. This means you should try to keep as many tiles open as possible, that way you don’t have to worry about breaking up a lot of your tile improvements and costing yourself Culture, Gold, Religion, or any of the other statistics that make up your empire.
Because each District takes up a tile, and because Wonders take up a tile on their own, we want to stress how important it is to only settle cities down in areas with plenty of room for upgrades and spacing. You should still look for very defendable positions, however, settling on the edge of peninsulas is not really a valid tactic at this point in time, as the water cannot be used as the foundation of the various Districts you will need to build.
Districts can be a tricky thing to get used to, and you should always check each area available before deciding on where to build one. These are just some basic tips to help you understand the new system, and should only be viewed as such. If you follow the information above, however, you will now have a clear understanding of what Districts are, what they do, and how to use them effectively. Now all that is left to do is dive in and experiement with your own empire.
