How do you use your Great People?

[The Engineer]

I usually hesitate to use them. Though I would mostly waste my GG as an instructor and the GE for rushing wonders, the rest would just pile up on my capital. How do you guys effectively use each of them?

 

[mscellaneous]

I can't decide on an answer because there are a lot of factors that determine the best use of GP:
- phase of the game;
- type of Great Person;
- the victory I'm aiming for.

But per GP I would say:
- GE - Rush wonders, lightbulb
- GM - Lightbulb, SS
- GS - Academy, lightbulb
- GA - Great work, lightbulb, SS
- GPr - Shrine, lightbulb, SS

 

[agc28]

GS - lightbulb philosophy, or half of education, depending on when the GS shows up. post-education, i would build academies.

GM - trade mission, always,

GA - great work

GP - shrine if available, otherwise lightbulb theology or divine right.

GE - rush wonders only...rush small wonders like globe theater, oxford or wallstreet.

 

[Sisiutil]

I can't answer the poll because it varies for me. I always check what tech I could get from a GP, but I only use them for it if it will gain me an immediate strategic advantage that plays into my game plan. Otherwise...

Great Prophets - since the Warlords patch nerfed using them for Civil Service, I tend to use them for shrines, then settle later ones in the Wall Street city (which usually has a shrine). I find they don't usually pop for worthwhile techs anymore. Meditation? Thanks, I'll pick it up on my own...

Great Scientists - like agc28, I use the first one on Philosophy, especially if Taoism hasn't been founded, the next one for an academy in my science city, and the next one, if he appears in time, to help with Education towards winning the liberalism race. However, I've worked out that you get better results from settling GS in the science city rather than using them for additional academies, unless you have cities producing 60 research points per turn before multipliers are factored in.

Great Merchants - in the early or mid-game, I tend to use these guys (especially the free one from Economics if I get him) for trade missions to finance upgrades of my veteran units. Later ones get settled in the Wall Street city.

Great Engineers - I almost always use them to complete wonders. I think I've only settled one once, ditto for popping one for a tech.

Great Artists - I'm not fond of these guys unless I'm going for a cultural win. My first preference is to use them for a technology, but if it isn't anything I want, I'll settle them in a border city. I used to use them for great works (i.e. culture bombs), but I've been seeing information that culture per turn will bring better results than one big spurt of it; also, I find cities I've just captured are usually better off in revolt, since they're often surrounded by enemy culture until I capture the next city.

As for golden ages, I almost never use great people for those. The only exception is during a pursuit of a space race victory, when most of my cities are building space ship parts.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

Great Artists - I'm not fond of these guys unless I'm going for a cultural win. My first preference is to use them for a technology, but if it isn't anything I want, I'll settle them in a border city. I used to use them for great works (i.e. culture bombs), but I've been seeing information that culture per turn will bring better results than one big spurt of it; also, I find cities I've just captured are usually better off in revolt, since they're often surrounded by enemy culture until I capture the next city.

I've found that a single Great Work can be a welcome addition in OCC, allowing you to contest for resources in that outer ring much earlier than you would otherwise (as a general rule, your one city is going to be putting out much more culture than the neighboring habitats, so the only issue is to start pouring that culture into ring #4).

 

[cabert]

I didn't vote, because i would check all 4 and it's not allowed.

 

[Crighton]

G. Engineer - stockpile for wonders.
G. Scientist - Super Specialist
G. Merchant - Trade Mission
G. Prophet - Holy City Shrine Build or Super Specialist
G. Artist - usually a cultural bomb

I rarely rarely ever lightbuld, and the Golden Age just doesn't mean squat to me.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

I only had one choice, so I picked the one I use most, lightbulb the technology. However, I agree with some posters that great prophet has a horrible tech sequence, especially since I tend to close out the religious techs later than the science techs, so it's much more useful to use it for a shrine or super specialist most of the time.

Merchants gets to go on a trade mission. It seems to have been showing up right when I need to get through Guilds so it has been a lightbulb more recently.

