Amenities: How to Manage?

[SeanTM]

I just finished a 310 turn game with a Religious win as Russia on King and am perplexed on how to manage amenities. I had thought I understood how they worked, but when I got into the later part of the game with Neighborhoods, everything went to hell. I just could not keep up with the demand for for more amenities. How does this system work?

 

[liv]

Usually limit growth a bit so I rarely build Neighbourhoods (unless Kongo). you have to do entertainment complexes and try to ally with the city states that gives amenities and use the right social policy cards such as liberalism. It is a balance thing.

Here is a full guide
https://forums.civfanatics.com/resources/amenity-guide.25463/

 

[bbbt]

If I'm not massively warmongering, I generally find trading with Civs for luxuries more than enough amenity wise for the first half of the game (I might build one entertainment district entirely for the colliseum).

Mid to late game I start needing to build entertainment districts, placed to maximize their area of effect buildings.

Edit: as Liv stated, CS can be very useful for luxes you don't have as well.

 

[Archon_Wing]

Don't grow that big. If you capture big unproductive cities, feel free to destroy all their farms before hand and starve the population down. You won't have unhappiness if you kill all the unhappy people.

For the most part, unless you have no water; don't build housing at all.

As a final resort, you can build entertainment complexes, but should really only do so if you're on the verge of a revolt. These things are expensive and are almost never worth it.

 

[criZp]

I just finished a 310 turn game with a Religious win as Russia on King and am perplexed on how to manage amenities. I had thought I understood how they worked, but when I got into the later part of the game with Neighborhoods, everything went to hell. I just could not keep up with the demand for for more amenities. How does this system work?

If your population grows larger (because of more housing, because of neighbourhoods) then you need more amenities. Simple as that. Lacking amenities doesn't really do much except for reducing the growth rate (unless your cities go into unrest, then the rebels will start appearing).

 

[Trengilly]

Yep its very counter intuitive but you really don't want to grow in this game. I can't remember the last time I build a neighborhood, aqueduct, or used a policy card that provides housing. And I pretty much never build farms. You don't need any cities over size 10 to win.

I'm hoping that the new expansion corrects the play balance and makes large cities much more useful.

 

[criZp]

Yep its very counter intuitive but you really don't want to grow in this game. I can't remember the last time I build a neighborhood, aqueduct, or used a policy card that provides housing. And I pretty much never build farms. You don't need any cities over size 10 to win.

I'm hoping that the new expansion corrects the play balance and makes large cities much more useful.

Big cities are not amazing, but still give more yields than a small one

 

[Trengilly]

Big cities are not amazing, but still give more yields than a small one

If you have plenty of amenities sure go for larger cities. But if you have to trade for resources or build entertainment districts then the opportunity cost is huge.
Instead of building EDs use the production for something better. Sell your extra amenities for gold instead.

 

[criZp]

If you have plenty of amenities sure go for larger cities. But if you have to trade for resources or build entertainment districts then the opportunity cost is huge.
Instead of building EDs use the production for something better. Sell your extra amenities for gold instead.

I'm using balance mods so I'm fine with the cost.

 

[Disgustipated]

when you start plopping down neighborhoods, you also need to plop down entertainment districts. They go hand in hand in my games. You can't grow size 20+ cities without overlapping entertainment districts. Meaning zoos can usually reach 3 or maybe 4 cities. You may want to consider building the entertainment first to avoid those production and other penalties from -1 and -2 amenities.

 

[kryat]

Another thought: choose whether you want lots of small cities or a small number of big cities. Amenities can be spread across 4 cities at a time. Therefore, think about it this way: if you only have four cities with equal population, they can each be supported by as many amenities as you have. If you have eight cities of equal size, each will be supported by half of your amenities.

As Kongo, I had a 30+ capitol by keeping my city count small, with only one entertainment district near my central core of cities.