Rate the Social Policies Part II: Piety/Patronage/Aesthetics

All from a deity perspective, haven't played on lower difficulty in over a year so can't really comment on it, but it definitely changes the values a lot.

Piety

7 - Opener: If you go for religion and you're not a religion generating Civ, this is almost required. Not only is it excellent when going wide, but it's needed for a good pantheon, shaving 4 turns off in the earliest stages of the game.
7 - Organized Religion: This is an absolutely necessary follow up to the opener if you are still on the religion plan, as it pretty much doubles your faith output.
8 - Mandata of Heaven: Although a bit situational, this allows you to spread your religion earlier and cascade into religion buildings faster.
4 - Theocracy: 10% base gold output is pretty bad, especially in BNW. You'll rarely get more than 2 gold out of it per city. That puts it a bit behind most other gold generating policies.
2 - Religious tolerance: The usefulness depends greatly on circumstances, but in general a minor amount of culture or faith is not worth a policy.
6 - Reformation: Reformation beliefs are in general too weak to spend a policy on, even if you go all in on the religion.
6 - Finisher: The extra culture may be good but getting the settled Prophets to work has never really been useful for me.

Patronage

8 - Opener: The Forbidden Palace is an almost impossible dream, even if you beeline banking and have an Engineer ready. However, the slowing of the influence decay alone is enough value on its own.
6 - Philanthropy: Still as good as before. The ideology generators are better, but they come late.
6 - Consulates: Pledges + Consulates is great, but also situational.
7 - Scholasticism: For a tall empire, it's very powerful if you manage to ally a lot of CS. Value diminishes a lot as you expand.
7 - Cultural Diplomacy: Can be extremely valuable if things are tight. In BNW, I feel the only resource you really need is Oil, but you need a LOT of that, and this can provide just that.
1 - Merchant Confederacy: Even under the best circumstances, this isn't going to get you more than what, 8 gold ? Extremely weak.
5 - Finisher: The fact that you have no control over what you get, combined with the low frequency, means that this isn't really worth much. If you are Sweden, then this cascades nicely. If you're not, it depends on luck a lot.

Aesthetics

5 - Opener: Uffizi is too popular with the AI to get frequently, and usually not even worth building. Extra great people is good but only if you go cultural. I never needed more than I could build normally to defend myself. This makes their application very pigeonholed.
7 - Cultural Centers: This one is actually pretty good in general, as extra production is always a good thing.
4 - Fine Arts: The amount you get from this is very limited, even in good circumstances it'll be less than the culture you get from even one city state.
7 - Artistic Genius: An extra artist is good, but the fact that you can choose exactly when to get this makes it even better, since that makes getting all theming bonuses that much easier.
8 - Flourishing of the Arts: The boost is massive, and if you are going culture and have no wonders at all, you are in a lot of trouble anyway. Just need one wonder per city. The golden age also gives you everything you could possibly want, as you will probably just want to chain them together in your culture games.
7 - Ethics: This pays itself back and more if taken early enough, making this an essentially 5 policy tree rather than 6.
9 - Finisher: Double theming bonuses are nice and all that, but the real sweetness is quite obviously faith buying 3+ Great Musicians after you have the Internet. Again, like all other policies in this tree, it's all limited to Cultural games.

3 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
5 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
5 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
5 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
6 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
8 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
7 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

Patronage (Classical Era):

8 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
8 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
7 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
6 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
8 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
3 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
8 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

8 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
5 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
5 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
5 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
8 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
3 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
8 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

Piety (Ancient Era)

6 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
7 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
6 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
2 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
2 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
8 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
5 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

Patronage (Classical Era):

7 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
7 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
10 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
4 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
3 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
1 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
4 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

8 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
8 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
3 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
6 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
6 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
6 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
8 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

Crustierpie said:

I really don't see why people are rating ethics above a 2.

