Do religion-specialist civs become less useful at higher difficulties?

[sunbeam]

If you have a GPr, and there is a religion left, you should have been able to found. It does not matter that your cap is following a foreign religion. Likewise, you should be able to enhance even if you loose control of your holy city (I think that is case). If not, use your GPr to convert your cap and 3 expos. You should be fine.

I guess I didn't explain that clearly. I had already founded Eastern Orthodoxy (Byzantium). The prophet I referred to was one that spawned exactly the same turn (or next turn, I just know that my cross turned into a crescent over Constantinople) that jerk guy from Morocco hit me with his great prophet.

When I looked at the great prophet he had the crescent moon on his conversion counter.

I figured my religion was gone completely so I ragequit.

But what would have happened if I hadn't? I didn't even look to see if the enhancement bulb was there. If my religion is no longer in my holy city, he can still enhance it?

 

[Browd]

Yes, he can still enhance.

 

[reddishrecue]

Choose Byzantium and get dual pantheon, why not?

 

[Redaxe]

I guess I didn't explain that clearly. I had already founded Eastern Orthodoxy (Byzantium). The prophet I referred to was one that spawned exactly the same turn (or next turn, I just know that my cross turned into a crescent over Constantinople) that jerk guy from Morocco hit me with his great prophet.

When I looked at the great prophet he had the crescent moon on his conversion counter.

I figured my religion was gone completely so I ragequit.

But what would have happened if I hadn't? I didn't even look to see if the enhancement bulb was there. If my religion is no longer in my holy city, he can still enhance it?

Well you can reload back to the last autosave. Sometimes though a HolyCity will continue to put out pressure if its been converted but in this circumstance I doubt it. I think you just need to declare war on Morocco and sack their holy city.

 

[Gort]

I dunno, I think religion-specialised civs are pretty much equally bad at all difficulties - it's just that you have more need of a good civ at higher difficulties.

I think if you did some experiments you'd find that by playing Poland you'd beat Settler faster than if you were playing Byzantium, for example.

 

[beetle]

I had already founded Eastern Orthodoxy (Byzantium). The prophet I referred to was one that spawned exactly the same turn (or next turn, I just know that my cross turned into a crescent over Constantinople) that jerk guy from Morocco hit me with his great prophet.

All GPr you generate will be of your religion -- even when you buy them from a city not following your religion. This is different than missionaries and inquisitors, (since they are of the religion of the city where purchased). This is perhaps the main reason why I argue that keeping your religion in your core cities is pretty easy. Sorry, that you rage-quit that game for no reason.

 

[claudiupb]

Also the holy city has an internal pressure of 30 that can never go away, even if it is converted to another religion, so eventually it will flip back.

Unless someone uses an inquisitor on the holy city (but that would mean they have to own that city) your religion is not dead.

 

[reddishrecue]

Inquisitors can only be used on your own cities so if you want to use a inquisitor on another holy city you have to make sure that you conquer it first and make it your own.

 

[Plumfairy]

Isnt the whole point of Ethiopia for example to spam religion and then use that to win a cultural victory because of the 1) shared religion bonus to influence and 2) the world congress global religion which increases tourism?

Not really. First off, getting a bonus to influence is nice, but it doesn't really help with a cultural victory.

Ethiopia's bonuses to faith can be leveraged for pretty much any victory type, although domination seems like a slightly odd choice given how the civ usually plays out.

The extra time spent getting to later eras is just more time for you to spread your religion as far and wide as you can. So I don't think they get noticeably weaker tbh.

You don't necessarily need to spend more time getting to later eras; religion can end up being time-neutral when it comes to era advancement. I often do end up slightly delaying my era advancement, because I like having cheap faith purchases, but I'm almost positive that that's a bad habit; I probably should advance eras ASAP like normal in order to optimize my win times. Then again, that's probably why I've never moved beyond Immortal. I'm fine with that, though. I find Immortal to be really fun, while Deity is just stressful.

 

[Dtekkar]

You have to fight a lot harder to make a useful religion, and keep it. In that sense, it becomes a bit of a liability. But it also directs play. A.I.s get a lot more faith, so you have to be a lot more strategic. Blocking missionary circulation with military and Holy wars - in particular over (blocked & accumulated) great prophets - become prominent. Although sometimes you'll be forced to pack it in and quit the religion game from the AI's overwhelming FPT, focusing on religion can still be great if you have lots of atheist neighbors that you can section off (they are what most of my medieval crusades vie for, anyway).

 

[reddishrecue]

True that man of little faith, ais usually make way more faith.

 

[Redaxe]

Well the AI can give you pretty good religions too. I'm just playing the public Diety Aztec game on the Strategy forum. China gave me a religion with Stone Circles, Pagoda's, Religious Community and Jesuit Education.
The only problem I have is that I didn't have enough faith per turn to buy religious buildings, universities, public schools and buy some Engineers.

Indonesia converted my Northern city (on their border) with the God of Protection Pantheon. As that city is in a good choke point and well defended my city attack does about 60% damage to units. So I can just declare war on civs and farm the AI for culture.

So it is funny how you can turn an AIs religion against them. I do think there needs to be more mid-late game benefits to Religions. A St Peters Basilica Wonder that can only be built in Holy Cities to benefit Citystate relations would really fill a niche.