TL;DR
- Towns convert to cities through simple gold payment via settlement menu interface
- Strategic conversion timing balances immediate costs against long-term empire growth benefits
- Specialized towns often provide better early-game returns than immediate city upgrades
- Military conquest settlements automatically revert to towns requiring re-conversion
- Advanced players optimize conversion timing based on economic cycles and victory conditions
Civilization VII introduces a nuanced settlement system where newly acquired territories begin as towns rather than full-fledged cities. Understanding this progression mechanic is crucial for effective empire management across the game’s three distinct ages.
Throughout your Civilization VII campaign, you’ll consistently expand your domain through various acquisition methods. These include successful military campaigns against rival leaders where you capture their established districts, or through exploration where your settlers independently discover and claim valuable locations. As your territorial holdings accumulate, transforming these settlements into cities becomes a strategic priority for maximizing your civilization’s potential.
The fundamental distinction between towns and cities lies in their development ceilings and functional roles. Towns operate with constrained expansion limits and can adopt specialized focuses that align with your strategic objectives. Cities, conversely, serve as central hubs within your empire’s infrastructure, offering superior growth potential and enhanced strategic positioning on the global stage.
Choosing a Focus for a town in Civilization VII
The transformation process from town to city in Civilization VII employs a straightforward gold-based conversion system. This procedure becomes available immediately after establishing a new settlement through founding or conquest. Notably, even previously developed cities captured from opponents revert to town status under new ownership, requiring fresh investment to restore their urban status.
To execute a successful town-to-city conversion in Civilization VII, follow this detailed procedure:
- Select the capital tile of the target town you wish to elevate
- Examine the settlement interface panel on your screen’s left side
- Locate the “Convert to City” action button within the menu options
- Review the displayed gold requirement for the transformation process
- If your treasury contains sufficient funds, activate the conversion command to instantly upgrade the settlement
Upgrading a town to a city
Common Mistake Alert: Many players underestimate the gold maintenance costs that accompany city status. Before converting, ensure your economy can sustain the increased expenses, particularly if you’re pursuing a Class Guide style economic strategy.
The conversion decision requires careful strategic evaluation rather than automatic upgrading of every settlement. Towns provide specialized benefits that might better serve immediate needs, while cities offer long-term growth potential at significant resource costs.
Economic Analysis: The gold investment for conversion typically ranges from 200-500 units depending on the town’s development level and your civilization’s economic policies. Weigh this against potential returns from alternative investments like military units or infrastructure projects.
Military Considerations: Frontier towns near hostile civilizations might benefit from delayed conversion, as cities become higher-priority targets for enemies. Consider maintaining strategic towns as specialized military outposts rather than converting them prematurely.
The briefing on towns vs. cities in Civilization VII
Advanced Timing Strategy: Optimal conversion often aligns with completing key economic technologies or establishing secure trade routes. For comprehensive empire management, reference our Complete Guide to synchronize your urban development with broader strategic objectives.
Seasoned Civilization VII players develop sophisticated conversion strategies that maximize returns while minimizing risks. These approaches consider multiple variables including victory conditions, opponent strategies, and resource availability.
Specialization Priority: Towns with unique resource advantages or strategic positioning often deliver superior specialized outputs than generalized cities. Mining towns near rich mineral deposits or coastal towns with fishing specializations can outperform newly converted cities in specific resource production.
Resource Allocation Mastery: The gold spent on conversion represents opportunity cost. Advanced players calculate whether those funds would generate better returns if invested in Weapons Unlock style rapid development or military expansion instead of urban upgrades.
Conversion Timing Optimization: The most effective conversion timing typically occurs during economic boom periods or after securing defensive alliances. Avoid upgrading during military conflicts or economic downturns when gold reserves need preservation for critical needs.
Expert Pitfall Avoidance: New players frequently convert towns too early, straining their economies, or too late, missing growth opportunities. The ideal balance involves maintaining a mix of specialized towns and strategic cities tailored to your civilization’s specific needs and victory trajectory.
Action Checklist
- Evaluate town specialization benefits vs city growth potential
- Check gold reserves and calculate maintenance cost sustainability
- Prioritize conversions based on strategic value and resource access
- Execute conversions during economic prosperity periods
- Monitor converted cities for increased production and adjust specialization accordingly
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Civilization 7: How To Upgrade Towns Into Cities Master the strategic process of upgrading towns to cities in Civilization VII with expert tips and optimization strategies