Strategies for Great Persons?

[Theben]

I'm wondering how you guys utilize your GPs, if you use them different than me.


Prophets: 1st one usually builds my holy shrine, if I have one... which I usually do. 2nd is after Monotheism and I'll Insta-research Theology. After that it depends on techs and shrines available. Late game hold for generating Golden Ages.

Engineers: What can I say? Build wonders! Usually ones that give me more GEngineer points- Pyramids, Gardens, Hagia Sophia. Those I try to keep in one city + forge + engineer specialist to max out GE points in one place.

Merchants: Haven't used yet for anything except run to biggest, farthest city on same continent for big $$. Allows for higher % research for awhile. Useful early game.

Scientists: Early game, I'll build the Academy in my major science cit(ies). Later on, as tech become expensive, it seems more advantageous to use them directly on discovering techs.

Artists: Unless there is one city that needs it's borders expanded, I hold it for a Golden Age. Most early techs I could get are pretty cheap to research, and I'd feel I wasted it if used on research.

Spies: If I'm going to go to war with someone, I might use it to generate ESP points in their lands. Mostly used for GAs. Once I got one early and put it in my GP pump city... I was also Rep w/Pyramids so it generated GP points and science. I never build buildings with them b/c the points generated by expending it in an enemy empire are far greater than I foresee the building creating.

I also might use a GP (or 2)for a GA when I'm at war, in order to switch back and forth civics cleanly, and for the hammer/commerce boost at a critical time.

Any other uses?

[Lancer]

If I don't need an artist right off I'll keep it to use at the limit of an advance to give that city some cultural breathing space. Thinking back last time I did this I think it brought a quick end to the post conquest civil unrest in the city, but I'm not sure.

[Pinchak]

GP = I generally make them a SS in my capital or my "money city".

GE= I generally make them a SS in my capital or a "science city" that needs the hammers to build science buildings. (This tends to happen as the best locations for science citys tend to be mostly grasslands). ONCE in awhile I will use them to pop a wonder, but only if the wonder is key to my strat and I fear losing the race for it.

GM= SS in the capital or "money city".

GS= First one always builds academy in the city at the time that is producing most coin (usually capital). Second one will build academy in a "science city" if by then I have one. If it looks like there will not be a science city, then the SS in capital. I NEVER use them to pop research.

GA= Almost always gets sent to a newly captured city that needs releave from the former owners culture. Usually a bomb, but if the culture inbalance isn't too too bad I will SS him there.

GSpy= Start a golden age (only GP i would do this with)

Ggeneral= First one warlords, second academys, all the rest SS (usually in the same city as the academy).

As far as using GP to start a golden age, I hardly ever do it. GP seem to bring significantly higher long term gains when they go SS.

[Lancer]

Originally posted by Lancer
If I don't need an artist right off I'll keep it to use at the limit of an advance to give that city some cultural breathing space. Thinking back last time I did this I think it brought a quick end to the post conquest civil unrest in the city, but I'm not sure.

This btw was the reason for the USO. The allies advance to capture a city, Bob Hope would fly in and do a few shows and whammo! Borders would expand making impossible fast nazi movement to recapture.

Little know WWII history. Art goes to war.

FACT!

[couerdelion]

GS – Probably the most generic GP. Usually use first to build academy but may settle if costs are high and science is low. If I’ve got a free shot at Philosophy, I’ll lightbulb it. After building at least one academy, most other GS will be used to lightbulb techs.

GP – If no religion, lightbulb one (Conf or Theology). With religion, build shrine. After that, probably a golden age.

GM – Trade missions are good but early game, I might find the settling option in a holy city better.

GE – Dependent on the game really. Usually these are obligatory rush builds but sometimes there’s not much that I want to build. Can also be used for some of the later national wonders to good effect (eg West Point, Iron Works)

Golden Ages work well once you’re comfortably into double figures. For a large civ (one that has effectively won the game), Golden Ages can be huge.

[Modo44]

GA: If I ever (remember to) get one, I keep him for Civilized Jewelers. Love that corporation for the "pays for itself" perk. If I ever get a second one (must be a fluke with my usual beelines/builds), he gets burned for a golden age.

GM: Usually gets planted in a shrine/high production city or burned for a golden age. A later one is kept around for Sid's Sushi or Cereal Mills.

