Skipping GP

[STMO]

There is so much to learn to master this game. I love it!
Skipping Great Persons is an issue I think should be considered.
When is it good to pass/skip?
Dealing with art do you consider skipping to get the collection bonus at the museum?

 

[aguliondew]

Any culture based GP should not be skipped, at worst you can sell great works to low tourism civs for some gold. For engineers their are 2 engineer worth skipping for(industrial/modern era), both increases the production and/or range of industrial districts. For merchants only Adam smith is worth skipping to get, you can get him during the industrial era and he give an extra economic policy. If you are going for a culture victory their is one great merchant during the last 3 eras that greatly improves tourism that you should skip to get. For scientist renaissance and modern era both have 1 scientist worth skipping to get.

Overall during renaissance look for the scientist that give bonus science per library. In the industrial era try to get Adam smith as a great merchant. During the modern era and lately their should be one merchant, engineer or scientist that matches your victory condition. Admirals and General are not worth mentioning.

 

[ezzlar]

Wasn't Adam Smith changed?

Always check the AI GPP generation rate. If you beelined/focused on a specific GPP, skipping can mean a very long wait before the AI reaches the skipped one.

 

[aguliondew]

Yea you are right. Their changed it to a governor promotion instead of a economic policy.

 

[whylom]

Always check the AI GPP generation rate. If you beelined/focused on a specific GPP, skipping can mean a very long wait before the AI reaches the skipped one.

It's often hilarious how many GPPs you can accumulate waiting for the AI to pick up a GP you skipped. Sometimes you'll have enough GPPs for the next 2 or 3 GPs in the queue, and the game gives them all to you in the next turn.

 

[Depravo]

It's often hilarious how many GPPs you can accumulate waiting for the AI to pick up a GP you skipped. Sometimes you'll have enough GPPs for the next 2 or 3 GPs in the queue, and the game gives them all to you in the next turn.

Going through this currently with Great Engineers. Wish I'd just taken Mimar Sinan, it will be at least 50 turns before the AI can snag him.

 

[Victoria]

I have played many games in the past when the AI did not go for great admirals, even now they sometimes do not push a lot. In these cases skipping is not that good an idea. No more GA....
On the opposite end of the scale, if the AI is generating nearly or more GPP than you skipping can give them the bad ones.
In the middle is harder to judge, you do not want to be held up.
Also considering you lose GPP by skipping you have to revalue what you are skipping.

 

[Lord Katana]

@Victoria, what do you mean by losing GPP? they accumulate right? or do you mean something else?

 

[tedhebert]

@Victoria, what do you mean by losing GPP? they accumulate right? or do you mean something else?

I think what @Victoria is referring to is the fact that there is a GPP cost to skipping... can go as high as 500+ GPP penalty...

 

[Rosty K]

Now that you get the era score for them, there's even less reason to skip. I'll very occasionally skip those admirals that give a bonus to something I'll never, or very rarely, do (like raiding trade routes) and may risk skipping someone like Mendeleev (cause I'd normally already have the Chemistry eureka by the time he pops up), same with Turing, in hope to get something better next. But then you also have to remember when was the last time the era changed, cause the next GP may turn out way more expensive and the wait will be forever.

 

[Victoria]

@Victoria, what do you mean by losing GPP? they accumulate right? or do you mean something else?

@tedherbert is right, skip GPP and you loose GPP points, do not have the game open ATM, something like 30%

 

[Jackanape]

OK, now I wasn't sure about that myself. So is it best to just take every GP you can get? Why skip? I'm confused as all get out. If you lose 30% by skipping, then WHY?

 

[iammaxhailme]

General rules
- I never skip musicians or writers. There is no reason to
- I almost never skip artists; the only times I do is if I have those religious buildings that want religious art, or a playing a civ with a bonus to certain art (like the kongo to scultptures) but that's very niche.
- I usually skip scientists if they are the boring ones that are "give 3 eurekas". I'm not sure if those ones are optimal or not, but they're boring, so I skip them in favor of ones that give bonuses like "+ science to universities" or + "Gives a ton of science next to natural wonders".
- Engineers and Merchants are very situation-dependent, so I don't have general rules... if they give me something I need (quick wonder construction, amenities, etc) I'll get them.
- I don't like warmongering in my games, so I rarely get generals
- I don't like warmongering in my games, but you can still get a lot of admirals from harbors. I usually skip the ones whose retire bonus is something like "more gold from pillaging" because I'm probably not going to be doing any pillaging. Instead I wait for one that gives "here's a little gold now".