Using this chart (http://civilization.wikia.com/wiki/Mathematics_of_Civilization_V) and a 4 city tall opening. Assuming ethic is your 12th policy (I can't imagine it being an earlier) after 17 additional polices ethics saved you a 12485 culture. However the 18th policy costs 13010 culture. So it doesn't net you anything it effectively is a penalty you pay to finish aesthetics.

Am I wrong ? Is the table out of date? Can someone explain why they rate ethics as a good policy?

Click to expand...

I know Ethics doesn't really add that much if you look at policies cost only, but still it saves culture for later policies - usually rationalism or ideologies, depending on your focus. And I value that quite a bit.
With that in mind, I actually think it's a meta-policy worth investing, at least much more than some other culture-generator's and filler gold policies in other tree's.

And I don't know if a got this right, but isn't a 4 city tall empire not a good example for the Ethics bonuses? With a higher number of cities it would scale up a lot better, wouldn't it?

Piety (Ancient Era)

2 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
1 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
1 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
1 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
1 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
5 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
1 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

The Entire Piety tree is garbage on higher difficulties. Missing out on full Tradition for this? lol. On emperor and below, can be ignored as well as its unneeded to have a good religion going.

Patronage (Classical Era):

9 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
9 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
5 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
9 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
7 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
1 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
1 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

1 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
1 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
1 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
1 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
8 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
5 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
2 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

Piety (Ancient Era)

4 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne. - okay, but meh.
5 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples. - getting a strong religion is kinda easy on Emperor, so it's not too hot.
6 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith. - nice, nice. Assuming you got Pagoda belief. Especially good if you're Byzantium and got 3 building beliefs and 2 tourism per faith bought stuff reformation belief.
3 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold. - not the greatest bonus ever, but it makes Holy Sites a bit more worth constructing. Especially after finisher's +culture.
2 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion. - it's either useless, almost useless, or okay. Too random and rarely important.
7 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief. - 10 if you're the first picker, but Jesuit Education and +tourism beliefs are usually taken first by the AI.
6 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture. - it's okay-nice.

Patronage (Classical Era):

7 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace. - will save you a lot of influence later on. Cool.
8 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
7 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
5 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
5 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
0 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States. - barely noticeable - oi, scratch that! Not noticeable at all. At this point in the game it doesn't matter in the slightest if you receive 4 gpt more or less. I take it if I go full Patronage, yes - but ONLY to get the Finisher. It's the worst thing ever. Denounced.
8 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People. - Sometimes it deserves a 10, sometimes it's a 5, so I gave it 8 because it can also give KHAAAAAANS and MoVs. But it'll give you about 3-5 GP if you ally most of the CS's during an entire game. Very cool.


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

6 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi. - nice, nice.
4 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster. - okay, but not too good
2 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies. - how often is this going to matter? Rarely, that's how often.
6 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears. - nice.
6 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age. - nice.
5 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%. - cool. More SP's. Too bad it's kinda... late, y' know? And the bonus isn't really huge.
7 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era. - nice for cultural victory.

Imalich said:

I know Ethics doesn't really add that much if you look at policies cost only, but still it saves culture for later policies - usually rationalism or ideologies, depending on your focus. And I value that quite a bit.
With that in mind, I actually think it's a meta-policy worth investing, at least much more than some other culture-generator's and filler gold policies in other tree's.

And I don't know if a got this right, but isn't a 4 city tall empire not a good example for the Ethics bonuses? With a higher number of cities it would scale up a lot better, wouldn't it?

Click to expand...

Well if social policies stayed the same it would pay for itself after 10 policies and be a neutral policy at 22 (12 to get there +10). However, since social policies cost increase the effective cost of taking the policy increases to the point if you have 50 cities and after 17 policies it would only pay for 96%. Now I can't say for certain since thats as far as the table goes but I assume it would eventually reach a limit of 99% under totally unrealistic conditions (realistically with the time constraints its closer to 73%).

