Normally, specialists are assigned as engineers or priests to maximize production.
But when you build research (or wealth or culture), the citizen automation algorithm persists in assigning citizens as engineers, whose 2 hammers are converted into 1 science, with no possible bonus for factories etc, instead of assigning them as scientists (or merchants/artists) who produce 3 science. Clicking emphisize research then (correctly) reassigns the engineers as scientists.
I have two screenshots that show this, but they are taken from GOTM 8, so I will post them at the end of the month if anyone cannot reproduce this at will. And I am running mercantilism with the Statue of Liberty, and Representation with the Sistine chapel, so I get 2 free specialists who produce 3 science and 2 culture extra.
Now, I have no idea what trade-offs emphasize science might have on food, production etc normally, and I admit that maybe you should just always click emphasize science on when building research. But the only reason I can see to assign engineers when building research is to increase the chances of a engineer GP, and I do not think that that can possibly be worth 2 science per specialist.
The same problem also applies to the AI choosing what tiles to work, as it works mines to maximize production even when that production is being converted into research at 1 science for 2 hammers. In the emphasize research example in the (not yet posted) screenshot, there is still a railed grassland mine being worked for 1 food 4 hammers, but that is worse than working a sea square for 2 food 2 commerce after the hammers are converted into science. It does at least stop working a plains hill mine,
Now, perhaps all this is out of scope of the AI, but it does correctly change the worked tiles when you build a settler/worker, so food and hammers are interchangable. So why cannot it not do the same for research, wealth, and culture?
But when you build research (or wealth or culture), the citizen automation algorithm persists in assigning citizens as engineers, whose 2 hammers are converted into 1 science, with no possible bonus for factories etc, instead of assigning them as scientists (or merchants/artists) who produce 3 science. Clicking emphisize research then (correctly) reassigns the engineers as scientists.
I have two screenshots that show this, but they are taken from GOTM 8, so I will post them at the end of the month if anyone cannot reproduce this at will. And I am running mercantilism with the Statue of Liberty, and Representation with the Sistine chapel, so I get 2 free specialists who produce 3 science and 2 culture extra.
Now, I have no idea what trade-offs emphasize science might have on food, production etc normally, and I admit that maybe you should just always click emphasize science on when building research. But the only reason I can see to assign engineers when building research is to increase the chances of a engineer GP, and I do not think that that can possibly be worth 2 science per specialist.
The same problem also applies to the AI choosing what tiles to work, as it works mines to maximize production even when that production is being converted into research at 1 science for 2 hammers. In the emphasize research example in the (not yet posted) screenshot, there is still a railed grassland mine being worked for 1 food 4 hammers, but that is worse than working a sea square for 2 food 2 commerce after the hammers are converted into science. It does at least stop working a plains hill mine,
Now, perhaps all this is out of scope of the AI, but it does correctly change the worked tiles when you build a settler/worker, so food and hammers are interchangable. So why cannot it not do the same for research, wealth, and culture?