 

[whylom]

OK, now I wasn't sure about that myself. So is it best to just take every GP you can get? Why skip? I'm confused as all get out. If you lose 30% by skipping, then WHY?

If you can grab both GPs, then you definitely grab both GPs! Even a worthless GP (eg: Hildegard if you're playing as Mvemba) can be used for scouting, and is better denied to the AI than handed over.

But. . . if an AI is close enough behind you in GPPs, you might have to choose between getting this GP or getting the next one. And if you're confident the next GP is that much better, it might make sense to skip. I've rolled the dice on this myself and won big, and it was a lot of fun.

 

[Disgustipated]

Why skip?

Back in the days when Adam Smith was OP, I often skipped if I thought there was a chance he was coming up next. There is one great scientist that isn't that great, sorry I can't remember his name or effect, I haven't played in a few weeks. Some great people just aren't well suited for how my empire is set up. If you are going for cultural victory, consider skipping some later great merchants until the one that gives +tourism comes up (there are a couple actually). And I think there's a great engineer that gives tourism. If going science victory you may consider skipping until you can get Sergei Korolev (great engineer), though lately I just use builder charges to push science victory through.

I always skip the great engineer that gives a boost to Computers. Computers, really? Who can't possibly get this boost? Though I do often take the great scientist that gives a boost to computers since it gives one other boost. But I don't understand why 2 great people give a boost to computers, the most useless tech to need a boost for.

if they are the boring ones that are "give 3 eurekas"

This guy always seemed great to me. Though I admit I prefer Newton and Einstein. 3 Eurekas can be pretty great. Though I stress the word can. I love it when all 3 eurekas are something I wouldn't have got on my own (like I never build aqueducts). That's a lot of turns you are shaving off getting through the tech tree.

 

[Lily_Lancer]

I don't skip them unless the runner-up being really close. Things change and sometimes AI may never have chance to reach that much GP point, especially when it is your next target.

 

[isau]

I normally only skip when I can glance and see the next AI in line is very close to grabbing the GP and that GP isn't very good for whatever reason.

If you are playing a Civ with a specific synergy, skipping to ensure you can grab the next GP might also be a good idea, especially if you know they are next and you can Faith buy them when they drop in the queue. Examples of this:

• As Genghis Khan, skipping Sarah Breedlove to grab Mary Katherine Goddard (Merchant). MKG is worth +6 in all combat situations for Genghis, almost overpowered, and is much better than a Tourism bonus.
• Skipping Nikola Tesla (regional buildings provide +2 production and reach 3 tiles farther) for Alvar Aalto (+1 Appeal to all tiles owned by this city) if you specifically need that synergy, e.g. if it overlaps with Earth Goddess and National Parks, particularly if you have the Mausoleum of Halicarnisus (+1 charge for all Great Engineers) and can do it in two cities

There are also some trash Great Admirals that I skip on sight because I don't need Admirals that much anyway. Zheng He (gain an envoy--seriously, that's it) comes to mind. Also the Admirals that just provide Loyalty in a city. But first look to see what the AIs are doing. If they aren't even competing for Admirals just take what you get.

 

[Phoenix1595]

I skip if I know the era is advancing and a better candidate is around the corner. Fir instance, every other Great Merchant and Scientist has meh perks. The culture GPs are a bit different, although I keep tabs on my works slots and will occasionally skip if I say, do not have nor foreseeably plan to have enough religious art or sculpture slots, e.g.

There is a strategy behind skipping, as there are risks involved. Skip the wrong GP or fail to time it right and you give the AI a big advantage...

 

[Abaxial]

Is there a way to tell who is coming next?

 

[aguliondew]

No you can only guess using the history of previous GP taken but every era has someone worth waiting for.