Specialists

[mimunday]

A couple of questions about using specialists.

Priests: If I have founded a religion, constructing its specific building with a priest makes the most sense. Following that, having them settle in cities that lack productivity would be logical.

Engineers: Tougher. If I am constructing a world wonder, depending on how far along it is, I like to use the engineer to speed it up or finish it. If there aren't any buildings worth completing, I just have him settle.

Merchants: lately I have been enjoying the quick return from trade missions. If he were to settle, with all the city improvements, I would say a merchant could product 25 gold per turn, after banks are available. A trade mission produces over 1000 gold, or 40 turns worth. I understand the argument to settle, but the immediate cash is nice.

Artists: I always have them settle in newer cities to build up the culture as fast as possible, or in 1 of my top 3 if I am going for a cultural victory.

Scientist: I try to build academies in the cities with high research volumes already. I am not sure I have ever settled one before, huh.

I try not to use specialists for techs, unless I am falling behind in the tech race and I am hoping for something to trade. I was hoping that someome could let me know if I am on the right lines of thought or if I am missing the boat on how to effectively use specialists.

 

[JBossch]

First off, you are technically talking about Great People or GPs, rather than specialists. No worries though.

Priests: Building the shrine is a good idea but only if you plan on spamming that religion for diplomatic or gold-producing reasons. Settling priests is a great idea but do it in your capital or another gold city. You want to get the most out of the bonus from multipliers like markets, banks, grocers, etc. Also, keep in mind that if running representation, any settled GP gives +3 beakers. I have also bulbed priests for theology to get christianity in games where there was still no religion on my continent.

Engineers: Rushing wonders can be really useful, especially if you don't have the right resource and it will take a long time. I sometimes go for the MC gambit and use an engineer for mids. Also, SoL sometimes. Settling them can be very effective as well. Bulbing for machinery can allow an early crossbow rush.

Merchants: I am a big fan of trade missions if they will allow gold for a big upgrade, say from maces to rifles, right before a war. Settling is always an option and every once in a while they can bulb something good.

Artists: Unless I am going for culture victory, these guys usually get burned off for a golden age. One exception might be culture bombing in a city with a tough border war with someone I don't want to fight.

Scientists: Probably the best GP in the early to mid game. First one usually builds an academy in the capital. I typically bulb a few on the way to liberalism. (for philosophy and a big chunk of education.) The rest can usually be settled in your science city. Often this is better than building more academies in marginal cities. Check the numbers.

Overall I would say you have the right idea but don't discount the power of bulbing or of settling them in an already powerful city. Check out some of Obsolete's games to see the power of a super-capital where every GP is settled right there. As in everything in Civ4, its all situational.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

I try not to use specialists for techs, unless I am falling behind in the tech race and I am hoping for something to trade. I was hoping that someome could let me know if I am on the right lines of thought or if I am missing the boat on how to effectively use specialists.

I think you may have gotten onto a slower boat that you intended to.

Priests: If I have founded a religion, constructing its specific building with a priest makes the most sense. Following that, having them settle in cities that lack productivity would be logical.

Probably not.

One of the key ideas in the game is that your cities are not copies of each other, but take on different roles depending on which multipliers are in effect for that city... leverage of the National Wonders is where this begins, but it can be taken to extremes even when those wonders are not available.

Attaching great people as specialists fits well with this dynamic, because it allows you to deploy the advantages of your specialists in a location where you are also taking advantage of the big multipliers.

Said differently, you'll probably get a better return on your investment if concentrate making your good cities great, rather than your poor cities mediocre.

Taken to extremes, you get uber cities like those featured in obsolete's walkthrus[/url].

To some degree the tradeoff is about time - the more turns between now and the end of the game, the stronger the case for settling.

Artists: I always have them settle in newer cities to build up the culture as fast as possible, or in 1 of my top 3 if I am going for a cultural victory.

Battle Artists are quite tasty. I can't remember if the last patch fixed them, or left them nerfed.

Scientist: I try to build academies in the cities with high research volumes already. I am not sure I have ever settled one before, huh.

Like Merchants, Scientists stack well with multipliers. However, it is worth thinking about why the academy is valuable... the usual cause is that the city has a lot of commerce, which is being converted to research via the slider. Which is great for games that are using that approach, but the opportunity cost is the things you could be doing with the slider instead (generating happy, or wealth, or espionage).

So where distributing academies is lovely for a space race, it tends to contradict your strategic intentions if your plan is to achieve Legendary status by investing your commerce in culture....

 

[toug]

Where are you getting the +25 gpt estimate for a settled great merchant? With a market, grocer and bank +6gpt will only be multiplied by 100% to 12 gpt.

 

[mike p]

With regards to settling Great Scientists - there are some rare occasions when it is better to settle your first GS instead of building an Academy. Generally after an early war if your science slider is low, you may be better off getting 6 beakers and a hammer than getting a 50% boost on 10 or 20% of your commerce and whatever scientist specialists you are working.

Also, I wouldn't bother settling a great priest in a low production city, unless it was also a shrine. Much better off to settle them in your Wall Street city, or possibly in your chief wonder producing or IW city. It sucks to lose Wonder races by a turn or two and a settled priest could make all of the difference.

 

[Xurr]

Where are you getting the +25 gpt estimate for a settled great merchant? With a market, grocer and bank +6gpt will only be multiplied by 100% to 12 gpt.

Wall street, settle all your merchants in the city you plan on building it

 

[DaveMcW]

Great merchant gives 1 food as well, which can be converted to 1.5 gold as a specialist, or possibly much more as an extra plains cottage.

 

[Diamondeye]

A couple of questions about using specialists.

Priests: If I have founded a religion, constructing its specific building with a priest makes the most sense. Following that, having them settle in cities that lack productivity would be logical.

Complete holy shrines, settle rest in the city you plan to be Wallstreet.

Engineers: Tougher. If I am constructing a world wonder, depending on how far along it is, I like to use the engineer to speed it up or finish it. If there aren't any buildings worth completing, I just have him settle.

Settle in or cities, or save for a shot at UN or SoL or some other important late wonder. Depends alot on playstyle.

Merchants: lately I have been enjoying the quick return from trade missions. If he were to settle, with all the city improvements, I would say a merchant could product 25 gold per turn, after banks are available. A trade mission produces over 1000 gold, or 40 turns worth. I understand the argument to settle, but the immediate cash is nice.

Settle in WS city.

Artists: I always have them settle in newer cities to build up the culture as fast as possible, or in 1 of my top 3 if I am going for a cultural victory.

Agree.

Scientist: I try to build academies in the cities with high research volumes already. I am not sure I have ever settled one before, huh.

A couple of academies is fine, but I tend to settle most in ONE city, that also has an academy. Let it b the OU city.