So what does this policy do?
1: It allows you to get the finisher (however since the finisher is it's own separate category it boogles my mind why anyone thinks this policy good on its own).
2. It changes the policy timing. ( I don't know any strategies that utilize this but it's possible that you might want to save rationalism finisher for a specific time and you could calculate it).

Thus unless you have a specific strategy for it, it is the worst policy in the game because it doesn't get you anything. Merchant confederacy might give you 4 gold a turn which isn't great but it's something.

This is to not say you should hold off or not get ethics because the finisher is important but the actual policy adds nothing

7-piety opener
6-organized religion
5 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
3 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
4 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
8 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
3 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

Patronage (Classical Era):

7 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
5 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
8 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
4 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
4 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
2 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
6 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

6 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
7 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
4 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
5 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
7 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
5 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
6 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

Piety (Ancient Era)

6 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne. (If you going full on religion -- and if you're opening this tree, you probably are -- this is a solid early benefit.)
6 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples. (Again, if you're going down the Piety road, this is pretty much required and also a solid benefit.)
8 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith. (This is a great policy that gets even better in the late game when the faith costs for GP get high. It makes the religious buildings that much more attractive as belief choices in the early game).
4 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold. (The gold bonus is actually pretty marginal as I believe it only increases the gold from tiles and doesn't stack. The Holy Site bonus is decent, gets better with the finisher. I see this policy as the only optional policy in the tree.)
2 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion. (Very marginal, only beneficial in particular circumstances and otherwise pointless. It has to be taken to get to reformation beliefs, so it gets taken. I think this policy is actually a poor design choice in general.)
8 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief. (It's well known that Jesuit Education and a couple others are the best ones, but I think most of them have pretty good benefits. If they were all as powerful as Jesuit Education etc., this would be a 10).
6 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture. (The real question here is whether you move on to another tree or take Theocracy and finish it off. It's pretty decent, but also situational)

Overall, Piety is a purely situational tree. Go for it if you're going religion, stay away if you're not.

Patronage (Classical Era):

9 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace. (Very good. I sometimes open up Patronage solely to get this and then leave it behind. The Forbidden Palace is an above average wonder too)
7 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence. (Also solid. Between this and the opener, you're probably controlling the vast majority of CS, though I rate the opener higher because it doesn't cost money necessarily to benefit from it).
8 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20. (This is actually sneaky good -- with a pledge of protection, you get guaranteed friendships without spending a dime.)
5 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves. (It's okay -- doesn't provide too much science, but is required for Cultural Diplomacy so it's worth taking most of the time).
8 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%. (Another very good policy -- happiness and strategic resource benefits in the late game mean you never have to worry about running out of anything.)
1 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States. (It's garbage. If the rest of the tree wasn't so strong, this would be insulting.)
6 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People (It's a mixed bag -- sometimes you get scientists/engineers/Khans and sometimes you get a stream of writers and admirals).

I find Patronage to be underrated -- Merchant Confederacy is a pure throwaway, but every other policy is solid to great. I don't think finishing the tree is at all essential, making it really flexible.

Aesthetics (Classical Era)

5 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi. (It's okay -- if you can get a Garden, Leaning Tower, and National Epic in the same city, that's cool)
4 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster. (The problem is that even going for a cultural victory, these buildings aren't that great and you usually have to build the science/growth/hammers buildings first to keep up.)
2 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies. (Not very good. Very marginal benefits the longer the game goes on.)
6 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears. (This is solid if unspectacular -- Flourishing of the Arts or Representation does the free Golden Age better, and occasionally you don't have a slot for the artwork yet.)
8 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age (This is great, effectively putting a better Sistine Chapel in any city that builds any junk wonder).
3 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%. (This comes too late in the tree to be good. If it were switched with Cultural Centers, this tree as a whole would get more attractive.)
6 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era (I'm torn on this one -- the benefits are almost essential for a cultural victory, but the opportunity costs of getting here are so high.)

