Hogging the Religions

[martindo]

There's a simple tech path that will enable you to get 5 or 6 of the 7 religions available on vanilla. I haven't played Civ 4 in years, so I forgot it. I did get all 7 once playing India. Any comments on advantages of "owning" the majority of religions that are available?

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

No advantages. Bad strategy.

Founding one or two holy cities can be good in some situations.

 

[AcaMetis]

Most would consider owning religions a detriment moreso than a benefit, under most circumstances. Reaching religious techs first to get the religion founded often delays other critical techs needed to develop your land, not to mention supporting techs needed to actually spread your religion/build religious buildings/wonders/civics etc. Adopting a religion no one else runs ruins diplomacy. Spreading your religion severely taxes production. Getting a Shrine requires popping a Great Prophet, which is one less Great Scientist that can bulb you to key technologies, or one less Great Merchant to upgrade an army, or one less Great Engineer to rush a key wonder, etc.

There can be situations where founding a religion is useful, particularly if you're playing a Spiritual leader who can quickly swap when needed and gets cheaper Temples on top, but in most cases it's better to let the AI found religions and let them deal with all of the problems.

 

[pigswill]

Its ok as a variant for the sake of it, may not be the optimum strategy in 99% of games.

 

[sampsa]

Its ok as a variant for the sake of it, may not be the optimum strategy in 99% of games.

Are you saying that it could be somewhat close to the optimum strategy in 1% of the games?

 

[chinemol]

Are you saying that it could be somewhat close to the optimum strategy in 1% of the games?

semi-iso with a non pleased plotter perhaps

 

[pigswill]

Four certainties of life: birth, death, taxes and pedantry.

 

[martindo]

Brad Pitt as Angel of Death in Meet Joe Black (5 min)