Hi! I wonder, generally, what do you do with your great people? Do you normally use them to obtain technology? to stay in cities as specialists? to build their own buildings? to finish the building that is in construction in a city? Do you wait for other one in order to have a golden age? Or it depends strongly of the moment of the game?
Question about use of great people
- Thread starter Tofis
- Start date
One of my early goals in the game is to build the Parthenon, and thats because I value great people - they can give you a huge advantage, especially early in the game.
Great Engineers: Say hello to Mr. Wonder - even late game wonders can be sped up by Great Engineers; Put one of these guys on Statue of Liberty and its a good bet she'll be built by you.
Great Artists: Culture Bomb! I've gone so far as to save these guys and march them off with settlers - once I was playing China on the Earth scenario, settled a town in central Siberia, created a Great Work, and suddenly owned a huge chunk of .... well, snow. But it did put me in first place for score, and made sure the Persians didnt dominate the area.
Great Merchants: Not -as- usefull as other greats, but you march one of these guys to the other side of the planet, and suddenly your treasury has a ton of cash. So when the Mongols decide its time to send their SoD across the borderlands, you can upgrade your defenders real fast.
Great Prophets: Only really useful if you've founded a religion, then you get that relgion's wonder, otherwise, these guys are good for golden ages and increasing hammmers.
Great Engineers: Say hello to Mr. Wonder - even late game wonders can be sped up by Great Engineers; Put one of these guys on Statue of Liberty and its a good bet she'll be built by you.
Great Artists: Culture Bomb! I've gone so far as to save these guys and march them off with settlers - once I was playing China on the Earth scenario, settled a town in central Siberia, created a Great Work, and suddenly owned a huge chunk of .... well, snow. But it did put me in first place for score, and made sure the Persians didnt dominate the area.
Great Merchants: Not -as- usefull as other greats, but you march one of these guys to the other side of the planet, and suddenly your treasury has a ton of cash. So when the Mongols decide its time to send their SoD across the borderlands, you can upgrade your defenders real fast.
Great Prophets: Only really useful if you've founded a religion, then you get that relgion's wonder, otherwise, these guys are good for golden ages and increasing hammmers.
Wodan
Deity
totally depends.
If you need a tech, or if getting that tech before anyone else will get you something (like another GP), then that's often a good idea. However, I've found that the tech they'll give often isn't the one I would want, so I usually pass on this option.
Great scientists are great for Academies, especially early in the game. Otherwise, I'd save them for golden ages. Rarely, to join a city.
Great Artists are essential to join cities when going for a cultural victory, or at the end of the game to culture bomb my 3rd-lowest city to bring it up with my first two.
When not going for a cultural, GAs are great for culture bombing a newly captured city, or a city which is losing to a neighbor's culture pressure.
Great Merchants are sometimes good for the gold. Often I use them to get a tech. Most of the time, though, I use them to join my biggest finance city. Since they give food, plus gold (which benefits from all my gold buildings like Bank), they're awesome there.
Great Engineers are the best. Always, always, save them to get wonders.
Wodan
If you need a tech, or if getting that tech before anyone else will get you something (like another GP), then that's often a good idea. However, I've found that the tech they'll give often isn't the one I would want, so I usually pass on this option.
Great scientists are great for Academies, especially early in the game. Otherwise, I'd save them for golden ages. Rarely, to join a city.
Great Artists are essential to join cities when going for a cultural victory, or at the end of the game to culture bomb my 3rd-lowest city to bring it up with my first two.
When not going for a cultural, GAs are great for culture bombing a newly captured city, or a city which is losing to a neighbor's culture pressure.
Great Merchants are sometimes good for the gold. Often I use them to get a tech. Most of the time, though, I use them to join my biggest finance city. Since they give food, plus gold (which benefits from all my gold buildings like Bank), they're awesome there.
Great Engineers are the best. Always, always, save them to get wonders.
Wodan
Psyringe
Scout
Depends.
Prophets are used to build shrines, if I have all my shrines, they are added as super specialists because of their gold bonus.
Merchants are sent on expedition or used as supspecs, depending on how old the game is.
Engineers are saved for world wonder hurrying.
Scientists create academies or, if I have one in all my science cities, added as supspecs.
Artists are usually used as culture bombs, or added to border cities.
I rarely let them research a tech, unless I really need the tech they provide, or I'm really behind in the tech race and they can give me something that I can swap around.
I never use golden ages, except in the very late game - when I have some great persons to spare and when the space race is tight, the production bonus is good to have.
Prophets are used to build shrines, if I have all my shrines, they are added as super specialists because of their gold bonus.
Merchants are sent on expedition or used as supspecs, depending on how old the game is.
Engineers are saved for world wonder hurrying.
Scientists create academies or, if I have one in all my science cities, added as supspecs.
Artists are usually used as culture bombs, or added to border cities.
I rarely let them research a tech, unless I really need the tech they provide, or I'm really behind in the tech race and they can give me something that I can swap around.
I never use golden ages, except in the very late game - when I have some great persons to spare and when the space race is tight, the production bonus is good to have.
Thanks for your answers! I understand that but in particular cases (like wonders or need of gold/culture) you normally save some for golden ages. And a question related to this. Any recommendation of behaviour on a golden age? I mean, for example: I suppose that is the perfect momment to prepare a war (or to begin it). Any other recommendation?
Psyringe
Scout
Hm. When a rival and I are so close together in military strength that a golden age would make a difference, then I'd probably not attack him. In this case any war is much more likely to throw us both behind other civs that don't waste so much resources for war. Perhaps when I'm attacked and unprepared, but even then I'd just switch to slavery (or later nationalism) and rush defenders.
I don't see much use in golden ages. They are too short, and the bonus seems too small.
For example, say you have a prophet and an engineer (quite likely combination in the classical era). You can turn the prophet into a shrine that may well generate 15 gold per turn for hundreds of turns to come. On top of that, you can use your engineer to build a world wonder you really want (and deny that same wonder to your rivals), like the Great Library. I don't see how any golden age could compete with that.
I don't see much use in golden ages. They are too short, and the bonus seems too small.
For example, say you have a prophet and an engineer (quite likely combination in the classical era). You can turn the prophet into a shrine that may well generate 15 gold per turn for hundreds of turns to come. On top of that, you can use your engineer to build a world wonder you really want (and deny that same wonder to your rivals), like the Great Library. I don't see how any golden age could compete with that.
Similar threads
