Great people can be settled in a city, where they provide a steady bonus of some kind to that city, or they can be expended to get an immediate and powerful bonus. There are six different types of great people; each type provides a different benefit to your civilization. You cannot settle two great people of the same type in the same city.

Great People Types

Great Artists/Thinkers Special Ability: Expend a great artist to convert a nearby city to your civilization! (The city must be visible and cannot be hidden by “fog of war.”) Settlement Ability: Settle a great artist in a city to increase that city’s cultural output by 50%. Great Builder Special Ability: Expend a great builder to complete any unit, building or wonder under construction in that city. Settlement Ability: Production costs of all future buildings in the city are cut in half. Great Explorer/Industrialist Special Ability: Expend a great explorer to gain an immediate large chunk of gold in your treasury. Settlement Ability: Receive a permanent boost to that city’s gold output. Great General Special Ability: Great generals appear after one of your units has won an exceptional victory on the battlefield. The great general immediately “attaches” to the successful unit; it provides a 50% attack and defense bonus to all units in that space. Great Humanitarian Special Ability: Expend a great humanitarian to increase the population of every city in your civ by 1. Settlement Ability: Provides a 50% boost to the city’s population growth rate. Great Leader Special Ability: Expend a great leader to immediately give all of your units the veteran upgrade. Settlement Ability: Units constructed in a city with a great leader settled in it are automatically veterans. Great Scientist Special Ability: Expend a great scientist to immediately complete research on the tech you’re currently studying. Settlement Ability: Increase the city’s research output by 50%.

Back to Contents