GS: Always Academies, in my best sciencie cities. Later ones are used for Standard Ethanol or Aluminum Co, if the competing (IMO better) corporations got built by other civs.

GE: Early ones are used for rush-builds. If there is nothing to rush, I improve my main production site. If i get one mid-game, I like to keep him around for Mining Inc or Creative Construction.

GS: This one is nice if you have an all-improvements-done spy center. But it doesn't seem very important/useful, so generally I try not to get one at all. Maybe someone can tell me what those are good for?

[Ming]

First GS... academy in my science city
First GP... Shrine if I have religion

The rest... Golden Ages (usually 4 of them)
Usually after I have raced to calendar

After that, I will use them to light bulb sciences or whatever.

I will usually keep a GA around for a culture bomb during conquest and maybe save a GE for a key wonders. But I really take advantage of the Golden Ages to leap frog the AI's.

[Garth Vader]

It depends a lot on what's going on in the game but there are a few things I do every game.

GP, shrine. If I have a well spread second religion I will use a second GP on that shrine too, or else a SS or a GA or a tech if it's a good one.

GE, Save for wonders, always.

GS Academy in best Science city, if I get more and I have good secondary science cities, more academys, or else I settle them in the Academy city.

GM, Trade mission.

GA, either settle, or great work if I need culture on the borders, or a Golden Age.

I never used to do golden ages, but now if I get the +50% length, it's worth it.

[Supr49er]

GP Shrine. Then Techs
GE Wonders. Then Techs. Then Corporations
GM send to foreign cities for . Then Corps
GSci Academy. Then Techs. Then Corps
GA Techs. Culture bomb a flipped city. Civ Jewelers.
GSpy Infiltrate for stealing techs. Scotland Yard

[jbp26]

GP - shrine, or SS. 2 hammers and 5 commerce is always helpful. i add a lot of these to my money city since its typically low in production, in the goal of helping get wall street and other infrastructure built faster.

GE- SS if i really need the hammers or i have stone/marble/industrious and i can afford to spend the time on the wonder. i most often burn one of these on the apostolic palace, just to get it out of my hair.

GS- Academies in any worthy city, or SS

GA- Golden age, certain techs. i often research drama with them, because the AI's never researc hthat (or music), so its an easy way to grab a tech lead.

GM- SS in money city or capitol if it needs food

GS- GA or infiltrate.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Ming
First GS... academy in my science city
First GP... Shrine if I have religion

The rest... Golden Ages (usually 4 of them)
Usually after I have raced to calendar

After that, I will use them to light bulb sciences or whatever.

I will usually keep a GA around for a culture bomb during conquest and maybe save a GE for a key wonders. But I really take advantage of the Golden Ages to leap frog the AI's.

Give or take, this... any I get that are extraneous I settle in appropriate cities.

[Theben]

Interesting. So how many of you think settled Specialists (SS? I guess) are worth it? I almost never do this.

[Arrian]

My strat:

1st prophet = shrine.

Others - Golden Ages, with occasional lightbulbing of techs if it makes sense to me at the time. I might build an Academy... it depends on if I have what I consider to be a super science city or not. More often, I don't, and it's better to juice up my entire empire for 12 turns (typically I try to make sure I get Mausallos up before the first GA kicks off). I've been triggering ~4 GAs per game (plus the Taj one).

If I am worried about losing a wonder I want, and I have a GE (fairly rare for me), I will rush it. I don't usually get the Pyramids, and often miss the Gardens so I rarely have an early GE. Hagia Sophia I often miss b/c I tend to not bother with Theology. Of the three, it's the Gardens I tend to be annoyed at missing.

I just about never settle great people any more. Now that GAs can be longer and boost things like GP production and take away anarchy... GAs are where it's at. The only type of great person I might settle is an artist, and then only if I have two (one being saved up for a golden age). I tend to settle artists to win culture battles rather than "bomb" with them.

-Arrian

[albucc]

Re: Strategies for Great Persons?

Originally posted by Theben
I'm wondering how you guys utilize your GPs, if you use them different than me.


Prophets: 1st one usually builds my holy shrine, if I have one... which I usually do. 2nd is after Monotheism and I'll Insta-research Theology. After that it depends on techs and shrines available. Late game hold for generating Golden Ages.

Prophets: yes, generally, they build holy shrines. I don't use them to research monotheism, though, because that would be a waste of research: I would store them, research monotheism and go for theology (or even divine right): one religion more to my civ = 2 shrines = lots of gold... That, of course, depends on timing and opportunity.

