How Big Can a City Get in Civilization V?
In the game Civilization V, a city is a crucial unit of population and economy growth for any civilization. Building a large city can significantly increase a player’s gold and population output, contributing to their overall victory in the game. But the question remains, how big can a city get in Civilization V? Let’s explore the possibilities and limitations.
Maximum City Size: 11 Tiles
A crucial point to note is that the maximum size of a city in Civilization V is 11 tiles. This is defined by the MAXIMUM_ACQUIRE_PLOT_DISTANCE global define. As long as your city’s influence zone remains within 11 tiles of its city center, it can grow and produce units and amenities.
Maximum Worked Tiles
Now, within the limits of city size, we can also talk about maximum worked tiles. The city’s growth and development rely on working tiles, including farm plots, mines, and city plots. You can work a maximum of 5 tiles beyond your city center, either vertically or horizontally. The diagram below illustrates this limit.
| City Center | -1 Tile | 0 Tile | +1 Tile | +2 Tiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -2 |
Here, represents unworkable tiles, | represents city plots (with varying population capacities), |** represents farm plots or mines, and indicates working tiles. Note that tiles closer to the city center are always worked automatically.
Working Tiles for Production
While you can work 5 tiles beyond the city center, these extra tiles have different yields for resources. The city will prioritize resource production for working tiles based on population demands and the availability of specific resources.
Example Resource Yield Breakdown:
| Resource | Production Yields (per Tile) |
|---|---|
| Food | +2 Food for population of 5, then +1 Food thereafter |
| Production | +5 Production, unaffected by population size |
| Gold | +5 Gold, halved when population size increases beyond 5 |
| Faith | +10 Faith, unaffected by population size |
Here, population demand determines resource production rates, except for faith. To maintain production rates for non-faith resources, your population size must increase incrementally (e.g., from 5 to 6 to 7). Overpopulation will automatically scale resource production.
Tile Expansion: Liberation Army vs City-State Allies
Civ V allows for several tile expansion methods, depending on your gameplay style.
• Liberation Army: When conquering an enemy city, your army will occupy the neighboring tile. Liberating tiles occupied by an enemy force rewards 2 bonus Victory Points for each successful battle.
• City-State Allies: City-States, being neutral units in the game, allow your civilization to work extra tiles without declaring war or fighting. Each ally enables access to a single workable tile beyond the existing limit. Allies can aid resource production, enhance relationships, or offer benefits for conquests.
Conquerors, Pillage, and Burn: Raze and Destroy?
If your city’s population overwhelms a City-State ally or a defeated enemy unit, the excess population is redistributed within your empire or deleted if not absorbed within your current city limits.
Conversely, as of patch 1.0.2, a major limitation applies to civili-zation’s aggression and growth:
Only capital cities can be razing.
No wonder conquerors have always grumbled about city destruction constraints in the past! If an ally’s city surpasses your current population needs, there is no provision for raz-ing that City-State, which keeps peace-loving leaders at the edge of frustration.
Now you have the knowledge about maximum city size, workable tiles, and ways to expand. While tile-based city expansion can unlock great opportunities for resource accumulation, there are limits set to balance game progression with challenges.
Conclusion: Knowing these mechanics helps you shape the foundation of your Civ V cities. Focus on your core objectives, carefully select City-State allies to work new tiles, conquer when strategic, and exploit every advantage without razing peaceful City-State friends!