[BTS] How to manage the growth/specialist ratio of the GP farm city?

[Handel]

I mean what is better - growth at all cost until you hit the food limit or the min growth (+1, max +2 food) and everyone else working as specialist?

[TheWilltoAct]

All out growth to your happiness cap is usually what the governor will shoot for, and its generally a good idea.

[Cam_H]

Generally I think you're right - try to max the population to the 'happy cap' and run your specialists.

There are some timing issues that might affect this. For instance (off the top of my head);

Are you building the National Epic (or other important building, e.g. Roman Forum, The Great Library) in this city and if so is it better to work Mines over population growth (and does whipping fit into the equation)?

Are you in a Golden Age where maxing specialists under Caste may be better than maxing food, and instead you go into severe food deficit?

Are you desperate for a particular type (e.g. a Great Prophet) and if so, you're constrained by how many of a specialist type you can run (e.g. Priests) and therefore would you be 'muddying your pool' by running other specialists? Should you be in this example be building more Temples / Cathedrals?

Is another city soon to also produce a and for whatever reason it might be preferable to allow your non- Farm to get out their before the Farm?

I'm sure there are plenty of other examples related to competing priorities for your empire.

[coanda]

If growing will let you work more specialists, you usually should grow. If it won't let you work more specialists, you should probably just start gathering GPP.

I say usually because occasionally it's worth delaying your growth a few turns to get a GP out a few turns earlier. This is really a case-by-case judgment. It depends on what use you have in mind for that GP and whether it's time-sensitive (e.g., if you're trying to bulb towards Liberalism, it's very beneficial to bulb Philosophy before anyone else gets it).

[VoiceOfUnreason]

Originally Posted by coanda

If growing will let you work more specialists, you usually should grow. If it won't let you work more specialists, you should probably just start gathering GPP.

I say usually because occasionally it's worth delaying your growth a few turns to get a GP out a few turns earlier.

This is close to my heuristic: "do whatever gets the next GP fastest."

[MarigoldRan]

It depends on the goal. Do whatever is necessary.