Religion

Just bought this game. Have played previous civ games extensively.

What's the best religious building? I guess monasteries are good if you're going for culture victory? The others are good because it's happiness you can get without having to spend money on?

What's the best religious beliefs, in general? I get the pantheon advantages (the desert one is boss since I always start in the desert no matter if I am Venician, Korea or China), but otherwise things seem a bit clueless. I picked the "money when a city converts" perk once and that was nice, because I had enslaved five or six CS's worth of workers and was haemorrhaging money. Apparently the "GP per turn for believers" perk is pretty terrible at anything above chieftain since the AIs spam missionaries like mad.

Also, when should i upgrade my religion? With the second prophet or hold off? When should I have the prophet build the shrine improvement?

For pantheon beliefs, it really is map dependent. Good job going with desert folklore starting in desert.
use the second prophet to upgrade religion. Any subsequent prophets can either build the shrine improvement or convert city-states.

Volcanon said:

...What's the best religious building?...

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Pagodas

Volcanon said:

...What's the best religious beliefs, in general?...

Click to expand...

Depends on what you are trying to achive with religion. I personally pick Tithe->Pagodas->Swords into Plows->Itinerant Preachers

Volcanon said:

...Also, when should i upgrade my religion?...

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As soon as you get your second GP. Religion is a race that can't be undone, unlike getting beaten to a wonder for example.

You should be aware that most of the benefits of religion are only effective for the early part of the game. If you choose a reformation belief that usually takes affect from the industrial era onwards. Jesuit Education may look good on paper buy imo that is a complete waste of faith. Another consideration is that when a rival civ has adopted your religion that they get all benefits, except the founders belief and some reformation beliefs. You don't want Egypt getting the bonus to ancient/classical wonders for example.