Religion Spread Annoyance

[auagxa]

Ever had a game in which the state religion of the majority of the civs doesn't come to any of your cities for a long time? This happens in some of my non-archipelago games and it's a very annoying situation especially when you try to improve relations between the AI when pursuing a diplomatic victory. What do you guys do in this situation?

 

[Drakarska]

If your talking straight diplo (I.E. no warring), then your best bet at improving diplo would be OB and trading surplus resources. OB would be the key though, as the AI usually enjoys spamming it's religion all over the place.. Especially Izzy.

 

[Sisiutil]

Yes, as Drakarska says, Open Borders agreements are important to religion spread, because religion spreads along trade routes. Therefore you should also:

• Prioritize trade route techs like The Wheel (for roads), Sailing (for coastal & river trade routes), and eventually Astronomy (for ocean trade routes).
• Open trade routes by building roads connecting your cities to those of the religion founder(s).
• Keep coastal trade routes open by building naval units and patrolling the coast. Barb galleys are notorious for cutting off early coastal trade routes.
• If the desired religion still won't spread to your cities, you can try closing your OB with everyone but the owner of the Holy City--but this can have serious economic and diplomatic repercussions, so I don't recommend it unless you're desperate.

 

[auagxa]

I almost always OB most of the time and I sometimes trade. There is one particular game that there are two zealots (namely Isabella and Justinian) in my continent but still none of my cities had their state religion after I had liberalism. So I was left with no choice but to run free religion (in a cultural game). The said religion came to me after 15 turns or so after switching to FR. It's sometimes frustrating that this happens when I pursue an AP/Cultural victory to get pleased with the AI.

Well, I haven't tried the close borders tactic before since I don't want to screw diplo with AI.

 

[rah]

I though religion could spread without open borders. I see it all the time.

And the best way is just build a city near them when you have open borders. A city with no religion that's close will attract a missionary quickly.

 

[auagxa]

And the best way is just build a city near them when you have open borders. A city with no religion that's close will attract a missionary quickly.

I think this is the most probable reason. In those games that I mentioned, there is at least one religion in my cities.

 

[Sisiutil]

I think this is the most probable reason. In those games that I mentioned, there is at least one religion in my cities.

Religion will automatically spread along trade routes, but only to cities with no religion present. For that to happen, the AI must build and send a missionary your way. They will eventually get around to this, but there's no guarantee. And remember that for every religion present in a city, the chance of a missionary's success is reduced.

 

[Ghpstage]

Open Borders actually does nothing for religion spread other than allowing missionaries to enter your culture. Religions spread along the trade network not trade routes, the network being the thing that makes routes possible. Basically if the connections exist to make a hypothetical trade route from your (religionless) city to the holy city possible then, spread can occur.

If all else fails you could always declare war one someone to take a city with the desired religion in

 

[Sisiutil]

If all else fails you could always declare war one someone to take a city with the desired religion in

Now there's a thought. When all else fails in Civ IV, GO TO WAR!!!

 

[TezaPsyborg]

Now there's a thought. When all else fails in Civ IV, GO TO WAR!!!

This is always good advice... CHARGE!!!

 

[Culture Bomb]

I've played a game recently where there were no religions at all on my entire continent until after Astronomy - Gandhi and Isabella were on the other continent and between them founded all the religions.

 

[Sisiutil]

I've played a game recently where there were no religions at all on my entire continent until after Astronomy - Gandhi and Isabella were on the other continent and between them founded all the religions.

It's unusual but not unheard of. It's happened in more than one of my games too. It can make diplomacy a bit trickier--shared religion is certainly the easiest way to win friends and influence people in the early part of the game.