There is a simple version of this and a complete version, and both are below in that order.

Short answer

The direct answer is above the fold; the reasoning underneath is there for when the direct answer does not fit your situation.

  • Revisit after a major patch if the behaviour changes.
  • Test it yourself where testing is cheap.
  • Keep a save or backup from before you start — it costs nothing and occasionally saves an evening.

Each Civilization entry reshuffles the rules enough that habits from the last one quietly stop working. The mechanic behind it is simpler than the discussion around it suggests. Edge cases are genuinely rare, which is why the simple answer is usually the correct one.

What to do instead

The short version is near the top on purpose; the reasoning is there if you want to know why. Most of the disagreement online comes from people describing different versions of Civilization. The accepted community answer is broadly right and wrong in a specific way that matters here. What follows assumes you are on a current install and have not modified it.

Testing this yourself takes a few minutes and settles it definitively. It is worth separating what the game does from what players have concluded it does. There is no hidden trick here that the game is keeping from you.

Why it works this way

Nothing here depends on a setting you are unlikely to have. It helps to understand why a step exists, because then you can adapt it when your situation is slightly different. The community wisdom on this is roughly half right, and the half that is wrong costs the most time.

  • Note the exception cases — they are specific rather than vague.
  • Do not build a routine around an edge case.
  • If a menu path does not exist for you, your build is older or newer than the one described.
  • Try the straightforward approach before the elaborate one.
  • Check which version any conflicting advice was written for.

Worth knowing alongside this

Anything that behaves differently on console than on PC is flagged where it matters. Everything below is framed around the current state of Civilization rather than a launch-week impression. There is usually a fast way and a reliable way, and it is worth knowing which one you are choosing. Nothing here assumes a particular playstyle beyond wanting the thing to work.

If you are coming to this after a long break, the terminology has probably moved on. None of this needs a paid tool, a third-party launcher or an account on a site you have never heard of. If your result differs from what is described here, note what is different first rather than starting over.

When the usual advice fails

Civilization is not shy about hiding useful information two menus deep, so some of this is simply knowing where to look. Treat anything stated without a version number as provisional. If a step reads as obvious, do it anyway — the obvious ones are the ones people skip and then wonder about.

Where something depends on your platform or region, that is called out rather than glossed over. Half the pages on this topic were written for a build that no longer exists, which is why they stop matching what you see. Screenshots age faster than text, which is why this describes rather than shows.

The practical answer

Where two approaches both work, the one with fewer moving parts is the one to keep. Patch notes move numbers around constantly; the shape of the answer holds even when a specific value shifts. The developers have changed their mind about this at least once, which explains the older advice.

Where people go wrong

  • Treating a rare edge case as the normal behaviour and planning around it.
  • Rushing the last step, which is usually the one with the actual requirement in it.
  • Copying a setup wholesale from a streamer without understanding what each part does.

Civ FAQ

Is this still accurate after the latest Civilization update?

The method is; individual numbers may not be. If a value on your screen differs, trust the screen and keep the sequence.

Why do people disagree about this?

Mostly because they are describing different versions. Version drift explains the majority of contradictory advice about Civilization.

Is there a faster method?

Sometimes, at the cost of reliability. Where that trade exists it is described rather than recommended blindly.

Why do other guides describe this differently?

Most were written for an earlier version and never revisited. Compare the steps against what your build actually shows.

That is the whole of it — if something here stops matching Civilization, the game changed, not the method.