Buffing the piety tree

Since we all now that this SP tree is quite underwhelming (especially compared with rationalism, its alternative), I am thinking of new ways that it could be improved:

Policies left unchanged: Mandate of Heaven and reformation are perfect in their current form, me thinks.

Policies that needs to be changed

Opener: Shrines and temples generates +1 faith each, +2 faith in your capital, avaible since the beggining of the game

This is meant to give you an edge in order to get your own pantheon / religion earlier than your rivals. Its early avaibility makes it also harder for you to choose between piety and rationalism, making aiming for the second a risky and long term bet instead of a no brainer.

Organized religion: Temples generates +2 happiness, -25% to their building time

A much needed buff for an almost useless building (nope, 2 faith is simply not worth of 2 gold maintenance), it also helps to neglect Rationalism as being the "de facto" option for wide empires as well.

Theocracy: Your capital gains and the city were your great temple is located gains +15% food, culture and wonder production (not stackable)

A boon for tall empires, it also synergizes with the liberty and tradition SP trees by helping you to acquire wonders. The fact that it also makes a great combo with civs such as Egypt or the Aztecs also helps with its flavour

Free religion: 1/3rd of your faith output turns into science, great temple generates +75% science

A help in order to not lag too far behind in the tech tree when compared to Rationalistic civs, it also helps you in order to prevent faith generating buildings from diluting their usefulness as the time passes by. The dichotomy of rewarding both raw faith output and buffing the great temple is aimed to make it a useful SP for both tall and wide type of empires.

Finisher: Add a follower belief to your religion

A powerful finisher, focused into increasing the power of your religion. Also, by limiting the extra belief to the "follower" cathegory, it prevents it from overlapping and surpassing Bizantium's UA.


So, thoughts? Any other ideas from turning the current Piety Tree into something truthly useful?

I like the idea of having a Piety Policy give a boost to science because normally you are lagging in science if you are going cultural vic.

theocraty is too much.
The rest is good,especially the opener and organised religion , those seems right in terms of timing.

I also believe Piety should be an Ancient level access. Patronage and Honor should be the Classical ones. Ancient should be Liberty, Tradition and Piety. Here's my piety changes:

Opener - +1 faith from Faith buildings, -33% faith building construction time

Organized Religion - Temples +10% Gold, -10% cost of all faith purchases
Mandate of Heaven - 50% of excess Happiness is converted to culture AND faith (10
happy = 5 culture and 5 faith)

Theocracy: -1 Unhappy per city in your empire following your state religion, +25% religious pressure for state religion
Reformation: +33% culture in cities which have a WW, Instant Golden Age, Religious buildings grant +1 Science (+2 for Monastaries) Also monstaries can use Wheat. It makes sense. Seriously. Wheat, Incense and Wine.

Religious Tolerance: -10% policy cost, +2 science per additional religion in your cities

Finisher: -20% policiy cost, Religious sites gain +3 Gold, Culture and Food