added a new settlement mechanic, towns, which have the option to be turned into cities. is ultimately a game of choices, so players will likely be curious to know when they should choose to leave a new settlement as a town or convert it into a city.
Understanding the right time to make the swap, or if there ever really is a right time, requires understanding the major differences between the two types of settlements.
This represents a change from the games of the past. Before, all settlements functioned the same, and the main decisions surrounding them came from their production and how to upgrade it. The addition of towns allows players to be a bit more flexible in their expansion strategy, and nobody is going to complain about one of the best strategy games adding a bit more nuance.
They also introduce some nice changes that make it a little more appealing to produce more settlers even for players who don’t typically like spending too much time on city management.
Like any game, starts players out with a settler who will create their first city. Right off the bat, players will notice one difference: this starting settler is now called a Founder.