Engineers: What can I say? Build wonders! Usually ones that give me more GEngineer points- Pyramids, Gardens, Hagia Sophia. Those I try to keep in one city + forge + engineer specialist to max out GE points in one place.

Now in BtS they can be used as the first corporation builders available, besides building wonders. But yes, that's generally what I do with them: build wonders.

Merchants: Haven't used yet for anything except run to biggest, farthest city on same continent for big $$. Allows for higher % research for awhile. Useful early game.

Generally, specially at the early game, I would use them as SS. Just do the math: how much a civ game last? 200, 300 turns? Multiply the bonus that a SS gives by this amount and you get to see that they are better used this way. Specially if you plan ahead and declares a city a gold center: a city that is a religion center, for instance, that later you can build wall street.
Of course, at the late game the equation would be different: you have more cities (so golden ages become more and more valuable) and you have less time to have your investment returned.

Scientists: Early game, I'll build the Academy in my major science cit(ies). Later on, as tech become expensive, it seems more advantageous to use them directly on discovering techs.

In the early game, specially when I'm PHY, I build scientists factories: the first cities get enough food to get two science specialists: they are used to acquire the civil service slingshot. The scientists produced would be used as SS at the capitol city, and just watch the science flow! If you slingshot to civil service (at prince level it's very feasible, and you get macemen early in the game) you get bureaucracy: your capital have a 50% extra income in hammers. The 1st or second scientist I use to build the academy. I usually have confucianism and, when I get that pretty scientist that can research it quickly, taoism: put the confucian and taoist monastery, plus library, plus academy at your capital and you have the amazing 95% bonus on tech. Plus the 50% bonus in commerce. A single Super scientist can produce at this city an amazing 1,5 hammer/turn + 11,7 research points! Multiply it by 100 turns (that would be less than middle game) and one scientist would have given to you 150 hammers and 1170 science

Artists: Unless there is one city that needs it's borders expanded, I hold it for a Golden Age. Most early techs I could get are pretty cheap to research, and I'd feel I wasted it if used on research.

Artists: they are used to win the cultural victory! The requisites of cultural victory are to have 3 cities reach 50000 research points. The problem is that usually there is one that is lacking culture strength to do so. So, in the early game, I use the great artists to power up the culture in my worst city that would be eligible for cultural victory, as a SS. 14 culture points are almost two wonders...
If I'm late in the game, I use them to directly give those culture points. That's simple math: just evaluate how much turns are left and see if the immediate culture bonus is better than the long term culture bonus that you get.

Spies: If I'm going to go to war with someone, I might use it to generate ESP points in their lands. Mostly used for GAs. Once I got one early and put it in my GP pump city... I was also Rep w/Pyramids so it generated GP points and science. I never build buildings with them b/c the points generated by expending it in an enemy empire are far greater than I foresee the building creating.

Well... that spies... yeah, I don't like them much... But I would use them the same way. What I'm thinking now is that you could create a specialist spy city... Well... don't.

Well, as you can see, I usually try to do some math to decide what to do with them. It's somewhat easy to predict golden age value, the value of use them as specialists, or use them to build something.

I almost *never* use them to do research. Except at the late game, It's a waste of resources, unless that being first to get to that specific technology would give me a good bonus (like in the case of theology, philosophy and divine right: one more free religion, or maybe education (liberalism and a free tech: I *love* free techs!).

Well, this works against the AI, of course. Against a human player, the oracle tech slingshot wouldn't work that easily, I wouldn't have civil service at 500 bc and that lovely monster capitol...

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Theben
Interesting. So how many of you think settled Specialists (SS? I guess) are worth it? I almost never do this.

It's worth it, because you only get on the order of 1000 (whatever) per specialist, and often less if they're wasted. As long as you're settling enough ahead of time that you'll get that much bonus by the end of the game, you're better off getting it turnwise; and given the bonuses you will get applied to it, that's even better... science for example is often x3 or more in your primary science (=Oxford+Academy+Library+University+Observatory+La boratory) city... add representation to it, and you get an insane amount of science from each settled GS. Same for merchants, same for engineers, in the appropriate city...

I still use them primarily for Golden Ages, but if there are extra ones and the important buildings are done, they might as well be settled (unless there's a pressing need for a tech to get a bonus of some sort).