To establish trade routes in Civilization VI, you need to build a commercial hub district in your cities. Once you have a commercial hub, you can assign a trader unit to establish trade routes with other civilizations or city-states. Trade routes provide various benefits, such as gold, resources, and spread of religion or science.
Exploring the Map
One of the first steps to establishing trade routes in Civilization VI is to explore the map around your civilization. By sending out your scouts and other units to uncover new lands, you will discover other civilizations, city-states, and potential trade partners. This exploration is crucial for identifying the best routes for your trade and understanding the geography of the world you are playing in.
Unlocking Trade Routes
Once you have a good understanding of the map and have made contact with other civilizations, you will need to unlock the ability to establish trade routes. In Civilization VI, trade routes become available once you have researched the appropriate technology or civic. Typically, trade routes are unlocked early in the game, allowing you to start establishing connections with other cities to boost your economy and strengthen diplomatic ties.
Building Traders
To establish trade routes in Civilization VI, you will need to build traders in your cities. Traders are specialized units that are used to create and maintain trade routes between your cities and other civilizations or city-states. You can produce traders by assigning your cities to build them in the production menu. Each trader unit you build allows you to establish one trade route, so it's important to build traders strategically based on your trade goals and available resources.
Choosing Trade Routes
When you have traders available, it's time to establish trade routes. To do this, select a trader unit and choose the destination for the trade route. You can establish trade routes between your own cities to boost production, food, or gold in specific locations. Additionally, you can establish trade routes with other civilizations or city-states to gain various benefits, such as gold, science, culture, or even diplomatic favor. Consider your current needs and long-term goals when choosing trade routes to maximize their impact on your civilization.
Maximizing Trade Route Benefits
Each trade route in Civilization VI provides different benefits depending on the destination. When establishing trade routes, consider the specific advantages each route offers and how they align with your overall strategy. For example, if you need a boost in gold income, focus on trade routes with civilizations or city-states that offer lucrative gold rewards. If you are aiming to advance technologically, prioritize trade routes that provide science bonuses to help you research new technologies faster.
Protecting Trade Routes
Establishing trade routes also comes with risks, as other civilizations or barbarians may try to plunder your trade routes and disrupt your economy. To protect your trade routes, consider sending military units to escort your traders along potentially dangerous routes. Additionally, you can establish trade routes that go through safe territories or establish alliances with other civilizations to ensure the security of your trade network. By safeguarding your trade routes, you can prevent disruptions and maximize the benefits they provide to your civilization.
Adapting to Changing Circumstances
As you progress through the game, your trade route needs and priorities may change based on various factors, such as wars, alliances, resource availability, and economic conditions. It's important to adapt your trade route strategy to these changing circumstances to maintain a strong economy and diplomatic relations. Be flexible in establishing new trade routes, reassigning traders to different destinations, and adjusting your trade priorities to suit your evolving needs in Civilization VI.