Changes to Mvemba a Nzinga's Religious Convert ability

[Cliomancer]

I'm pretty late into a game as Kongo, and while I've found the Religious Convert game interesting I've also found:
-I've ended up with neighbours whose religion has a lot of beliefs which are worthless without holy sites or the ability to purchase religious units with faith.
-I've not accumulated enough faith to buy a Naturalist by the atomic era.
-My choice of pantheon was pretty useful but it's overwritten by the beliefs I'm spreading.

So, a couple of ideas:
-Under Mvemba, Kongalese cities retain the pantheon belief they had before conversion.
-Mvemba can purchase naturalists with gold
-Beliefs which are outright useless to Mvemba (Holy site/religious unit purchases) grant a different benefit instead, such as improved trade benefits from the holy city.
-The first Mbanza built in a city has a slot available for Belief buildings to be built.

 

[Siptah]

-Under Mvemba, Kongalese cities retain the pantheon belief they had before conversion.

It is already that way. For all civs.

-Mvemba can purchase naturalists with gold

I disagree. Kongo gets so many Great People, that there is not much need for National Parks. Well, at least no need for the tourism of those. Amenities may be needed, but there are other ways to get those.

-Beliefs which are outright useless to Mvemba (Holy site/religious unit purchases) grant a different benefit instead, such as improved trade benefits from the holy city.

I disagree as well. You can juggle religion around with the apostles you get and (to some extent and luck) with diplomacy as well. Changing the beliefs doesn't make much sense anyway in my opinion.

-The first Mbanza built in a city has a slot available for Belief buildings to be built.

Why? I get the impression that you think Kongo is weak, and here our opinions differ. Kongo creates much less faith and has much less freedom in religion than other civs. But it is greatly compensated for that in my opinion. Not just with the Great People - the bonus from Great Works, Artifacts and Relics is huge, as are the 5 free spots in the palace. You can also focus on other districts instead of holy sites. Something you might want to do as other civs as well, if not going for religion. The only real downside in the Kongo/religion thing that I can see is that you can hardly stop someone else winning a religious victory - besides conquering him. And your suggestions don't help with that as well.

 

[Cliomancer]

Hm. Perhaps I've just ended up disappointed at not getting something out of everything.
(Also I've got el zippo relics and stauary to show for my waves of great artists.)

Also my main neighbour had some pretty butt-ass religious beliefs which I couldn't make much use of.

It'd be useful if there was a "Welcome Missionaries" option available in diplomacy to encourage them to come over to your territory or as a bargaining chip in peace/goods negotiation. (For the sake of leaders other than Mvemba, perhaps it could offer a bonus to the conversion strength of religious units in your territory for the recipient's founded religions.)

 

[dunkleosteus]

As a side note about Kongo, you can basically guarantee a victory on any difficulty if you do a 1v1 map with only religious victory enabled. Once you convert one of his cities, he starts converting his other cities FOR you. I won a deity game without realizing it because he converted himself. (wanted a quick win with a civ for an achievement).

 

[SlySlySly]

As a side note about Kongo, you can basically guarantee a victory on any difficulty if you do a 1v1 map with only religious victory enabled. Once you convert one of his cities, he starts converting his other cities FOR you. I won a deity game without realizing it because he converted himself. (wanted a quick win with a civ for an achievement).

omg that is the best I kind of want to try this now. Entering my india mode!