The Civilization series has numerous victory conditions. This has maximized the game's replayability as the numerous amount of options guarantees that no two games are the same. With so many options to win, it can be overwhelming for some players, and it may even scare off those new to the series. The various types of victories can be achieved through making smart strategic choices during a game and following paths that contribute to the field of one's choice.
The various types of victories can be achieved through making smart strategic choices during a game and following paths that contribute to the field of one's choice. Science victories are one of the more entertaining yet skilled ways to win the game.
Updated on July 22nd, 2022 by Jack Pursey: The 4x subgenre of strategy appears to be on the rise, with Amplitude Studios' 2021 release Humankind being well-received by fans and critics and Xbox Game Studios' announcement of a new grand strategy IP that is set to release next year, Ara: History Untold.
As such, there will likely be a wave of new players joining the Civilization community in the coming months. For newcomers who are gunning for a science victory, here are some Civ 6 science strategy tips.
12 Keep An Eye Out For The Best Policies
Policy management can be time-consuming, though it's imperative in maximizing a civ's science output. There are a plethora of policies that offer excellent perks that can greatly help players in their quest to complete the victory conditions.
Policies to look out for include Inspiration, which provides 2 Great Scientist points per turn; Market Economy, which provides +2 Science from international trade routes; and Raj, which provides +2 Science from city-states that the player is Suzerain of.
11 Focus On Production As Well As Science
When going for a science victory, many newcomers will often neglect production and just put all their eggs in the science basket. This isn't an issue at first but will soon become a huge problem once players reach the final stretch of the science victory path.
To obtain a science victory, players need to complete a handful of constructions and projects that require a ton of production. If players have tunnel vision for science and ignore production, they will be punished with painfully long production times that can cost players the game.
10 Don't Feel The Need To Build A Rounded Empire
Aside from production and science, players shouldn't focus on too much else. Things like religion, culture, and diplomacy all have plenty of benefits, but they will ultimately just slow players down. This is one of the most common mistakes that new players make, as many of them are unaware that, even on the harder difficulties, they can win games in under 200 turns.
The only other thing players really need to keep an eye on is their army. Players don't need to build anything too crazy as if they're going for a domination victory, but they should maintain a decent army that is equipped with the latest weaponry to avoid being invaded.
9 Pick The Right Civilization
Choosing the right civilization matters if one wants to achieve a science victory, as choosing the right leader can make it a lot easier and faster to achieve it through the various bonuses that they provide.
Certain civilizations provide bonuses that can help with the generation of research but also help in other less straightforward ways. Bonuses such as Germany's will allow for increased production between districts, allowing for fasting building of campus buildings.
8 Have Research Alliances
Setting up Research Alliances will go a long way into producing science while also bolstering diplomatic relations with other civilizations, helping to make sure that one doesn't end up in an unnecessary war. Research Alliances have three levels; the first lets players gain science from trade routes with the specific ally.
The second level grants a eureka moment every 30 turns on a technology neither the player nor their ally have researched. On the third level, allies receive accelerated research on techs that have been discovered by one civilization but not the other.
7 Have Research Agreements
Research agreements are another way that players can use diplomacy to increase their scientific output in Civilization 6.
Civilizations that have a Research Agreement active will collectively research a technology that neither civilization has researched yet. Research Agreements become available after researching Scientific Theory and can only be entered in with Civilizations that are either friends or allies, which is another reason to make friends, at least in-game.
6 Watch Your Housing And Amenities
This might feel like a small part of the overall game, but it is actually very important if one wants to optimize the generation of science. With a Housing deficiency, cities will slow and eventually cease their growth, meaning the player will lose +1 science per citizen.
The player also needs to keep the amenities of each of their cities in mind as these will also affect the amount of science that they can produce by dictating the bonuses and restrictions of all of their yields, except for food.
5 Build Near Mountains
This is a fairly straightforward tip, but there are a lot more benefits than just the surface-level ones that players receive. When one builds campus districts next to mountains, that campus will gain +1 science production, which, while small, will go a long way toward helping produce more science.
The player will also be able to build aqueducts next to the mountains so that it can increase the housing and food production of a city, which, as we mentioned, is important.
4 Prioritize Campuses
Another seemingly obvious one - if the player is going for a science victory, every single one of their cities should have a campus district. It should be the first district that is built or at least one of the first and after one sets everything else up in a city, players should prioritize campus district buildings. Also, remember that building districts next to each other provides bonuses.
3 Avoid War
This might seem straightforward on paper but can be hard to actually make happen when playing the game. The thing about that is in-game while the player might not be the aggressor, other civilizations might notice their focus on science and attack as their army is likely to be weaker. This is common in civilizations that really value military strength, so it's best to appease them to avoid war.
Players must be especially cautious about entering wars in the end game, as they need their production to be focused on building what's needed for a science victory, not an army.
2 Make Allies
Staying on the same point as the last one, a good way to avoid being in wars, or at least minimize the amount of time in a war, is to set up alliances with other civilizations as fast as possible.
This will not only lower the total number of civilizations that are likely to attack but also help fight back against any possible wars that civilization is engaged in. This means that if the player has a strong military ally, the player can have them defend that civilization while the player focus on technology.
1 Get At Least One Science-Based Wonder
This is another one that should be obvious, but it goes without saying that building wonders that provide boosts to the player's research and science are highly advised, if not basically mandatory.
There are plenty of wonders that aid in scientific endeavors in every era, but there are a few that are really helpful, like Oxford University. This wonder provides two free technologies and an impressive bonus to its city's science output and points toward a great scientist.
Civilization 6 is available now on Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.