So lets consider the scaling of this one versus the current.
My assumption was that you would complete conversion of about 7 cities in the classical era (which is 3 missionaries, or 600 faith). so cities 8+ would have medieval scaling for the proposals new bonus.
Cities | Orig | Orig Cumu | Proposed | Proposed Cumu |
1 | 20 | 20 | 5 | 5 |
2 | 21 | 41 | 10 | 15 |
3 | 22 | 63 | 15 | 30 |
4 | 23 | 86 | 20 | 50 |
5 | 24 | 110 | 25 | 75 |
6 | 25 | 135 | 30 | 105 |
7 | 26 | 161 | 35 | 140 |
8 | 27 | 188 | 80 | 220 |
9 | 28 | 216 | 90 | 310 |
10 | 29 | 245 | 100 | 410 |
11 | 30 | 275 | 100 | 510 |
12 | 31 | 306 | 100 | 610 |
13 | 32 | 338 | 100 | 710 |
14 | 33 | 371 | 100 | 810 |
15 | 34 | 405 | 100 | 910 |
16 | 35 | 440 | 100 | 1010 |
17 | 36 | 476 | 100 | 1110 |
18 | 37 | 513 | 100 | 1210 |
19 | 38 | 551 | 100 | 1310 |
20 | 39 | 590 | 100 | 1410 |
So the proposal provides weaker initial yields until the 8th city (realistically once medieval starts is more accurate), and then from then on scales better than the current.
This creates a few effects.
1) This would weaken CoE from its niche as an "early wonder" grabber. For example, this would weaken its use for an oracle play as an example.
2) I would argue the scaling here is superior to the current CoE, it kicks in earlier than I thought it did at first glance and does scale quite a bit better once you get even a few cities under your belt.
3) One big change here is that the current CoE doesn't care about holding on to religion, its just cares about that initial conversion. This version makes it more simnilar to other believes where holding on to cities becomes important.
At the end of the day, I do think I judged this version too harshly, it is better than I thought, and I think overall the yields it generates makes up for the lack of those initial few yields.
BUT.... I still think this change will ironically make CoE worse. Right now CoE has a few niches that it can play with, it can play for that early wonder grab, and it can enjoy the idea of conversion without maintenance. This new version simply makes it more like other beleifs....but those other beliefs still do it better! and so all we have now is a belief that has no niche it is actually superior at.