Science is one of the main statistics in Civilization VI. It is used solely to research developments in the technology tree: each turn your raw Science output, plus eventual lump sums of Science, are applied towards the technology you are currently researching. Note that the raw Science output of your nation is not the only way to progress scientifically, but it is still essential!
Sources
Science is mainly earned from population and the Campus district. Each Citizen yields 0.7 Science, which makes for relatively good early progress (as long as your Population grows fast). Later, however, you will have to develop additional means for scientific progress.
Buildings and the Campus District
The center of scientific development is the Campus. Its Adjacency bonuses yield additional Science, as do Specialist Citizens placed into it (+2 each). Its buildings - Libraries, Universities, and Research Labs - yield +2, +4, and +5 Science respectively and provide major contribution to your scientific growth.
Furthermore, Scientific city-states will grant massive amounts of Science (up to +4 Science in every Campus, and an additional +2 in the Capital Capital) based on the number of Envoy Envoys assigned to that city-state.
Most of the time, several well-placed Campuses along with clever playing (for Eureka Eureka moments) will ensure your technological advancement is more than enough. But there are many more additional ways to earn raw Science.
Resources
Certain strategic and luxury resources add Science yields, including:
Of these resources, Mercury and Tea are revealed at start (being Luxuries), while Iron is revealed soon after that. Cities which happen to have these resources close by in the early game will significantly boost your early scientific endeavors.
Policy Cards
Several Policy Cards also grant additional Science boosts once their conditions are met. These include:
- Natural Philosophy: +100% Campus adjacency bonuses
- Trade Confederation: +1 Science from international Trade Route Trade Routes
- Rationalism: +100% Science from Campus buildings
- Raj: Each city-state you are Suzerain of grants +2 additional Science
- Military Research: Military Academies and Seaports grant +1 Science
- Market Economy: International Trade Route Trade Routes grant +2 Science per strategic resource improved at their destination
- International Space Agency: +10% Science from each city-state you are Suzerain of
However, most of these Policies become available only in the middle and late game, making them a good option for a player going for a Scientific Victory, rather than for general development.
Wonders
Only two Wonders grant Science bonuses: the Great Library (which grants +2 Science) and Oxford University (which grants 20% bonus Science in its city).
However, Science can also be obtained through several natural wonders:
- Crater Lake: +1 Science
- Galapagos Islands: +2 Science to all adjacent tiles
- Great Barrier Reef: +2 Science
- Tsingy de Bemaraha: +1 Science to all adjacent tiles
- Yosemite: +1 Science to all adjacent tiles
Great Scientists
Many Great Scientists grant Science bonuses (not to be confused with technology boosts, which are provided by other Great Scientists):
- Hypatia's bonus makes Libraries provide an additional +1 Science.
- Hildegard of Bingen makes the target Holy Site's adjacency bonuses provide Science bonuses as well.
- Galileo Galilei grants the civilization 250 raw Science for each adjacent Mountain tile.
- Isaac Newton's bonus makes Universities grant an additional +2 Science.
- Charles Darwin grants the civilzation 500 Science for each adjacent Natural Wonder.
- Albert Einstein's bonus makes Universities grant an additional +4 Science.
- Janaki Ammal grants the civilization 400 raw Science for each adjacent Rainforest tile.
- Mary Leakey grants the civilization 350 raw Science for every Artifact in the target city.
Of course, these benefits are quite difficult to obtain - plan well if you want to get these Scientists, and keep a constant eye on the Great People screen.
Other
Besides the above, international Trade Route Trade Routes may yield additional Science, when connecting to cities with Campus districts, or with certain Policies. Specialists assigned in Harbor districts also grant +1 Science each. And of course, we have the various ways to activate technology boosts, which will cut the time needed to research in half (see below).
Unique Bonuses
Many unique pieces of infrastructure and civ/leader abilities grant special Science bonuses:
- The unique tile improvement of Sumeria, the Ziggurat, grants +2 Science.
- The unique tile improvement of Spain, the Mission, grants +1 Science if built next to a Campus and +2 Science with the Cultural Heritage civic.
- England's unique district, the Royal Navy Dockyard, grants +1 Science for every specialist in the district.
- Arabia's Madrasas grant +5 Science.
- Saladin's leader bonus grants +10% bonus Science output from worship buildings.
- Peter's trade routes grant him +1 Science for every 3 technologies the destination civilization is ahead of himself.
Scientific Progress
As mentioned above, raw Science is not the only way to progress technologically. There are now many gameplay elements which can help you progress, even though your raw Science output is not that great.
- Eureka Eureka moments. Almost every technology, beyond the most basic ones from the Ancient Era and certain other key techs, can be boosted through a Eureka Eureka moment. These scientific breakthroughs can be achieved through normal gameplay, as you develop certain aspects of your empire. Check each technology's description to find out what you need to do to trigger the Eureka Eureka. Eureka Eureka moments are active throughout the entire game.
- Tribal Villages. Some friendly tribes will share their technological secrets with you. This triggers a tech boost (equivalent to a Eureka Eureka moment) for a random technology in your era. Note that if you happen to have activated that technology's Eureka Eureka moment already, you will end up gaining the tech right away!
- Espionage. After you produce your first Spy in the Renaissance Era, you will be able to steal Tech Boosts (equivalent to Eureka Eureka moments) from foreign cities. Just send your spy in a city with a Campus district, and send him or her on a Steal Tech Boost mission. Note that this is not cumulative with either a Eureka Eureka moment or another Tech Boost - if you have already activated such for this tech, you will be unable to complete the mission!
- Research Agreements. After you research Scientific Theory, you will be able to enter into Research Agreements with a nation if the two of you are Declared Friends or Allies. You will have to select a particular technology you both have unlocked, and apply your joint efforts to develop it. When you complete the agreement (or sometimes even before that), you will gain the technology!
- Great People (especially Great Scientists). Many Great Persons have unique abilities which grant Tech boosts, sometimes to random technologies of their and the next era, and sometimes to one of the specific technologies which cannot receive a boost in any other way.
Civilization VI [edit] | |
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Rise and Fall • Gathering Storm • New Frontier Pass • Leader Pass | |
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Miscellaneous | |
Added in the Rise and Fall expansion pack. Added in the Gathering Storm expansion pack. |