Oasis Caravanserai

Unlocking the Desert’s Trade Potential in Civilization VI with Oasis Caravanserai

Transforming Arid Lands into Thriving Hubs

For players of Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, managing city placement and district adjacency is a cornerstone of strategic success. While river tiles offer a well-established adjacency bonus for the vital Commercial Hub, desert cities often face a geographical disadvantage. Oases, those life-giving sources of water in arid landscapes, historically served as critical waystations and burgeoning trade centers for desert caravans. This mod, Oasis Caravanserai, aims to rectify the in-game imbalance, empowering players to leverage these unique desert features.

Reimagining Commercial Hub Adjacencies

The core of the Oasis Caravanserai mod lies in its significant adjustment to the Commercial Hub’s adjacency bonuses. Now, players can gain a substantial +2 adjacency bonus from every Oasis tile that borders their Commercial Hub. This simple yet powerful change injects new life into desert city planning, making Oases more than just a cosmetic feature. For those who have embraced the Gathering Storm expansion, this enhanced adjacency bonus extends to the Suguba, further amplifying the strategic value of these desert oases.

Overcoming Placement Challenges

The mod directly addresses a common frustration for desert-focused civilizations. Without a strong river system, placing a Commercial Hub adjacent to valuable desert tiles can be problematic. River adjacency is often hindered by the automatic conversion of flat land tiles into floodplains, blocking district placement. Even when a desert river is present, securing a prime spot for a Commercial Hub might require sacrificing strategically important hill tiles, especially those coveted for early wonders like Petra. Oasis Caravanserai removes this constraint, offering a viable alternative for establishing robust trade networks without compromising other city development priorities.

Key Features of Oasis Caravanserai:

• Significant adjacency bonus for Commercial Hubs adjacent to Oases (+2).
• Extends this enhanced adjacency bonus to the Suguba district when using the Gathering Storm expansion.
• Provides a valuable alternative for establishing trade centers in desert environments.
• Improves strategic options for civilizations with limited river access.
• Enhances the thematic representation of Oases as historical trade hubs.

By making Oases a focal point for commercial development, Oasis Caravanserai allows players to truly turn barren lands into thriving centers of commerce and trade, enriching the strategic depth of desert gameplay in Civilization VI.