When to work specialists

[MIS]

For Authority game, when do you work specialists? Whenever the happiness can take it? Are some specialists considered better than others?

 

[looorg]

Some random and general thoughts on the subject. But when they are free to work (as in you have other buildings that grant a free urbanization point) and you have free population and there isn't an obvious normal tile that is better or on par. Then there are various special cases, such as if you are already unhappy then it might not matter if you get a little more unhappy as long as you don't hit another break-point. If you are building a settler you can pump in specialists since the city can't starve but always remain stagnant. Are some better then others? Sometimes and it depends on the game, perhaps it's more that some of them are just less useful or mainly useful at certain points of the game -- say if you don't run a a game where diplomacy matters why build great diplomats etc. But in some general way I say engineers, scientists (over all and in general I think they are overvalued) and writers (that said their value greatly diminishes as the game goes on) > the rest, or they at least usually fill an instant purpose while the others might be a more case by case -- does a city state want one for some quest, would it be nice to have one of the others to fill some kind of specialty task.

For an authority game specifically. Engineers to rush a few select wonders or build a tile improvement to grant more production so you can make more units so you can war more. Scientists are less valuable since you'll get science from war/killing/conquest that should fill that niche. Writers can still be good to push culture and policy matters. Merchant could be good if you have gold issues. The rest might not matter all that much.

 

[andersw]

Im not saying that I do things correct or that it works on immortal diety but this is what I do on emperor.

I work the first science and engineer slot asap in capital.
1-2 science slot in other citys if I can afford the food/happiness, it can be rough to keep up with AI classic/medieval techspeed and here is where I feel its most important maybe also a consequence of me not fighting the super early wars.

Writers usually both slots in all three cities.
Artists often both slots in all three cities.
Long term goal is to stack up some great works so I with fealty (if I go fealty) artists can have perma golden age.

Diplo slots in capital if I go authority -> statecraft.

There is probably a lot of micromanagement that can be done here but better warring likely have more impact.
There is also the thing that the higher difficulty you go the more crap the AI will throw at you so you potentially have more science/culture gains from war compared to lower difficulties.

 

[stii]

I generally work culture/science ones and don't work others. If you have enough food in your capital/other cites you can try and fit one engineer/merchant to get a GP but past the first the returns fall off pretty fast.

 

[azum4roll]

In my last game I pretty much let the cities autopick specialists once they have enough population to work all the best tiles, and especially after founding Civilized Jewelers, at the cost of heavy urbanization. Worth it, I was getting 1-2 Great People every turn.

Early game I keep culture specialists worked, then scientists and civil servants, then merchants and engineers. Good tiles take priority over all specialists other than culture.