What works best, mixing Specialist points or concentrating?

[Willem]

In my first couple of games, before I understood how Specialists work, I tried to get each city producing at least one of each type. But lately I've been focusing on cities concentrating certain types and even building corresponding wonders in these cities. For instance, I'll have a city that has nothing but Scientists and I'll try and build the Great Library there, as well the Oxford University when it comes up to add to the overall Great Scientist points.

I'm starting to wonder though whether that's the right approach, especially after reading some of Vel's tips on the CS Slingshot. Right now in my Capital, I generally go for Priests since that is where my religion is usually founded and the Shrine gets built. And I also try for the Oracle because I like that free tech, and the Great Prophet points compliment the ones from the Shrine.

I'm wondering now though whether I should switch to Scientists after I get my first Great Prophet. After all, my capital is producing the highest number of beakers at the time. It seems to me though that I'd be wasting those Great Prophet points by doing so.

[Hauptman]

Early game, yes focus on 1 type in particular. scientist for academy, prophet for shrine, merchant to counter over expansion etc...

Late game, when your economy is self supporting, I can find a use for ANY GP i get, so i let it mix it up.

[Arrian]

I try to focus for the first 2 (a scientist and a prophet). After that, my best production cities will have multiple wonders producing different GP points, so it becomes impossible to keep things "pure." Besides, once I have my academy & shrine up, things are pretty good.

I'm addicted to the CS slingshot. My typical approach is to get at least one other city built before the slingshot is complete. In the best situation, I will build the Oracle in my 2nd city, whilst using the 2 scientists in my capital. The first GP will be the scientist for the Academy. Then I turn off the scientists and have my cap pump units/settlers for a bit. City #2 will be the Confucian holy city. It will (in this best-case situation) build the Oracle (2 GPPs/turn). If it has decent food output, I'll try to get a Conf temple up quickly and run a priest to speed the prophet along to build the shrine.

-Arrian

[Quillan]

My personal opinion is that the science benefit added by science specialists directly is minor. What you want is not the raw beakers from the specialist, but rather the Great Scientist to build an Academy. The problem with mixing things is you introduce an element of randomness into the production of great people. If you are working on the CS slingshot, Vel's suggested route is to hit Writing early, chop a library, and assign two science specialists. The idea is to get the research bonus for the library and a bit more for the specialists, but the goal is the Great Scientist. The library is +25% science, the Academy is +50%, so those two together give you a massive increase in research output in the city with the highest commerce. This helps you finish that expensive tech Code of Laws more quickly. However, once you complete the Oracle, it's adding GPP towards a prophet rather than a scientist. I've had some cities that have massive great person point acculuation, but what great person I get winds up being a grab bag affair.

In the early going, I like to have one city doing nothing but trying for a great scientist, for that academy. I like one working on nothing but a prophet, to found a shrine. After I've got those two done, my preferred is a great engineer or three, but I'll usually just concentrate one city on building great people and let them come as they will, because by that point I can find a use for anything.

[samspock]

The one I am on now I have my capital spitting out a pretty random one each time. I have had at least one of each come out of there with two merchants and three scientists. I have set up super specialists of each type in the capital. The one thing I did wrong though was I did not build a shrine there. I used the only prophet I got as an super specialist. I usually have gotten a bunch of prophets in other games so I just figured I could wait for it. It's now 1700 and no more prophets!

The game is probably hosed now since Washington is beating me. Oh well. Was fun to try.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Quillan
The problem with mixing things is you introduce an element of randomness into the production of great people.

Which is why I've been trying to concentrate the points in certain cities. It give you much more control.

If you are working on the CS slingshot, Vel's suggested route is to hit Writing early, chop a library, and assign two science specialists.

I'm not necessarily thinking of the CS Slingshot, it's just that reading some of his thread started me thinking. The problem I find in my games is that I'm always running way behind on tech, especialy in the early period. I manage to catch up somewhat later on but not quite enough. I'm usually second or third place towards the end.

But I like the idea of grabbing a religion as early as I can, which usually means Hinduism, and so my capital generally ends up being a holy city and I focus on priest points there. I'm thinking now though that I'm better off turning to Scientists as soon as I get my Shrine built, since it's producing the most beakers at the time. But then I'll have all those Great Prophet points being generated from the Shrine and from the Oracle, which kind of dilutes things.

In fact, I find the CS Slingshot idea something of a crap shoot. You're relying on the Oracle to bring it about but that tends to get snatched up fairly early. If I hold off on building it until I get Code of Laws, there's a good chance some other civ will build it before me. Plus I would need to neglect the early techs that help me build my infrastructure.

Oh well, I guess I'll have to try it out and see how it works. Maybe my capital should become a mix and match affair, and leave the specialization to other cities.

That's what I love about this game, there's so many different approaches you can take.

[Quillan]

It's still possible to get prophets, you just needs lots of priest specialists. Build a temple and a cathedral there, more than one if you have multiple religions. Each temple lets you assing one priest, each cathedral increases that by two (if I remember correctly). The more GPP you generate towards prophets, the greater the likelihood of getting one.

[Crossfire]

Or switch to the civic that lets you have an unlimited number of specialists and make all of yours into priests. I do this when I just have to have a certain kind of specialist.

The only problem I have when trying to create multiple GP cities is that I seem to get GPs slower than if I pile everyone into my capitol (or Wonder producing city). With all the +GP modifiers available from the wonders it seems to make sense to add any new GPs to that city to take further advantage of those multipliers. Does this make sense?

[Hauptman]

Originally posted by Crossfire
Or switch to the civic that lets you have an unlimited number of specialists and make all of yours into priests. I do this when I just have to have a certain kind of specialist.

The only problem I have when trying to create multiple GP cities is that I seem to get GPs slower than if I pile everyone into my capitol (or Wonder producing city). With all the +GP modifiers available from the wonders it seems to make sense to add any new GPs to that city to take further advantage of those multipliers. Does this make sense?

Caste system is merchants scientists and artists only...

and as for thinking scientists dont add much???

Under representation within your oxford city, a great scientist adds 20 beakers per turn... a regular about 12. Thats not chump change.