Can't even ask others to convert?

[Payeybla]

I'm at a bit of a frustrating impasse in my current game as the Persians at Noble difficulty. I've founded Islam, and with the recent acquisition of the Vassalage civic, I'm ready for a little Jihad against my heathen Taoist neighbors. Yet I find I can't even give them the opportunity to accept the true faith before I sweep through their lands with steel and fire. In the diplomacy screen, there are no options under "Convert." What gives? I also don't seem able to attempt any persuasion when it comes to their civics either. The booklet and civilopedia are both inexplicably silent on this issue, so hopefully someone here can edumucate me.

 

[Chieftess]

You need to spread religion to their cities to get them to convert. Make sure that they don't have the therocracy civic, too. (that prevents non-state religion from spreading).

 

[Payeybla]

Thanks much for the quick reply, Chieftess, but I'm still a little confused. Take my closest neighbor, the Mongols, as an example. They have seven total cities, of which three, including the capital, are now exclusively Islamic. How many cities must I spread Islam to in order to try converting Genghis Khan himself? All of them? Two thirds?

They have Organized Religion, btw, not Theocracy.

 

[Sisiutil]

I assume you have Islam set as your state religion?

 

[Chieftess]

I'm not sure of the exact number (or percentage, rather), but try getting more of your religion than they have of theirs. (i.e., if they have 4, give them 5 of yours. They'll view that as a better choice, since more cities will be affected).

 

[_alphaBeta_]

This could be the reason:

I assume you have Islam set as your state religion?

Did the other civ just have a revolution? Have you waited several turns and tried again?

I believe if the option isn't there it means they cannot switch. If they didn't want to, it would still be there as a red-out option.

 

[Pantastic]

What civics and state religion are you running? You can only ask people to covert to your state religion or to civics that you use, the game won't let you ask them to convert to someone else's religion. If they recently changed civics or religion, the option won't appear until they get out of the 'you must wait X turns to change...' stage.

 

[Payeybla]

Islam was indeed my state religion from the turn I founded it. Before then I clung to my pagan ways in the face of the Taoist advance. I turned out to need four of GK's cities to be Islamic before the conversion option appeared (in red, naturally ) in the diplomacy screen. So I trampled his heathen ass into the ground with my war elephants and I'm now deciding how I want to deal with the rest of the Taoists, who curiously closed their borders to me.

Good point about paying attention to when other civs have switched things up, btw. That makes sense, and I will keep that in mind in the future.

 

[ChicagoCubs]

So I trampled his heathen ass into the ground with my war elephants

Still laughing.

 

[wiseguy101]

Just keep making more missionaries, and try to spread their religion to all of their cities if you have open borders with them. Eventually, they'll have to convert to Islam.

 

[Willem]

I'm not sure of the exact number (or percentage, rather), but try getting more of your religion than they have of theirs. (i.e., if they have 4, give them 5 of yours. They'll view that as a better choice, since more cities will be affected).

It also depends on how much they like you. If you have good relations with them, they're more likely to agree to conversion than if they despise you.

 

[Pantastic]

Oh, when talking about the number of cities, you should only need them to have 1 city with the religion to have convert as an option (unless they've been in a revolt), though it will often be redded. Generally if they didn't found a religion and you get more of their cities (and especially larger cities) to have your religion than any other, they'll convert automatically without you asking. Often if you have to ask, they'll switch back to their old religion a few turns later, especilaly if they have the holy city.