The latest New Frontier pass for Civilization 6 introduces several new features, such as the Ethiopia civilization, the Secret Societies game mode, and a new district known as the Diplomatic Quarter. Interacting with other countries is an important aspect of Civilization 6, whether it be through warfare or alliances. The Diplomatic Quarter ties into these international affairs, helping players achieve bonuses for diplomacy.
Only one Diplomatic Quarter can be built per civilization, and it provides powerful bonuses to the city it’s built in. This guide will take a look at what benefits the Diplomatic Quarter provides, and how to build it.
What Civ 6’s Diplomatic Quarter Does
The Diplomatic Quarter itself is a district that's built on a tile like any other district. Once built, it will grant the player +1 culture for every delegation and embassy they’ve received from other civilizations. Delegations and embassies can be sent to other civilizations for a gold fee and improve relations with them, making them more friendly, and increases diplomatic visibility. They’re removed from a civilization if relations between the 2 civilizations sour, like through war or a denouncement. Players that maintain their friendships longer will be able to keep their embassies longer, meaning they’ll benefit most from the Diplomatic Quarter’s effects. Those that have the Gathering Storm expansion will gain Diplomatic Favor, a currency for diplomacy, from this district instead of culture. Players seeking a diplomatic victory will absolutely need to build the Diplomatic Quarter, as diplomatic favor is needed to vote in the World Congress. This district also grants an envoy when placed next to the city center, useful for gaining city state allies, and lowers the power of enemy spies targeting any adjacent district.
There are 2 buildings that players can build in their Diplomatic Quarter to boost its effects. The Consulate is the first building. Once built, players gain +2 influence points per turn for the rest of the game. Once players gain enough influence points, they’ll gain an envoy to send to a City-State. Players with the most envoys at a City-State become its suzerain and acquire special rewards, so constructing this building will help players make more City-State allies over the course of the game. Also, the Consulate decreases enemy spy power in the entire city and every city with an encampment district. Lastly, the Chancery building. Once built, it will provide +3 more influence points per turn permanently. In addition, all enemy spies that are captured or killed in the player’s lands provide a boost in science equal to how many promotions it has. These buildings also tie into City-State bonuses now, as gaining tier 2 (3 envoys) with a City-State provides bonus yields to the Consulate, and gaining tier 3 (6 envoys) grants yields to the Chancery building. Constructing these buildings will allow players to access these yields, so those with lots of envoys ought to unlock and build the Diplomatic Quarter and its buildings as soon as possible.
How and Where to Build Civ 6’s Diplomatic Quarter
The Diplomatic Quarter and its buildings are unlocked through researching technologies and civics. Researching the mathematics technology early on in the Classical Era will unlock both the Diplomatic Quarter and the Consulate building. Later in the game, players can build the Chancery once they research the Diplomatic Services civic. It's important to note that both buildings are unlocked on 2 different technology trees, so focusing solely in science or culture won't aid in unlocking both.
One of the most important questions players need to ask themselves when building the Diplomatic Quarter, is where to build it. Because of the free envoy it provides, players should always place it next to a city center. Players should consider placing it in the middle of a cluster of cities, because more districts can benefit from the protection it provides against enemy spies. Also, because the Consulate building helps protect all districts in the city from spies, cities with more districts will take advantage of this bonus more frequently. The amount of districts players can place per city depends on the population level (4 population for 2 districts, 7 population for 3, and so on), so cities with access to lots of food for city growth, like grasslands, are a solid choice for the Diplomatic Quarter. Those seeking a Science Victory also get a lot out of this district, as it will help protect their Spaceports from being pillaged by enemy spies. Constructing spaceports adjacent to the Diplomatic Quarter, or in the same city, will further protect them, but so will building spaceports in cities with Encampment districts thanks to the Consulate’s passive. In short, territory with lots of districts and high population are good fits for the Diplomatic Quarter.
Civilization 6 is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One