Adapting to the Scientist Specialist

[doublex55]

How have tou guys done it? Do you find early culture to be more valuable? Do you still work scientists?

 

[Enginseer]

How have tou guys done it? Do you find early culture to be more valuable? Do you still work scientists?

You still work scientist for the science. It was that you used to work scientist for the culture and science since they could essentially replace your writers in your non-guild cities. It was a great nerf to thick and wide that needed the +2 Culture bonus to make up for their social policy cost increase.

 

[doublex55]

When playing wide or thick how do you make up for the loss of 2 culture per city? I assume you dont go for theology now? I noticed that grabbing Parthenon and guilds looks really atractive now.​

 

[Magean]

You still work scientist for the science. It was that you used to work scientist for the culture and science since they could essentially replace your writers in your non-guild cities. It was a great nerf to thick and wide that needed the +2 Culture bonus to make up for their social policy cost increase.

What's "thick"? Many close-by cities, as opposed to a vast expanse as in "wide"?

 

[tu_79]

What's "thick"? Many close-by cities, as opposed to a vast expanse as in "wide"?

A new definition Enginseer came along.
Tall focuses on maximizing each city. Wide focuses on resource and land grabbing.
Thick is in the middle, grabbing land and resources with care for city potential. In other words, 4-5 tiles between cities, avoiding non-resource locations.

 

[Magean]

A new definition Enginseer came along.
Tall focuses on maximizing each city. Wide focuses on resource and land grabbing.
Thick is in the middle, grabbing land and resources with care for city potential. In other words, 4-5 tiles between cities, avoiding non-resource locations.

In other words, semi-wide?

 

[tu_79]

In other words, semi-wide?

I'd say balanced, but for some reason people are liking 'thick'.

 

[Magean]

I'd say balanced, but for some reason people are liking 'thick'.

And is the nuance between thick and wide more a matter of number of cities, or of spacing?

 

[tu_79]

And is the nuance between thick and wide more a matter of number of cities, or of spacing?

Good question. I'm always saying that a settling type cannot be reduced to one label. But with the above definition, both spacing and number of cities may vary. For example, a tall tradition empire can have their two first cities at 3 tiles from capital, since capital is not going to work on more than 3 food tiles anyway. But for the other cities, you want them to be at 6 tiles, so they can always work on best tiles for the occasion, and in plenty of resources spots.
As for wide, going for resources implies that you want to pick them ASAP, placing your cities adjacent to strategic resources and luxuries when possible. Because you want to take the resources now, you settle lots of cities, sometimes at the minimum distance, sometimes a bit farther if there are not many resources. This results in a large empire with tons of underdeveloped and uncultured cities

Thick could be the strategy I follow when picking Authority. I settle at 4 tiles distance since the tree does little to improve buildings or number of cities. Sometimes 5. I need those cities to be populated, both for the supply and the yields, but they can't afford to work many specialists for happiness reasons, so I don't really need them that populated. A bit of overlaping is ok, but not too much.

All considered, I think spacing is more defining.

 

[doublex55]

How do specialists affect happiness?

 

[Txurce]

How do specialists affect happiness?

Run enough of them, and you will probably become less happy. The specific amount is spelled out under the happiness icon of your capital. There is a Freedom policy that mitigates this.

 

[Gokudo01]

How do specialists affect happiness?

5 specialist 1 unhappiness =)

you are welcome