AI Civilization spreading foreign religion ...

[Sixela54]

I don't know if this is a real bug, but it has occurred several times and it's pretty frustrating.

While a was playing a 4 players map, Rome converted the whole Scythian empire, which already had his own religion. And several years later, Scythian missionaries came to my territory to spread ... Roman religion ...

Even if this is possible, I don't understand why a player would do such a dumb thing. Spreading someone else religion gives him bonuses, and also help him for the religion victory... (That's what happened, even if I repelled every Roman crusade).

Does it happen to someone else ?

 

[AceDuffy]

Christianity was a Middle Eastern religion, then Rome was converted, and spread it aggressively.
Buddhism started in India, but we don't question Japan's use of it.

Throughout history, there are many instances of religions spread by converted civilizations.

 

[vmxa]

The game allows creation of prophets and such, far too easily. It should be costlier to make or buy such units. They should have a much higher failure rate. In short, it is OP. Oh and add not fun.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I don't know if this is a real bug, but it has occurred several times and it's pretty frustrating.

While a was playing a 4 players map, Rome converted the whole Scythian empire, which already had his own religion. And several years later, Scythian missionaries came to my territory to spread ... Roman religion ...

Even if this is possible, I don't understand why a player would do such a dumb thing. Spreading someone else religion gives him bonuses, and also help him for the religion victory... (That's what happened, even if I repelled every Roman crusade).

Does it happen to someone else ?

Its definitely an AI bug...
The only civ that should spread a religion to the cities of a different civ should be the founder.
If an AI founded religion X, they should only buy religious units in cities that follow religion X
If an AI didn't found any religion, they probably shouldn't buy any religious units at all (except maybe Kongo..and even then none should go into a different civ)

 

[Kougar7]

How is that a bug? You guys should read the Kongo's description, they cannot found a religion and require someone to convert their cities. Then the Kongo can spread the religion themselves and will gain its bonuses.

Also if an AI gets converted, there is still the reason for it to still wage religious war if a different religion was winning, as a blocking move. Not sure if the AI was programmed with that in mind but it's a valid reason.

 

[Sixela54]

How is that a bug? You guys should read the Kongo's description, they cannot found a religion and require someone to convert their cities. Then the Kongo can spread the religion themselves and will gain its bonuses.

Also if an AI gets converted, there is still the reason for it to still wage religious war if a different religion was winning, as a blocking move. Not sure if the AI was programmed with that in mind but it's a valid reason.

Kongo was not involved in this game, that's why I don't understand the Scythian move. For sure, your point about blocking someone else is relevant, but on a 4 players map, if you're already converted to someone else's religion, it seems to be a nonsense to continue the conversion to other civilizations.

@KrikkitTwo :

For the reason explained above, I can't see any problem of buying someone else's religion if one of your city has been converted, it's pretty logical.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Kongo was not involved in this game, that's why I don't understand the Scythian move. For sure, your point about blocking someone else is relevant, but on a 4 players map, if you're already converted to someone else's religion, it seems to be a nonsense to continue the conversion to other civilizations.

@KrikkitTwo :

For the reason explained above, I can't see any problem of buying someone else's religion if one of your city has been converted, it's pretty logical.

As a human its fine to spread someone else's religion.

As an AI..
If you founded a religion you should only spread that religion ever...if your religion gets wiped out use your faith for other things (GP, National Parks, Theocracy war, Worship buildings)...otherwise you are likely to help someone else to religious victory.

If you didn't found your own religion, it makes sense to spread one you like throughout your civ....but you still risk helping someone with religious victory and there is no point for you to spread it to a third party civ...only Kongo gets any benefits from that.

Basically AIs should never ever spread a religion they didn't found outside of their own civ... that
1. helps another civ with religious victory
2. doesn't help you at all...except in the single case of Kongo, which is strange enough, and Kongo doesn't have to worry about it as much since they can't buy religious units

 

[tmarcl]

As a human its fine to spread someone else's religion.

As an AI..
If you founded a religion you should only spread that religion ever...if your religion gets wiped out use your faith for other things (GP, National Parks, Theocracy war, Worship buildings)...otherwise you are likely to help someone else to religious victory.

If you didn't found your own religion, it makes sense to spread one you like throughout your civ....but you still risk helping someone with religious victory and there is no point for you to spread it to a third party civ...only Kongo gets any benefits from that.

Basically AIs should never ever spread a religion they didn't found outside of their own civ... that
1. helps another civ with religious victory
2. doesn't help you at all...except in the single case of Kongo, which is strange enough, and Kongo doesn't have to worry about it as much since they can't buy religious units

I think the issue is that the AI is programmed to spend faith on apostles and spread religions to other cities. If the only religion available is the one that converted them, they'll spread that one. I've been able to use this to my advantage by spamming one civilization's cities, and then watching them convert other civilizations for me. This was on Prince difficulty, however. I'm not sure how it would work on higher difficulties.

 

[Sixela54]

Even if it helped you in your game, the real question is "why does the AI spread another religion to other civilizations" as they won't have any bonuses for that (except Kongo) but it will cost a consequent amount of faith (which could be used for other purposes...)

 

[tmarcl]

Even if it helped you in your game, the real question is "why does the AI spread another religion to other civilizations" as they won't have any bonuses for that (except Kongo) but it will cost a consequent amount of faith (which could be used for other purposes...)

Up to a point, yes, it can be used for other purposes. If the foreign religion has, for example, the wat or cathedral buildings, faith can be spent on those. Once those are bought, unless they've got the ability to purchase units (which they don't really need to do, given their production bonuses), the only thing they can spend money on is apostles and missionaries. Since the AI is programmed to spend faith, they're going to do it on what's available.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Up to a point, yes, it can be used for other purposes. If the foreign religion has, for example, the wat or cathedral buildings, faith can be spent on those. Once those are bought, unless they've got the ability to purchase units (which they don't really need to do, given their production bonuses), the only thing they can spend money on is apostles and missionaries. Since the AI is programmed to spend faith, they're going to do it on what's available.

They can always spend faith on Great People

 

[Ace Belder]

Sorry to necro this thread, but I thought it was important to point out some very important things:
a) not game related, but historically, there are very few civilizations who founded a religion. The vast, vast majority adopted religions from other civilizations.
b) if you have or could not found a religion, having another's is very helpful. You may be able to use Faith to purchase universities and an array of other buildings that give faith, culture etc. Faith can be used to purchase civilian units during golden age (workers, settlers, etc.) if you select the Monumentality Dedication.
c) As stated you can use faith to rush-purchase great people.
d) Most importantly, having one Civ's religion could prevent Religious victory from a 3rd (ex. you have Sumeria's religion and India is close to Religious victory)
e) Also, I believe there is still the "brothers & sisters of the faith" Rep bonus with civs of the same religion.

 

[Browd]

Moderator Action: Please do not revive dead threads. If you have something new to say, feel free to start a new thread. Thread closed.