Culture victories are complicated, I don't understand how to use religion, gold is scarce, it feels like the early game is much slower. CiV doesn't seem to offer practical tutorials either...
Can you explain some things to me like I'm five, please? (or help me find a helpful source)
- When is it important to focus on faith? What are its benefits?
- When should I first get a caravan going? Asap or after other important buildings?
- How do you win a diplomatic victory now? Is globalization now not needed? Is it still best to play as a science victory to a certain point?
- What are some good starter civs for diplo and culture victories?
Thanks!
Well, Civilopedia is a helpful source, other people's let's plays, as well strategy guides on this site as well. Now on questions:
1.) Having your own religion is always a good thing since it can help you in many areas. At least it is good to get a Pantheon quickly, so you can start getting bonuses from some things in your starting location. So, in a way religion is very good it can help you even in your victory condition in a long run. So it is good to get pottery tech and after that build a shrine so you can get your pantheon up and running. The problem is there is no specific time when you should focus on faith, you simply try to get as much faith as you can all the time, and yes Stonehenge is Not a necessity to getting your religion. Late game faith can be used to purchase Great People, so having a nice faith output through the whole game is a good thing.
2.) Caravan is not an ASAP unit. Once you research Animal Husbandry and Sailing you can have 2 trade routes. I usually build my first caravan when I found my second city to send food to the new-found city. Early on external trade routes are more useful, they give you that early game gold buff, as well as science. Once your economy stabilizes and you have a tech lead, it is better to shift to internal trade routes and provide your cities with food and production, making you even stronger.
3.) To get a voting on the World Leader, at least half of civs must reach Atomic Era or 1 Civ must reach the Information Era. Then every 10 turns (on Standard game speed) there is a voting for World Leader, then you just use your delegates to vote (for yourself obviously), there is just as before the certain amount of votes you must get to win diplo victory, and as before the more city states you have the more delegates you will get as well, so you still need a lot of city-state allies. Of course it is good to have Globalization because it has a nice bonus. Prior to BNW Food and Science were very important. In BNW they are the MOST important thing now, because having a tech lead allows you to pretty much win every victory condition.
4.) For diplo, well... probably: Alexander, Ramkhamhaeng, Gustavus, Maria I.
For culture: Ahmed al-Mansur (not the best one), Casimir III, Gajah Mada, Napoleon, Gustavus, Montezuma (much more for domination), Theodora (if you take culture focused beliefs), Pedro II (the best one), Ramesses II, Oda (has some nice early bonuses).
but just as Browd said every civ can do it pretty much.