Lazy Scientists

[Carnage04]

It's awesome to have those huge cities with as many science specialists as you can get, but the problem with scientists is that they are lazy. Sure, some will go forage for food but for the most part, they sit in your city, do research, and eat. Just the other game I wanted to build them a fine Oxford University and they told me they would "Get around to it in 50 turns or so." Who do they think they are! Go work the mines like the rest of the citizens of my Empire....or perhaps the whip....

Although my statement is probably bizarre and cryptic, my point is how you produce the larger buildings in your Super Science Cities? Sure, you can whip a Library and maybe a University...but what about things like the Great Library, National Epic, and Oxford's University? That's a lot of whipping and...provided you are running Caste system....switching civics, laying waste to your specialist population, and switching back is going to cause you some short term grief.

So how do you guys build the costlier buildings in your science/GP center? Wait for an engineer to pop somewhere else? Chop/Whip? Be very very patient?

 

[axident]

It's awesome to have those huge cities with as many science specialists as you can get, but the problem with scientists is that they are lazy. Sure, some will go forage for food but for the most part, they sit in your city, do research, and eat. Just the other game I wanted to build them a fine Oxford University and they told me they would "Get around to it in 50 turns or so." Who do they think they are! Go work the mines like the rest of the citizens of my Empire....or perhaps the whip....

Although my statement is probably bizarre and cryptic, my point is how you produce the larger buildings in your Super Science Cities? Sure, you can whip a Library and maybe a University...but what about things like the Great Library, National Epic, and Oxford's University? That's a lot of whipping and...provided you are running Caste system....switching civics, laying waste to your specialist population, and switching back is going to cause you some short term grief.

So how do you guys build the costlier buildings in your science/GP center? Wait for an engineer to pop somewhere else? Chop/Whip? Be very very patient?

Bureaucracy and a few settled specialists (especially engineers) can make a decent production center in your cottagespammed, scientist-settled super science city. Once I get Bureau, I rarely leave it. AP +2 hammer/religious buildings helps give up to +6 base hammers, too. Then there is Org Religion and Forge.

 

[Carnage04]

You know, this may be a little anal of me, but I try to avoid the Forge in my high population Science cities. As the city grows I start to have health problems. Although...there are usually happiness problems too so the happiness boost from the forge could sort of offset the health (In addition to it's main function, of course)

 

[axident]

You know, this may be a little anal of me, but I try to avoid the Forge in my high population Science cities. As the city grows I start to have health problems. Although...there are usually happiness problems too so the happiness boost from the forge could sort of offset the health (In addition to it's main function, of course)

Tech to Recycling Plants (Ecology). That will solve most of your problems right there. Along the way, there are freshwater bonuses, resources+ harbors, aqueducts, Hanging Gardens, leader traits, resources + grocers/supermarkets, hospitals, and Public Transit. Also don't build Industrial Park in it if you won't get Ecology soon. Factory is okay, usually. Genetics and Future Tech will fix any other problems. You could also National Park but that's kind of extreme and perhaps not viable because it takes up a National Wonder slot.

 

[slobberinbear]

Don't forget priest specialists, who do produce a hammer each -- more with the Wonder that comes with Pacifism (whose name escapes me now).

 

[axident]

Don't forget priest specialists, who do produce a hammer each -- more with the Wonder that comes with Pacifism (whose name escapes me now).

Angkor Wat, those are okay too and actually outproduce engineers' gold as long as AW is not obsolete.

 

[DaveMcW]

Universal Suffrage and towns.

 

[Ruler]

So how do you guys build the costlier buildings in your science/GP center? Wait for an engineer to pop somewhere else? Chop/Whip? Be very very patient?

Corporations can help you later part. There's couple what brings hammers.

 

[IPEX-731BA5DD06]

Make them general specialist once you've used up the engineer slots and the priest slots..........1 hammer per generalist specialist, and 3 beakers under repersentation, keeps the science brimming along....

also 25% from forge and another 25% from organised religion.......so that's 3 hammers for 2 specialists and 6 beakers....... can be whipped.... can be whipped too.........

usually you'll have at least one production square, be it a mine on a hill...or gem's mine.....work that and mine it......

so you lose a little sceince in the short term for a long term boost in science production, of 50% or 25%......takes only 4 times as long for a 25% boost and 2 times as long for a 50% boost, ON GOING TILL GAMES END....the end of day's and nights.......

 

[FrancisMarion]

Generally running SE I try to have 1 Super Science City and 1 Mega Science City with the Mega city running less specialists, but having more production power for things like Oxford etc.

 

[Tennyson]

When the science city needs to build, I send some of the scientists to the mines. When it doesn't need to build, those miners become scientists again.

And yes, you should build the forge.

 

[Cookie Crumbs]

Just make sure you mine all the hills+Bureaucracy, which gives me all the production I need. Late-game Universal Suffrage and Mining Inc corporation help.

 

[mudphud]

Although my statement is probably bizarre and cryptic, my point is how you produce the larger buildings in your Super Science Cities? Sure, you can whip a Library and maybe a University...but what about things like the Great Library, National Epic, and Oxford's University? That's a lot of whipping and...provided you are running Caste system....switching civics, laying waste to your specialist population, and switching back is going to cause you some short term grief.

