An issue with specialists

[EternalSpark]

Here's the deal:

I'm having trouble maintaining specialists in some bases, as I can't keep the base from going into stagnancy. I usually don't do this until the bases are a decent size already, but it feels 'wrong' to not have growing bases.

So, do you use specialists, even if it Stags the base?

[Axxaer]

I find stagnation is not a problem if the city is about size 12+, but if its lower I prefer to have them working as much food as possible. I find the benefits of the specialists are generally outweighed by having a smaller population.

[Willem]

There's lots of cities where I don't bother having specialists, they just don't have enough food to support them. I focus instead on just a few key cities that have plenty of food, and then specialize with those. Scientists in one city, Priests in another etc, with up to 6 in each. There's no point in trying to have them in every city. If you can only support one or two, towards the end of the game when the costs of the Great People are so high, they'll never be able to produce one anyway. And that's the main reason for having them.

[Gherald]

Only run specialists in cities that have lots of food.