Conclusion
Unciv follows Civilization V: Gods & Kings closely, and most numbers are taken from Civ V references. But the developers list a few intentional departures, and the code shows some other differences — a fixed combat roll among them.
If you come from Civ V, the one that changes play the most is naval melee units attacking land units on the shore.
Confirmed Differences
| Difference | What Unciv does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Naval melee vs land | Water melee units can attack land units on the shore — added because naval melee was considered too weak in Civ V. | Unciv docs (intentional departures) |
| Workers | Workers don't finish an improvement the turn they arrive; they receive orders and work on it, so you can change your mind. | Unciv docs |
| Visibility | Forests and jungles are visible one tile beyond your sight range, like hills — Civ V's behavior is treated as a bug. | Unciv docs |
| Iroquois (Great Warpath) | Forest and jungle tiles act as roads but don't give the railroad production bonus for connected cities. | Unciv docs |
| Combat roll | The random part of combat damage is fixed by the turn and tile, so reloading doesn't change the outcome. | BattleDamage.kt |
The Developers' Stated Principles
- “The AI plays to win.” The project's guiding principles say the AI should play like a human opponent — including attacking you if your military is weak.
- Modding by combination. Uniques are designed to combine with conditions, so mods can mix effects freely — that's also why the game's text reads like building blocks (“+15% Strength <when attacking>”).
FAQ
Can I use Civ V guides for Unciv?
Mostly for strategy, but check numbers against Unciv's own data — this site's tables are read from it.
Is Brave New World content included?
The built-in rulesets are Civ V Vanilla and Gods & Kings. Other content comes from mods.
Why is the AI so aggressive?
It's by design: the developers want the AI to play to win, including attacking weak neighbors.
Continue reading
More Unciv guides
Unciv guide home · All 34 Civilizations · City Growth and Happiness · City-States: Bonuses and Quests · Combat: Damage Formula and Calculator · Difficulty Levels Explained · Early Game: Key Numbers and Ancient Ruins · Every Building: Cost, Upkeep and Effects · Every Promotion and Effect · Every Religion Belief · Every Unit's Stats by Era · Every World and National Wonder · Game Speed and Starting Era · Great People: Points and the Shared Pool · Mods: Installing and Popular Picks · Multiplayer: Playing Online · Social Policies and Policy Cost · Tech Tree: Every Tech and Unlock · Terrain, Resources and Improvements · Victory Conditions