Aesthetics is...okay. I only open it if I am absolutely committed to a cultural victory, and even then I think that going for other policies can be just as good in the long run. I really think moving Ethics to the top of the ladder would make this tree more competitive.

it's good to see this getting a bigger response than the first topic

thanks guys, keep the votes coming in

Also my votes:

Piety (Ancient Era)

3 - Piety Opener: Mosque is nice, build time isn't too long anyway, only helpful if you get it early. Sucks compared to other ancient era openers.
5 - Organized Religion: Extra faith per city is nice. Big if you're going wide, and helps going for the early religion.
7 - Mandate of Heaven: yeah this is huge, helps with getting prophets for spreading your religion and also buying GP.
5 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temple build time is cheap (esp. with opener), really helps with that early cash.
4 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): This is very situational, the next best religion's pantheon belief could be good or bad. However, pantheon beliefs are usually fairly decent so it's a nice bonus to have.
7 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): Most reformation beliefs are awesome
5 - Piety Finisher: Extra culture for your capital is a nice bonus, but the prophet is pretty big. It also coincides with your reformation belief, so either you'll have a fully enhanced religion (if it's your 2nd prophet) or a good chance to spread your religion.

Patronage (Classical Era):

10 - Patronage Opener: FP is a must-have wonder, happiness is an in-demand resource and delegates in the world congress will give you an early game monopoly (especially if you're the host as well). City states are always important, this is great to help manage your collection of allies.
7 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Nice. Gold is the best way to make city state friends. Also, this stacks with the reformation belief.
5 - Consulates: Yeah it's nice but I'm usually friends with most of the city states I want by the time it comes around
6 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): Again nice, but the science bonus isn't huge. Everyone loves free beakers though
8 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Any policy which gives extra happiness is great. Extra resources usually means you can sell all yours for some quick gold.
4 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): meh, most civ trade routes will be more beneficial, extra money from city state trade routes isn't that exciting..
8 - Patronage Finisher: Great people come relatively frequently and Merchant of Venice seems to pop up a lot, which is great.


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

6 - Aesthetics Opener: Nice. GWAMs are useful regardless of your victory type.
9 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Building monuments is usually the first thing a city does, the boost is very helpful and even follows through to the hammer-heavy broadcast towers.
3 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): I like generating more culture, but happiness is the hardest resource to generate early game so the bonus added to your culture is usually pretty small
4 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): Basically a free golden age if you're not into tourism.
6 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Huge culture boost if you have tall cities and like to build wonders AND a golden age.
0 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): ugh, this policy is literally filler for if you want to finish the tree.
8 - Aesthetics Finisher: Theming bonus can be big, no other policy before ideologies gives you a tourism boost. Plus it gives you the chance to buy three great people and GWAMs are useful even if you're not going for a tourism victory,

Piety (Ancient Era)

5 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
7 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
7 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
5 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
1 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
9 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
6 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

A situational tree. Generally only worth going if you can benefit from reformation.

Patronage (Classical Era):

8 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
5 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
8 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
7 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
8 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
3 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
8 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People

An overall well-rounded good tree. Definitely worth going for if you are waiting for tenants or after you get the ones you want.

Aesthetics (Classical Era)

4 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
4 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
3 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
4 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
7 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
5 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
7 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

It's okay.... Usually only worth going for if you are going for a CV.

4 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
5 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
7 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
7 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
1 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
8 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
6 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

7 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
6 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
9 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
5 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
8 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
1 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
8 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People

8 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
6 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
5 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
4 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
6 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
4 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
9 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

Piety (Ancient Era)

3 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
4 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
6 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
6 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
4 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
6 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
5 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

Patronage (Classical Era):

6 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
5 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
7 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
5 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
8 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
4 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
5 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

8 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
6 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
7 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
5 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
7 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
4 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
8 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

Piety (Ancient Era)

4 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.

