How to manage citizens and specialists

[FinMc]

How much do people micro civilians and specialists in their cities in deity/immortal?

What do you prioritize early/mid/late game? How do your priorities change as the city hits 5+, 10+, 15+ pops?

I've seen some chatter that city governors don't always make optimal choices and I'm trying to move up to immortal so I feel like this is something I should stop neglecting.

 

[Bliss]

I'm no pro and just recently started playing Civ 5 again. If I recall correctly it is my second attempt at vox populli, and just had my first win (King difficulty as Brazil, with domination victory).
These are my steps:

1. See what kind of terrain tile I'm giving up by allocating a specialist (simply click in the specialist slot and see what tile will go empty). Know what is the opportunity-cost;
2. See how much important is the specialist yield in that specific moment in your game (do I need extra science, culture, production)?;
3. See how far away that city is from generating a Great Person of that type;
4. Make sure it won't be better if I avoid them completely or put specialists only for hammers in case I'm at war;
5. Make sure it isn't better if I put everyone to tiles and/or production specialist and then select a project to generate the yield I need the most (science/culture/farm/wealth/public works), instead of allocating the specialist. I do this to ease the food consumption, since a citizen on a tile doesn't have a negative food surplus. - This is the case if I have high expectations for that city's growth in the long term.

All in all, it is a matter of considering: 1) short term, medium term, long term. Specialists being the go to for mid term mostly. Or short term if I can cut 1 or 2 turns from the next technology / social policy unlock - city projects are greater for this though. But not greater than a great writer or scientist . They are easier to consider in long term if you have specialist wonders or went Tradition route.

 

[CppMaster]

Or short term if I can cut 1 or 2 turns from the next technology / social policy unlock - city projects are greater for this though.

This is brilliant!