Little things we wish we'd known two weeks ago

[AppleDumplingHead]

This thread is for posting little random helpful tips which are not apparent in the documentation or civpedia. I'll start with some obvious ones.

Religious units heal when inactive next to your holy sites.

Inquisitors are more powerful when being attacked than attacking.

Specialty districts do not count toward a city's district maximum. (Unique specialty districts, pointed out by Miravlix)

Slotting specialists does not add to great people points.

Aircraft carrier fleets/armadas do not carry more planes than a lone unit.

Submarines can attack land.

What other helpful tips on game mechanisms would you give to someone buying the game today?

 

[CoconutTank]

Privateers and the rest of the Sea Raider family are awesome.

 

[mice]

Observation balloon range effect stacks (probably well known by now,but useful)
Observation balloon range effect applies to battleships and other naval range Im guessing

 

[CoconutTank]

Observation balloon range effect stacks (probably well known by now,but useful)

Wait I didn't know that O_O

So that means... a bombard unit with 6 Obs Balloons around it gets +6 range? Am I understanding correctly?

Edit: I'm pretty sure the Obs Balloons' tooltip says their bonus only applies for bombard units, and I've had Field Cannons running around with Obs Balloons around them, and I've never seen the FCs attack further than 2 tiles.

 

[AppleDumplingHead]

That's another good one. Field cannons are not for city wall destruction, even though they look like civ 5 cannons. They're the step above crossbows and are intended as anti-unit.

Seems obvious, but that one got me.

 

[Miravlix]

Inquisitors are more powerful when being attacked than attacking.

Specialty districts do not count toward a city's district maximum.

Not sure of your inq claim, I know most units is more powerful when defending and I'm wondering if your misrepresenting that as an unit feature.

Speciality districts is those that count toward adjacency bonus and all those count toward the limit. I'm not sure what you call SD's but it's confusing Firaxis official use of it.

 

[CoconutTank]

@AppleDumplingHead is probably referring to unique specialty districts not taking up district capacity, such as Hansa and Royal Navy Dockyard. Specialty districts are just most of the regular districts like Industrial Zone and Encampment. And I guess non-specialty districts refers to Neighborhoods, but I'm curious if Mbanzas, Aqueducts and Baths are also non-specialty.

 

[AppleDumplingHead]

Speciality districts is those that count toward adjacency bonus and all those count toward the limit. I'm not sure what you call SD's but it's confusing Firaxis official use of it.

I meant to say districts specific to a civ, like acropolis to Greece, so a size 4 Greek city can have acropolis and 2 more, or hansa to Germany so, because of Germany's UA of +1 districts, a size 1-3 German city can have hansa + 2 more.

I should change the original post to "unique specialty districts". Thanks.

The other, about inquisitors, I learned after experimenting and Maddjinn brought it to my attention in another thread. In your own territory with your religion, if you attack an opponent apostle (before you have theocracy) you are at a "minor loss" disadvantage and opponent debater apostle will hurt your inquisitor down to 20ish%. If those same units attack your inquisitor, your unit takes far less damage and their apostles take more damage, to the extent that 2 or 3 inquisitors with accompany military units as surrounding "walls", moved appropriately to combat, can seriously kill several apostles over time, especially if given the opportunity to heal.

 

[mice]

So that means... a bombard unit with 6 Obs Balloons around it gets +6 range? Am I understanding correctly?

Yes, the range stacks for artillery too. Surround your art with balloons. Really handy feature.

 

[Roxlimn]

Joining new units to experienced units in a Corps does not degrade experience.
Joining two experienced units into a Corps does not give them more experience.
Additions to tile improvements are in addition to base output. So a Sphinx next to a Pyramids gives you +3 Faith +1 Culture (and +1 more Culture later)

 

[stormtrooper412]

Park an Apostle on your own Holy Site and good luck having it destroyed, it gets a MASSIVE buff to theological combat. In fact, a pair of Inquisitors parked on a Holy Site and the adjacent tile will defend against an AI apostle spam with ease. And, as pointed out, they will heal at the beginning of your turn

 

[Zuizgond]

Wait I didn't know that O_O

So that means... a bombard unit with 6 Obs Balloons around it gets +6 range? Am I understanding correctly?

