Culture Output Maximization in Early Game

[CivLuvah]

In my current game, I'm aiming for a cultural victory. I wanted to set my foundation early on in the game but my cultural output won't go up and I'm trying to catch up with my civics. I know that building wonders and theater squares adjacent to them will boost it, but other civs have already gotten the early game wonders before I could.

Any tips to maximize cultural output in early game in this kind of situation?

 

[Browd]

So because you missed out on wonders, you aren't building any theater squares? You can build theater squares and then plop down later wonders next to them -- the wonders don't have to come first. Most wonders are unlocked through the culture tree, so no culture means you're late to unlock wonders, which means you will keep missing wonders -- rinse, and repeat.

In any event, Theater Squares and their buildings can be helpful even if you never build any wonders.

 

[Stacked_Deck]

The adjacency bonus isn't the entire culture output of a district, the buildings give a passive yield too, have specialists and generates GPs that create great works all of which give culture. Also, to win a culture game you need to generate tourism and while great works aren't the only way to get tourism, not producing any will only slow you down.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Early culture is maximized bu building monuments (or amphitheaters...so build the theater district)

 

[King Jason]

On the subject of adjacency, it's a lot easier to get adjacent culture from other districts than it is wonders. 1 other district adjacent to the city center will give you all you need to get +1, the equivalent of having a wonder in that city.

The adjacencies are poor on theater districts because you're going to get an additional 8 culture as soon as you get your first writer. So if culture is your concern, spam them even if you aren't getting any adjacency bonuses.

 

[Deaga]

To be fair, you don't have to rush on the early game for a cultural win. Just spam a bunch of Archeological Museums+Archeologists when you get the civic for that (Natural History, I think? The museums come much sooner, but you need the archeologists), Seaside Resorts when you get Radio and go to town. The one time I got a cultural win, I actually felt like the cultural Great People were mostly irrelevant.

 

[Mathias Rex]

Don't forget international trade routs and get open borders which both boosts tourism. There is a civic to give + 50 % (sum 75%) to trade rout tourism bonus. And tech for computers which doubles tourism output.

 

[King Jason]

While they don't really matter for the victory itself - I enjoy speeding through the civic tree, however, since I feel like it's the stronger of the two trees, apart from the district unlocks. If I had a choice to be even with the A.I. in one tree, but ahead on another, I'd pick culture. Since it enhances your empire so much. Speeding through the tech tree doesn't really speed you through the civics tree - however, with increased empire efficiency, speeding through the civics tree does speed you through the tech tree by extension. It's simply unavoidable.

Governments, Feudalism - 100% yield boosts, Military production boosts, efficient envoy deployment. These are all immensely powerful. Being the first to feudalism and a t2 government like merchant republic sets an empire up for a ridiculous lead regardless of victory type.

 

[Alchemy101]

Adjacency is nice but not the primary purpose of the district. Keep in mind there is +2 from the district itself, the values from the buildings (+2, +2, & +4), as well as the great works should you collect them.

With that said, I too do not build many of them prioritizing holy sites, commercial districts, and/or industrial zones.

 

[Victoria]

The question is culture not tourism and may be being asked because border expansion is better with good culture.

Not many wonders do a lot of culture so would not bother unless you want their tourism value in which case early build helps at around 4 tourism per wonder (varies).
Natural wonders do very very well and are the best thing, in particular Pantanal, Piopiotahi and Tsingy de Bemeraha
Pantheons god of the open sky and oral tradition if you have the right resources/luxuries give a small boost

The culture city states

· Kumasi
· Mohenjo daro
· Nan madol
· Vilnius

And their bonuses

· Kumasi - +2 culture from each trade route originating in a theatre square
· Nan Madol +2 culture from districts on or next to coast

More cities equals more monuments which is good cheap value at +2 each

Lets not forget those resources

· Coffee +1
· Jade +1
· Marble +1
· Silk +1

and the buildings of course

· Amphitheatre +2
· Archaeological Museum +2
· Art Museum +2
· Broadcast Centre +4
· Electronics Factory (Japan) +4
· Film Studio (America) +4
· Monument +2
· Palace +1

Civics

· Meritocracy (Civil Service): Each city receives +1 Culture for each specialty district it constructs.
· Trade Federation (Mercenaries): +1 Culture and +1 Science from international Trade Routes
· Aesthetics (Medieval Faires): +100% Theater Square adjacency bonuses
· Grand Opera (Opera and Ballet): +100% Culture yield from Theater Square district buildings
· Market Economy (Capitalism): Your international Trade Routes provide +1 Gold per Luxury and Strategic Resource improved at the destination, as well as +2 Culture and +2 Science


Great works are +4 culture and so are worth getting if after the culture for border expansion

Most importantly there is you... and the AI is not good at adjacency bonuses which is where you make up the shortfall as well has having lots of trade routes that take culture.

 

[Onii-chan]

You don't really need super high culture super fast to win a cultural victory. Generally just make sure to start plopping down theater squares in every city as soon as you find the time for it and get the buildings in them. Great Works is generally your main source of tourism in Civ 6, but also provide just as much culture

Then to actually win a cultural victory what you're really looking for are all the tourism civic cards at the end of the civics tree (there are three of them), and whatever national parks and seaside resorts you can find viable spots for

But in any case if you just want pure culture then it's just theater squares everywhere, make sure to get 6 enjoys in every cultural city state, and pick up some of the cultural civics cards like Meritocracy (super strong in all games I might add) and Grand Opera (huge culture boost with many theater squares). Trade Federation and later Market Economy also help but not quite to the same extent

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the adjacency bonuses of theater squares though. It's very hard to ever get any substantial amount from that. Maybe if you're playing Brazil but otherwise you just want to have them in every city, placement is a bit whatever tbh

 

[chazzycat]

I've finished 5 games and the fastest civic progression by far was with Rome in my very first game. Those free monuments are sooooo good if you can expand a bit