City sites are the only locations where Settlers can found new Cities. A city site can be claimed by a Nation as long as a unit is located on it.
Barbarians
Barbarians occupy City-States like other Tribes, but they are in a permanent state of War with all Nations. They have a number of special units: Marauders, Skirmishers, Elite Marauders and Elite Skirmishers.
Culture level
Each city has a culture level, which is increased each time the Culture bar fills. Culture level provides increasing bonuses to the city but also increasing costs per population.
Culture Level
Projects Tier
Hamlet Limit
Victory Points
Governor XP/Year
Can Hurry Production
Population Upkeep
Improvements
Weak
I
1
+1
+4
No
1 Food
Developing
II
2
+2
+6
Yes
2 Food 1 Iron
Strong
III
3
+3
+8
Yes
3 Food 1 Iron 1 Stone
Legendary
IV
4
+4
+10
Yes
4 Food 1 Iron 1 Stone 1 Wood
Improvements
Improvements can be used to grand various bonuses to a City. There are two types of improvements: rural and urban. If a Worker is selected the game will suggest the tile where each improvement is most effective.
Improvements without a Specialist will increase the City's Maintenance.
Rural improvements
Rural improvements can only be constructed on non-urban tiles. They require either certain terrain or a certain natural resource present on the tile.
Urban improvements can be constructed only in the following:
An urban tile.
A tile adjacent to two urban tiles. The tile will become urban once the improvement is completed.
A tile adjacent to one urban tile and one water tile. The tile will become urban once the improvement is completed.
Improvement
Yearly output
Cost
Terrain if not urban
Required technology
Odeon
+3 Culture -2 Stone Enables Poets
40 Stone 1 Orders for 4 years
Arid, Lush, Temperate
Drama
Barracks
+10 XP per year for Idle Melee Units +20% Adjacent Garrison Effects +20% Training -2 Iron Enables Officers
40 Stone 1 Orders for 4 years
Arid, Lush, Temperate
Military Drill
Range
+10 XP per year for Idle Ranged Units +20% Adjacent Garrison Effects +20% Training -2 Wood Enables Officers
40 Wood 1 Orders for 4 years
Arid, Lush, Temperate
Composite Bow
Barracks and Ranges are limited to 2 per City.
Hamlets
Hamlets may be built anywhere. In 20 turns it will grow into a Village, and in another 20 turns it will grow into a Town. Only one Hamlet may be built for each Culture Level of a City.
Shrines
Shrines may be built anywhere and gain various bonuses depending on their location and the Nation's Religion. They may not be built next to each other.
Specialists
Specialists are unlocked by certain Improvements that can be trained to boost the yield of the Improvement. All Specialists also produce a small amount of Science. A Specialist's production cost increases with each one built in a city.
Rural specialists
Rural specialists produce 1 Science. They can also provide Luxuries if the Improvement is built on a natural resource that can produce it.
Specialist
Improvement
Yearly effect
Cost
Farmer
Farm
150% Improvement Production 1 Growth
40 Civics
Miner
Mine
150% Improvement Production 1 Training
40 Civics
Stonecutter
Quarry
150% Improvement Production 1 Civics
40 Civics
Woodcutter
Lumbermill
150% Improvement Production 1 Science
40 Civics
Fisher
Nets
200% Improvement Production
60 Civics 20 Food
Gardener
Grove
200% Improvement Production
60 Civics 20 Food
Rancher
Pasture
200% Improvement Production
60 Civics 20 Food
Trapper
Camp
200% Improvement Production
60 Civics 20 Food
Urban specialists
Urban specialists can be upgraded, improving their bonuses. Upgrading a specialist does not require Citizens.
Training an Apprentice specialist costs 40 Food and 40 Civics and produces a bonus of 2 Science each year.
Upgrading to Master specialist costs 60 Food and 60 Civics and produces a bonus of 3 Science each year.
Upgrading to Elder specialist costs 80 Food and 80 Civics and produces a bonus of 4 Science each year.
Specialist
Improvement
Apprentice yearly effect
Master yearly effect
Elder yearly effect
Acolyte
Shrine
1 Religion Opinion 2 Culture
2 Religion Opinion 3 Culture 0.5 Orders
3 Religion Opinion 4 Culture 1 Orders
Monk
Monastery
1 Religion Opinion 4 Culture
2 Religion Opinion 6 Culture 1 Civics per Culture Level
3 Religion Opinion 8 Culture 2 Civics per Culture Level
Priest
Temple
1 Religion Opinion 1 Happiness
2 Religion Opinion 1.5 Happiness 0.5 Training per Citizen
3 Religion Opinion 2 Happiness 1 Training per Citizen
Projects
Projects are internal City enhancements that on completion grant an instant bonus and a permanent bonus. Each Project can only be constructed in Cities with the same tier of Culture Level.