Gold (currency) (Civ7)

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For the resource, see Gold (Civ7).

Gold is one of the yields in Civilization VII and its expansions. It is needed for a civilization to pay maintenance costs, upgrade units, and purchase things in its Settlements.

Mechanics

Gold is a global yield, meaning it can be accumulated across all Settlements and spent anywhere in your empire. It functions similarly to Production, as both are used to develop Cities and maintain military forces. However, the key difference is that Production is a local resource, while Gold can be freely used on any Settlements, allowing for immediate purchases of units and Buildings. This makes Gold a crucial asset for emergency spending when a civilization needs to react quickly to threats or opportunities. However, purchasing units and Buildings with Gold is far more inefficient than using Production — typically costing four times as much.

This requires players to critically think about which projects to invest their Gold in, especially in the early stages where Gold is scarce. However, similar to other yield bonuses like % Production boosts and growth rate increases, Gold can also benefit from purchase discounts. These bonuses can come from empire Resources like Gold and Silver, attributes, or other game elements. Acquiring these discounts is crucial for maximizing the efficiency of Gold spending, as they can significantly increase its value and allow civilizations to develop more rapidly when leveraged properly.

Gold is especially useful for setting up new Settlements. Established Cities generate significant yields, including ample Production, making them largely self-sufficient and capable of completing projects quickly. In contrast, newer Settlements start with very low Production but have a long list of essential Buildings to construct. Without intervention, these Settlements can take an extremely long time to become fully operational. Using Gold to purchase key infrastructure — such as Production Buildings — is almost mandatory to accelerate their development, ensuring they can efficiently construct additional Buildings and contribute to the empire sooner.

Gold is also particularly important for militaristic strategies. Not only is a large army expensive to sustain, but wars and unexpected dangers require the flexibility to recruit, upgrade, or reinforce units instantly.

In addition to being a resource for purchasing assets, Gold is also used for unit and Building maintenance. Each military unit and structure has an upkeep cost per turn, meaning a strong economy is necessary to sustain a large empire. While Buildings, Tile Improvements, and trade contribute to Gold income, efficient economic management is just as important. Players can indirectly increase their Gold by avoiding unnecessary units and buildings that drain their economy.

Beyond standard Gold Buildings, a major source of Gold is Towns, which convert all of their Production into Gold. This makes them valuable economic hubs that encourage expansion and provide a steady income to support Cities and armies.

Gold's availability and importance change over time:

• Antiquity Age: Gold is scarce, with the main sources being goody huts and early economic Buildings. It is primarily spent on crucial units like Settlers and early military forces to ensure security, expansion, and maintain tempo without delaying key Buildings and wonders.
• Exploration Age: This is when Gold income can explode, especially with a focus on trade and economy. Players can settle on Distant lands, shipping treasure Resources back to their homeland for profit. Additionally, the Settlement cap significantly increases, enabling rapid Town expansion, which serves as a major Gold generator. Gold in this era is often spent on developing Towns, constructing naval units, and reinforcing military forces in case of dangerous times.
• Modern Age: Gold becomes abundant depending on a civilization's previous investments and victory focus. Those aiming for an Economic Victory will require massive Gold reserves to secure their win quickly. Other players will still benefit from high Gold income, using it to purchase crucial assets — whether Buildings, Explorers, or military forces — to accelerate their strategy.

Gold is always a valuable resource to accumulate and invest in, but its importance varies depending on the situation. While it provides great flexibility and can be crucial in certain moments, Gold is rarely the main priority when developing an empire. A strong economy is always beneficial, but civilizations should balance their Gold income with other core yields like Production, Science, and Culture to ensure long-term success.

See also

• Gold (currency) in other games