How to get Great People like the AI?

[peyoan]

Quick question, every game i play, i see the AI civs getting a great person every 15-20 turns. PER CIV!

I get one maybe every 50 turns. I don't use specialists, which could be a reason, but i usually build EVERY wonder offering a great person modifier.

It's just frustrating seeing so many great people are foreigners...

-peyoan

[Dog of Justice]

I don't use specialists, which could be a reason

That is THE reason. No specialists, few great people, simple as that. A wonder generates LESS great person points than a single specialist.

Example of proper usage of specialists: if you are philosophical, construct a Library in your capital early on and then use the 2 scientist specialist slots. In nine turns you'll get a Great Scientist, with which you can build an Academy. That capital Academy will pay for its "construction cost" very quickly, especially if you adopt Bureaucracy!

[petey]

Also, you should try focusing your GPPs in one city, instead of spreading them out through your civ, as this gets much better results. For instance (theoretical numbers, since you wouldn't start out from zero with GPPs coming at this rate)

Example 1: 2 cities, each with 5 GPPs

20 turns - First GP from 100 GPPs in first city, GPPs reset to zero, city 2 still has 100 GPPs

40 turns - Second GP from 200 GPPs in second city, GPPs reset to zero, city 1 has 100 GPPs

80 turns - Third GP form 300 GPPs in first city, reset to zero, city 2 has 200 GPPs

120 turns - Fourth GP from 400 GPPs in second city, reset to zero, city 1 has 200 GPPs

180 turns - Fifth GP from 500 GPPs in first city, reset to zero, city 2 has 300 GPPs

240 turns - Sixth GP from 600 GPPs in the second city, reset to zero, city 1 has 300 GPPs

So it takes you 180 turns to get 5 GPs by having two cities work on them.

On the other hand, if you had concentrated those GPPs in one city, the results are much better:

City 1 - 10 GPPs, City 2 = 0 GPPs

10 turns - First GP from 100 GPPs, reset to zero

30 turns - Second GP from 200 GPPs, reset to zero

60 turns - Third GP from 300 GPPs, reset to zero

100 turns - Fourth GP from 400 GPPs, reset to zero

150 turns - Fifth GP from 500 GPPs, reset to zero

210 turns - Sixth GP from 600 GPPS, reset to zero

So with the second strategy, the GPs come 10 turns quicker for the first two, 20 turns quicker for the second two and 30 turns quicker for the third two. Also, not only are you getting more of them, but you're not spending two cities production capabilities on things that generate GPPs and can use the second city to generate units, commerce, etc.

It's far better to specialize tasks in this game, especially for GP production.