Currently yes. But I'm pretty sure it's not intended.

 

[RealAntithesis]

Aircraft carrier fleets/armadas do not carry more planes than a lone unit.

Probably because fleets (and other 'corps' and 'armies') appear to be for all intents and purposes just stronger versions of their single units, rather than actually consisting of different parts. I know others are saying these things are the answer to stacks (of doom), but it doesn't seem so to me. Real armies or fleets would be composed of different units with different abilities and purposes - none of which is represented in Civ6.

Also great generals are specific to their eras, which is a pain since they no longer provide any benefit at all (except for whatever their active ability is) when your units upgrade.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

And I guess non-specialty districts refers to Neighborhoods, but I'm curious if Mbanzas, Aqueducts and Baths are also non-specialty.

Baths and normal Aqueducts both don't count towards the district limit if that's what you meant.

Didn't know about Observation Balloon stacking. Will defninitely be nerfed...

Here's something else that's probably going to be patched away: The British Museums ability is applied to English cities, not to the England civ. I conquered London in an early rush and centuries later built an Archeology Museum there with six slots.
If you play Kongo and England is nearby, you know what to do.

 

[Jimdigriz]

Only a small one this and I posted it elsewhere but useful to know.

At the start of the game (before Shipbuilding) the only land unit that can go to sea (coastal not ocean) is a Builder (with Sailing). Now if you use 2 of the 3 charges then send the Builder out to sea it becomes a useful scout to pop City states and even tribal villages if you are lucky. Yeah its very vulnerable (unless you keep a Galley close) but its very handy getting an idea of the area years before you normally could.

I am not sure if this was intended by the designers and maybe it is a bit silly but its very useful on an Islands map!

 

[dac050]

Missionaries make good scouts for Nations that you can't get an Open Borders agreement with.

 

[unpossible251]

No farms on tundra; nerfs russia a bit.

 

[fatgordy]

• Fortifying units gives them +3 fortifying bonus strength per turn, up to +6 max for two turns.
• Putting units on a fort instantly gives them the +6 total fortifying bonus plus an additional +4 for the tile improvement (fort) bonus.
• Placing districts does not appear to give you any chop/harvest bonuses when you place on woods/rainforests/marsh/bonus resources. You should chop/harvest the tile first if you want the bonus.
• You can still build a harbor and ships even if your city is not founded on a coast as long as an ocean tile is in your city radius.
• Luxury resources only provide amenity benefit to a limited number of your cities (not all) and acquiring more of the same type of that resource does not benefit more cities.
• Settling new cities doesn't cause any inherent penalty such as maintenance, corruption etc. Settle away and reap the benefits.
• If you do not have a slot available, the AI will not trade you a Great Work (same with stealing via espionage). They will say that they will not trade under any circumstances.
• Wonders increase their tourism output as they age. Build early for max benefit.
• It is better to gain a city via diplomacy in a peace deal rather than capture it during combat. If the AI does not cede the city to you, it will prevent it from ever growing beyond the pop it was when you captured it. Unless, of course, you kill the AI.

 

[Victoria]

Diplomacy has an initial impressions modifier it is worth understanding with a delegation to know who will go for you early.
If you meet someone like Cleo and do not send an envoy, when she has a stupid comical whine at how weak you are you can no longer send an envoy, so get them in there early.

When you get an early upgrade (for example an early ironclad, even upgraded to armada) it cannot repair until you discover the tech. You can heal by pillaging though.

Having desert / tundra tiles is not a big deal as you can build districts in them... as long as you are not all desert and tundra.

Seaside resorts seem to have a limit, looks like 10 on standard maps.

Hovering over wonders in the tourism leans tells you how much each wonder generates a turn.

Looking up stats for formulas is a waste of time because they will probably change them all with the first patch

 

[camomilk]

Siege towers work with Modern era units. I captured a city with 2 attacks from Infantry Corps + Siege Towers