I know it's early, but I think there will be a religion-heavy expansion

[Big J Money]

First of all, I want to mention that we already know religion is in the game. People who played the game mentioned picking a pantheon. However, there are three reasons I think there will be an expansion which will extend religious gameplay, based on what we've seen so far:

1) Nobody mentioned faith points or founding a world religion, and they played into the 2nd age (this should have happened in the first age)
2) None of the leader progression trees mention religion or faith
3) None of the age passage trees (forget what they're called) mention religion or faith

Especially for #2 and #3, those are both places I would expect to see religion-related bonuses, and it would be very easy to simply add new trees to them. I can definitely see an expansion that adds them. Thoughts?

 

[AriochIV]

A unique Missionary unit has been mentioned, so some form of religion is in the game. It would appear that it doesn't get going until the second Age, which may be why we haven't heard much about it yet.

That said, there usually has been an expansion with a religious focus, and so I wouldn't be surprised if that happened again.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

A unique Missionary unit has been mentioned, so some form of religion is in the game. It would appear that it doesn't get going until the second Age, which may be why we haven't heard much about it yet.

That said, there usually has been an expansion with a religious focus, and so I wouldn't be surprised if that happened again.

The Dennis Shirk interview in the other thread said that the Religon mechanic is being simplified from Civ 6. So it really wouldn't be surprising if they give it a makeover later.

 

[pokiehl]

Right now, it seems like religion and citizen management could be good fodder for expansions later on.

 

[TheGrayFox]

Religions being relgulated to exploration age only is another L

 

[Big J Money]

A unique Missionary unit has been mentioned, so some form of religion is in the game. It would appear that it doesn't get going until the second Age,

Was the word "unique" actually used? It makes me wonder if that is referring to a particular civ's UU. I was sort of hoping we'd see the removal of all (or at least most) generic religious units in order to reduce religion micro.

Edit: While I did kind of like the whole preaching wars thing from Civ5 and 6, I really would have preferred that to be in a scenario rather than in the base game. Moving military units around was enough micro for me.

 

[E.C.H]

Was the word "unique" actually used? It makes me wonder if that is referring to a particular civ's UU. I was sort of hoping we'd see the removal of all (or at least most) generic religious units in order to reduce religion micro.

Edit: While I did kind of like the whole preaching wars thing from Civ5 and 6, I really would have preferred that to be in a scenario rather than in the base game. Moving military units around was enough micro for me.

I believe they're referring to the Shawnee information we've seen. The 2K Civ website describes it as such: "Unique Civilian Unit - Hoceepkileni: Missionary Unit. Has increased movement, and Rivers do not end movement."

 

[Krikkit1]

I think the “religion heavy expansion” may be the second age.

Religion in all ages, but plays differently in each. With biggest effect in the second.

 

[AriochIV]

Religions being relgulated to exploration age only is another L

Well... I guess it depends on how religion is modeled. Maybe this time Pantheons are more substantial, and better model the early shamanistic or polytheistic religions. And perhaps "religion" proper models mainly the major monotheistic religions.

Buddhism was a big driver of international events in Eastern Antiquity (hello, Ashoka), but I think the West didn't really experience this until after the fall of Rome and the rise of Christian and Muslim international communities. The Age and Crisis mechanics seem to be modeled on the fall of Rome. And it appears that the medieval era is modeled in Civ7 as the beginning of the Exploration Age. So I could see that decision.

 

[Big J Money]

I believe they're referring to the Shawnee information we've seen. The 2K Civ website describes it as such: "Unique Civilian Unit - Hoceepkileni: Missionary Unit. Has increased movement, and Rivers do not end movement."

It's still hard to tell if it's a variant of an existing missionary type unit or purely unique. The fact that it doesn't specifically describe how it works does seem to indicate that missionary units are in the game as generic units, also.

Do we know which age the Shawnee are from? I assume Exploration? I find it hard to believe they would save the founding of world religions until the exploration age, but I suppose it's possible. I don't know of a single truly major world religion that was founded so late.

 

[Zaarin]

I assume Exploration

Yes.

I find it hard to believe they would save the founding of world religions until the exploration age

We've been told this is the case.

 

[SeelingCat]

It's still hard to tell if it's a variant of an existing missionary type unit or purely unique. The fact that it doesn't specifically describe how it works does seem to indicate that missionary units are in the game as generic units, also.

Do we know which age the Shawnee are from? I assume Exploration? I find it hard to believe they would save the founding of world religions until the exploration age, but I suppose it's possible. I don't know of a single truly major world religion that was founded so late.

They are confirmed as Exploration.

 

[GeneralZIft]

I was going to point it out that the first expansion is called Right to Rule is it not? Sounds like the Divine Right to Rule ..?

 

[Big J Money]

but I think the West didn't really experience this until after the fall of Rome and the rise of Christian and Muslim international communities. The Age and Crisis mechanics seem to be modeled on the fall of Rome. And it appears that the medieval era is modeled in Civ7 as the beginning of the Exploration Age. So I could see that decision.

I think you're being overly generous. Christianity was founded somewhere roughly around 0 - 100 AD, which is where the western distinction of AD vs BC came from. That's easily 1000 years before anything that could be charitably considered medieval, and 1400 before anything that could be considered an age of exploration. And that's Christianity, which came long after Judaism. The events that are the central holy books for Judaism and Islam record some of the earliest stories from human history. Nevermind religions like Zoroastrianism.

 

[Zaarin]

That's easily 1000 years before anything that could be charitably considered medieval

More like 500, but yes, most major religions were founded in what the game considers Antiquity. Islam and Sikhism are the major exceptions.

 

[Big J Money]

More like 500

Fair enough. I was interpreting Arioch's reference to medieval to mean well into the high medieval period, since they were saying that Friaxis may be seeing it as the beginning of the exploration age. In other words, I doubt we'll still be researching 6th century medieval technology in the exploration age, but I haven't seen the right tech screens to know yet.

 

[Krikkit1]

I could see the religions becoming “World Religions” only in the Second Age. Buddhism seems to be the only one thad had significant spread outside its original “empire” before then.

 

[Zaarin]

I could see the religions becoming “World Religions” only in the Second Age. Buddhism seems to be the only one thad had significant spread outside its original “empire” before then.

Christianity made it at least as far as China and India, though it was a minority religion there. Nestorian Christianity specifically was one of the big players in Central Asia alongside Buddhism and Manichaeism. Christianity also filtered into Persia and the Arabian tribes, and the Goths weren't pagan but Arian Christians. Plus Christianity made it to Sudan and Ethiopia very quickly. So Christianity got around--it's just that Rome dominated a big chunk of the world at the time.

 

[Big J Money]

I could see the religions becoming “World Religions” only in the Second Age. Buddhism seems to be the only one thad had significant spread outside its original “empire” before then.

The problem is that it seems we won't even be founding them until the exploration age. And when you found a religion it isn't a world religion yet. It only exists in a single city. If we wanted to see religions becoming world religions at the dawn of the exploration age, they would already need to be actively spreading around their lands of origin long before then.

 

[Mr Jon of Cheam]

Whatever they do with religion, I hope they make the spreading a passive thing again. No more hordes of missionaries please, I'd much prefer for it to spread city by city based on things like my population, cultural pressure, religious tourism, etc.