I don't usually build national epic or GL in my super science city (sometimes GL if I have some forests left to chop for it and have marble). Those often go to the GP farm. For oxford I usually assign an engineer and a priest and any hammer tiles available and sometimes pull out the whip to finish it. Of course if you don't have marble you can try and trade for it with the AI - give it lots of resources if you need to and cancel the deal once you finish the build.

 

[xanadux]

A big part of planning where you are going to put oxford is how you are going to get the production to build a university and oxford in that city. In some games, you will also need to build a palace there for the beauracracy bonus.

The oxford city, if it is not going to take forever, will require one of the following:

Extremely high food for whipping
Good natural production (probably at least 5 3+ hammer tiles)
Pyramids or democracy for US plus a lot of cash
A great engineer to rush oxford
Tons of forests

Of course this is no surprise because these are the only ways to get production.

Sometimes it is worthwhile to put oxford in a somewhat less than ideal city if it is just going to take forever to build it where you want. Remember that you can cottage over some mines after it is built if your empire as a whole has enough production elsewhere.

Sometimes you can put oxford in a super science specialist city. I did this once with a city that had no production other than 2 grassland forests. This city had mad food, with 17 surplus from 5 squares. Since I was spiritual, had the parthenon and pyramids, and was isolated, I ran as many scientists as the happy cap would allow, and after 1 academy, all got settled. Having whipped a forge, library, university (here is where the spiritual helps a lot), then with 1 hammer from each GS, plus a specialist engineer and the measly 2 hammers from the forests, it didn't take too long to get to the point where oxford could be whipped. This doesn't happen very often (only once for me), but it is important to be aware of your options.

 

[tempuraki]

Make them general specialist once you've used up the engineer slots and the priest slots..........1 hammer per generalist specialist, and 3 beakers under repersentation, keeps the science brimming along....

Agree with you but I think we need a better term than "general specialist..." generalist maybe?

 

[madscientist]

Given the thread title and my login name I can offer the following

1) I take exception to the thread title not that any sceintist cares what others think except other scientists.
2) I agree with what you say, scientists are lazy, care only about their research, and eat. Otherwise they are not of much use.
3) Occasionally a great scientist will come along who doesn't waste time eating, doubles the scientific output of the regular guy scientist, and will actually pick up a hammer and help build something.
4) It is usually required to send scientists out to the fields or mines for some work so they can build themselves a library or university. This is good for their longterm research regardless what they think at the time, they will thank you later and claim the idea was their own.
5) The scientists would much prefer you just hire someone (the great engineer) to just build Oxford and stop bothering them.
6) The scientists generally scoffs at other specialists, the exception is a great Mechant which if they join the city provided them with financial support as well as feeding them.
7) Scientists generally consider the great Profit as obsolete and unneccssary regardless of how much production and wealth they may add to their endevours.
8) Generally, the scientists prefer some representation in government as well as a good deal of beruacracy and the elimination of religion, as they feel this boosts their output. They also care little how the general labor pool is utilized, nor do they care how the economy runs as long as it does not affect their work.

 

[mudphud]

Given the thread title and my login name I can offer the following

1) I take exception to the thread title not that any sceintist cares what others think except other scientists.
2) I agree with what you say, scientists are lazy, care only about their research, and eat. Otherwise they are not of much use.
3) Occasionally a great scientist will come along who doesn't waste time eating, doubles the scientific output of the regular guy scientist, and will actually pick up a hammer and help build something.
4) It is usually required to send scientists out to the fields or mines for some work so they can build themselves a library or university. This is good for their longterm research regardless what they think at the time, they will thank you later and claim the idea was their own.
5) The scientists would much prefer you just hire someone (the great engineer) to just build Oxford and stop bothering them.
6) The scientists generally scoffs at other specialists, the exception is a great Mechant which if they join the city provided them with financial support as well as feeding them.
7) Scientists generally consider the great Profit as obsolete and unneccssary regardless of how much production and wealth they may add to their endevours.
8) Generally, the scientists prefer some representation in government as well as a good deal of beruacracy and the elimination of religion, as they feel this boosts their output. They also care little how the general labor pool is utilized, nor do they care how the economy runs as long as it does not affect their work.

Great post. Of course one my argue that some scientists are lazy seeing how I am posting this from my lab. (No, I'm not lazy I just have 10 minutes to kill while I wait on an experiment! - I'm producing lots of really)

 

[Jay]

Great post. Of course one my argue that some scientists are lazy seeing how I am posting this from my lab. (No, I'm not lazy I just have 10 minutes to kill while I wait on an experiment! - I'm producing lots of really)

What Tech are you researching? But we could all give you some Micromanaging tips to shave off a few turns

 

[mudphud]

What Tech are you researching? But we could all give you some Micromanaging tips to shave off a few turns

Oh yea I'd love to shave a few turns off my graduation date! Hmm what tech am I researching? Wow I might get done faster if I at least knew that huh.