6 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.

8 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.

3 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.

2 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.

10 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.

3 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

Patronage (Classical Era):

7 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.

5 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.

9 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.

8 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.

3 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.

0 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.

3 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

10 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.

7 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.

7 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.

4 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.

8 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.

10 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.

10 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

Piety (Ancient Era)

6 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
Nice to have, but delays the important Tradition or Liberty policies that really kick things off
8 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
Really ramps up the faith generation.
4 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
I take it because it unlocks the Reformation belief. It's an ok policy but not particularly necessary
1 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
If it wasn't necessary for the finisher I'd never take it.
2 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
Only better than Theocracy because it unlocks the Reformation belief.
7 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
Depends what you get from it. Normally pretty good though.
8 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.
Depending on the timing, allows you to enhance or establish your religion.

Patronage (Classical Era):

9 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
Makes an enormous difference to maintaining control of city states.
7 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
Helps fight those pesky AIs attempting to influence CS
9 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
Automatic friends with everyone you pledge to protect. Very nice.
4 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
Needed to get through the tree, nice bonus to have but not a massive one.
6 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
I find it to be quite helpful most of the time.
1 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
Finishes the tree, that's it. The AI love banning CS trade in my experience, so it's not particularly useful to me most of the time.
7 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People
Not reliable, but the possibility of Khans and Merchants of Venice makes it worth picking up if you've started the tree.


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

5 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
Good little bonus for culture focused games.
4 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
Monuments are mostly built already by that stage, none of the others are particularly time sensitive buildings. Better than nothing.
5 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
Not a 3 because it leads to the Great Artist
8 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
Big boost for culture games, but also good just to whip out a golden age.
6 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
Not as flexible as the free artist, and more difficult to unlock.
4 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
Finishes the tree, speeds up future policies slightly. Not a massive boost, but a handy one when you're focusing culture.
6 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.
Being able to buy the GWAM is good, theming bonus helps cultural victories. Does nothing if you're not going culturally, but why are you even going with this tree if you're not going culturally.

Piety (Ancient Era)

- Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne. Rating: 5
- Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples. Rating: 7
- Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith. Rating: 6
- Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold. Rating: 6
- Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion. Rating: 5
- Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief. Rating: 9
- Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture. Rating: 8

Patronage (Classical Era):

- Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace. Rating: 9
- Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence. Rating: 7
- Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20. Rating: 10
- Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves. Rating: 6
- Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%. Rating: 8
- Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States. Rating: 1
- Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People. Rating: 8


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

- Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi. Rating: 6
- Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster. Rating: 3
- Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies. Rating: 2
- Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears. Rating: 5
- Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age. Rating: 10
- Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%. Rating: 1
- Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era. Rating: 8

Piety (Ancient Era)

4 - Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
6 - Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
7 - Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
4 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
3 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
8 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
5 - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

Patronage (Classical Era):

7 - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
8 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
4 - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
9 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
8 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
3 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
7 - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

6 - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
7 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
6 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
4 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
6 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
5 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
8 - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.

Piety

6 - Opener
8 - Organized Religion
5 - Mandate of Heaven
3 - Theocracy
2 - Religious Tolerance
6 - Reformation
7 - Finisher

Patronage

8 - Opener
5 - Philanthropy
9 - Consulates
3 - Scholasticism
8 - Cultural Diplomacy
1 - Merchant Confederacy
6 - Finisher

Aesthetics

6 - Opener
4 - Cultural Centers
3 - Fine Arts
7 - Artistic Genius
9 - Flourishing of the Arts
2 - Ethics
10 - Finisher

Piety (Ancient Era)

7 - Piety Opener:
7 - Organized Religion:
5 - Mandate of Heaven:
2 - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation):
1 - Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation):
6 - Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance):
4 - Piety Finisher:

Patronage (Classical Era):

6 - Patronage Opener:
7 - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism):
8 - Consulates:
5 - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy):
5 - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism):
1 - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates):
4 - Patronage Finisher:


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

7 - Aesthetics Opener:
6 - Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts):
4 - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts):
3 - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts):
8 - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) :
4 - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts):
6 - Aesthetics Finisher:

All ratings are based on the effects themselves, not including the fact that some are prerequisites for better ones. I play Emperor.






