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  • How to use GPs

    I'm coming out of lurkdom with this issue with which I pondered a lot while playing last night. I'm also quite sure that this has been covered here, but since I haven't even lurked here much lately, I haven't read it, and finding the right stuff among all the threads is a bit difficult...

    So, the basic question is: How do you normally use your Great Persons? Naturally this is very case dependent, the choice being affected by the game situation as well as which GP is on question. However, do you have some "ground rules" for spending your GP?

    Personally I somehow like the super specialists a lot, especially scientific ones in the early game. However, in the latter stages of the game, adding the supermen to the city doesn't seem quite as worth while as in the early game.

    I do also save GPs to launch the first golden age, sometimes even the second (in addition to Taj Mahal), but beyond that it seems a waste.

    Using the GPs for getting techs is sometimes good, but usually I wouldn't get the techs I want, and sometimes they even would give techs that I definitely don't want yet (ones that, e.g., obsolete some wonder, etc.). I realize that it is possible to plan ahead the tech tree so, that you get just what you want from a GP, but this seems way too restrictive for my playing style.

    So, any advice from the experts to the relative newbie here?

    Oh, I currently play noble (should probably already step up) with continents, normal speed, and otherwise the default settings.

  • #2
    Far from expert,but

    Scientists: academy in cities with 20 science points or more (already or soon);

    Priest: the holy shrine;

    Merchant: a low food city or a foreign one;

    Engineer: wonder;

    Artist: if to culture or needed, cultural bomb, if not;

    And always lightbulb.

    Best regards,

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    • #3
      Assuming that you're not using them for golden ages.

      Assuming that you have no particular strategy which requires the grat person.

      When it comes to lightbulbing, culture bombs, rushing wonders or trade missions calculate how much beakers, culture points, hammers or gold you'd get from creating a super specialist in the most optimal city (or in the case of culture bombs the target city) and how many turns it would take to overcome the benefit of the instantaneous effect. If you expect to play longer than that go for the super specialist. This assumes that you don't need the immeadiate effect. Also try to take account of the way growth and new buildings will effect the output of the super specialist.

      There are exceptions but they are usually dependent on the type of empire you have created or the strategy you are employing:

      It can be better to put research into Education (I don't think even scientists research this immeadiately) since the arrival of universities earlier could be a better boost to research.

      If you want to do a mass upgrade a trade mission could be better than a super merchant.

      Other great person abilities:

      The Academy: Again see how much research the academy will generate over the long run. Try to factor in expected growth.

      Shrines: A great building to have but if you expect to continue generating more great prophets it may be better to put the current prophet into lightbulbing a new religion.
      LandMasses Version 3 Now Available since 18/05/2008.

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      • #4
        It's also a matter of where in the game you are.

        Early game

        The Scientists and Prophets are obviously Academies and Shrines aren’t they. Well sometimes yes but there may also be the case for ligthbulbing a “wonder tech” – something that costs a decent amount and gives a sudden boost to your economy

        Merchants are not much good for missions here so they’re only really useful for settling or lightbulbing.

        Engineers and Artist – Usually settle but might keep an artist for later use as a culture bomb. The building rush of an Engineer is, for me, a bit of a waste but I will use it for a decent wonder that I don’t think I would get otherwise.

        Mid game

        Generally settle. Scientists in OU city, Prophet/Merchants in Shrine city, Engineer in Bureaucratic capital or science city or HE city or Iron Works city

        Merchants might be sent on a trade mission.

        Late game

        Probably golden ages if civilisation is 30+ cities. Otherwise lightbulbing

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