You will beable to make instant decisions regarding building cities after just looking at the map’s characteristics.
Keep in mind that each tile might represent a completely different bang out of terrain.
Terrain types
The section below describes all terrain types in the game.
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Advantages
Usefulness
Grasslands
+2 Food
High.The main terrain to build a city on.
The city should develop fairly quickly even on little tiles.
Grasslands (hills)
+1 Production
High.
One of the most important terrains.
Make settlements as soon as possible.
Desert (hills)
Medium.
Production bonus is useful, but its value is not high enough.
Ocean
+1 Food
Medium.
If you settle by the ocean, you’ve got the option to acquire vast expanses of ocean.
Even though you cannot build there, you will receive Food bonus while expanding your settlements.
Similar to grasslands, but the bonus is split into two.
If you don’t have a better option, settle on plains.
Plains (hills)
+2 Production
High.
More Production bonus and the same Food bonus.
A constant rate of development with a high production speed of units and infrastructure.
Snow (hills)
Medium.
Just like any area with hills, if provides you with Production bonus.
Coast
+1 Gold
High.
Moreover, you could find sources of food there (seafood).
Tundra (hills)
High.
Hills add a typical bonus - an extra Production point.
Even if the population growth is slow, it will make catching up easier.
Feature
Comment
Forest
The easiest feature to delete.
Rainforest
A small bonus that can save you in the early parts of the game.
Oasis
+3 Food
The best possible feature.
Unfortunately, it is usually surrounded by desert, so its attractiveness drops down.
If you manage to get an oasis along your expansion, it will come in handy.
Marsh
A minor bonus, use it to slow down enemy units.
If it occurs on a good terrain, it is worth keeping.
Ice
Ice is important in terms of strategy, similarly to mountains.
Flood Plain
Very high Food bonus can help you develop.
If you come across this feature, use it as long as possible.
Movement limitations
The table below shows the movement points required to cross various tiles.
As you’re able to see, flat terrain is the easiest to cross.
If there are hills on the area, moving across it costs twice as much.
Each feature increases the cost of movement by 1 point.
Remember to choose areas that have plenty of fresh water, the more the better.
It will let your city grow without buying extra buildings.
If a city is located far from any source of water, it quickly requires new buildings to grow.
If you don’t buy them, you will receive a development penalty which will hinder acquiring new citizens.
If you haven’t had access to fresh water, the amount of these areas is reduced to6.
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