 

[The Engineer]

^_^ I never thought about culture bombs, sounds nice and useful. So I guess I'll have to start making use of GP for techs.

 

[The-Hawk]

All of the above. At most, only one golden age though, and only in special circumstances.

 

[Ravellion]

Scientists: Mostly Academies.

Prophets: Shrines, techs that give a religion, otherwise I settle them in high cash cities (often a shrine city). Late game I'll save them for a GA in order to finish the space ship quickly.

Merchants: Settle them in low food cities. Hardly ever use them for a trade mission. Late game I'll save them for a GA.

Engineers: Wonders, except post building of the space ladder.

Artists: Yuck. Great work mostly, but I avoid them like the plague. I usually don't even build the national epic because I can't stand artists, which is silly of course.

Generals: Moslty military instructors.

 

[obsolete]

Well it is all situational. But I tend to lightbulb my great persons the least.

 

[Idiodyssey]

I usually only lightbulb philosophy since it gives you a religion and it gives you the jump on military tradition and cavalry

 

[bathsheba666]

If you have a Great Scientist settle in the city
(This is an Academy, right? or is that something different?)

Are his 6 extra lightlbulbs subject to library and other multipliers?

 

[Quagga]

Artists, Scientists probably settle if it's early in the game. If they lightbulb a vital tech, then I'd do that. Late in the game, all lightbulbing. I do build one Academy with my first Scientist. Under rare circumstances I'll use a culture bomb.

Merchants go for a trip and earn cash if I have Open Borders with a rich civ that I can reach safely. Otherwise settle in the commerce city.

Engineers finish wonders, if there are any good ones available. Otherwise, lighbulb a key tech. Otherwise, save until one or the other. Never settle.

Prophets, build shrines or save for future shrine if I'm going to get a religion. Otherwise, lightbulb a worthwhile tech. Often nothing good available, so settle in commerce city or maybe in production city.

 

[OceansEleven]

I'll just go by order.

Scientist - ALWAYS use them for Academy. Unless I got Academies in most of my cities, then I'll just wait to use them for a Golden Age.

Prophet - If I got a Religion, Srhine. If not, usually I'll have them become a super specialist if I'm down in $$$. But sometiems I also go for Theology in the earlier parts of the game.

Artist - Ugh. Only the Great Work. Usually on a city that's really surrounded.

Engineer - Mostly for Wonders. Unless it's in the later part of the game and there aren't any left.

Merchant - Hardly get these. But I go for $$$ or save them up for Golden Age.


I hardly care for Golden Ages. It helps, a lot, but I'd rather have the long lasting effect. I go for Taj Mahal, always, and get a Golden Age out of that. Sometimes I get a Golden Age out of 2 Great People, if I don't need them.

 

[ratrangerm]

I'm still learning how to effectively use GP, but for the most part it's like this:

GE: Hurry production of a wonder.
GA: Great work or join as super artist
GS: Academy or lightbulb
GP: Holy Shrine for the religion I found, if any. Otherwise, lightbulb
GM: Trade route if at all possible, otherwise lightbulb or super merchant

 

[Pinstar]

GE: Wonders, always
GA: Culture bomb for cities that need it. If no good bombable cities exist, hold for a golden age.
GS: Pop for technology. If no good poping choises exist, found an academy. If late in the game and I'm high up the tech tree, I may use for golden age fodder.
GM: Trade missions. If money is no object, I'll found as a super specialist
GP: Holy shrines. If none available, use for golden age fodder.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

If you have a Great Scientist settle in the city
(This is an Academy, right? or is that something different?)

No. An academy is a 2x library, that can only be produced by sacrificing a great scientist.

Are his 6 extra lightlbulbs subject to library and other multipliers?

Yes (the hammer is also subject to multipliers).

 

[Silver Marmot]

Scientist - acadamy
Prophet - shrine, then golden age
Merchant - trade mission
Engineer - wonders, then golden age
Artist - great work if a city needs it, then golden age

I like to do a golden age while I'm building spaceship parts, so I'll save a great prophet that isn't used for a shrine and either an artist or engineer that I have no use for.