Piety (Ancient Era)

2, not spectacular, will save a hammer or two.Piety Opener: Halves time to build shrines and temples, unlocks building the Great Mosque of Djenne.
4 Over time, it comes into use, but at the time of adoption it often just grants you 2 or 3 more faith if playing a taller civ.Organized Religion: +1 Faith from Shrines and Temples.
6, Missionaries cheaper, and if you have the Great person reformation/Unit purchase with faith beliefs, it'll be very very good.- Mandate of Heaven: 20% discount on all purchases of religious units and buildings with Faith.
4, Decent way of paying for the buildings - Theocracy (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Temples increase a city's Gold output by 10%. Holy Sites provide +3 Gold.
8, If there's any competition at all with your religion, you get extra pantheons. Yay.- Religious Tolerance (requires Organized Religion, part leads to Reformation): Cities with a majority religion also get the Pantheon belief bonus of the second most popular religion.
8-Ability to buy all great people is amazing. All that needs to be said- Reformation (requires Mandate of Heaven and Religious Tolerance): If you founded a religion, gain a bonus Reformation belief.
4, Half decent, but not too significant - Piety Finisher: Causes a Great Prophet to appear and Holy Sites provide +3 culture.

Patronage (Classical Era):

8, very helpful at keeping CS's allied longer - Patronage Opener: Cause Influence with City-States to degrade 25% slower than normal. Unlocks the Forbidden Palace.
8, If you're anything like me, you use a lot of gold gifting. More gold gifting! - Philanthropy (leads to Scholasticism): Gifts of Gold to a City-State generate 25% more Influence.
10. You get friends with all CS's if you protect them. - Consulates: Resting point for Influence with all City-States is increased by 20.
9, Provides a massive amount of science if you have a few CS allies. I always do, but perhaps it's just my style. - Scholasticism (requires Philanthropy, leads to Cultural Diplomacy, part leads to Merchant Confederacy): All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.
6, Gives you great happiness points - Cultural Diplomacy (requires Scholasticism): Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.
3, You shouldn't be trading with CS's much as opposed to other civs, as they give more gold. 1 more gold won't fill the difference. - Merchant Confederacy (requires Scholasticism and Consulates): +1 Gold for trade routes with City-States.
6, If you have all patronage tenets, you'll have a lot of allies. More great people is always good. - Patronage Finisher: Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People


Aesthetics (Classical Era)

5, more tourism. Often I find I don't have the slots though early on. - Aesthetics Opener: Earn Great Writers, Artists and Musicians 25% faster. Unlocks the Uffizi.
5 also a nice boost so you can get culture buildings up faster.- Cultural Centers (part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): Construct Monuments, Amphitheaters, Opera Houses, Museums and Broadcast Towers 50% faster.
4, Culture from Happiness is usually more or less negligible imo - Fine Arts (leads to Artistic Genius, part leads to Flourishing of the Arts): 50% excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
5, meh. Some tourism or a golden age. - Artistic Genius (Requires Fine Arts): A Great Artist appears.
7, Great for tall, wonderspam empires. Golden ages are great too. - Flourishing of the Arts (requires Cultural Centers and Fine Arts) : Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.
5, It's good not great. - Ethics (Requires Flourishing of the Arts): Reduces the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%.
6, Great people are always worth purchasing with faith. I've been so lazy about theming though, so I'm biased. - Aesthetics Finisher: Doubles the theming bonus you receive from your Museums and Wonders. Can purchase Great Writers, Artists, or Musicians with Faith from the Industrial Era.