Just want to clarify about spreading religion...

[Seanirl]

I founded Judaism as the Germans (how ironic mischief and spread it from the holy city to my 2 others at the time. But now my 2 latest cities have come under the influence of one Buddh... ism... Pah, sheer Bolshevism! If they're not Jewish then they don't get the 25% building production bonus from Organized Religion! And Frankfurt really needs it right now...

I've got roads built to them now, so what I want to know is, how do I make them convert to Judaism without using a missionary? I hear that religions spread with roads or is it trade routes? Is there anything I can do to increase the chances/speed of it spreading? And is it possible to stamp out a religion in a city?

I found it strange though that Buddhism spread to Frankfurt because an Indian city was closest and the Arabs (Buddhists) aren't even that close to it. Unless that city is actually Buddhist... perhaps Saladin (who hates me and I hate ) afflicted Asoka with the same ailment? Bah! He's also my closest competitor, both points-wise and physically... the fact that I must crush him sparks tension

So yeah, I need to spread Judaism to these cities but I don't want to use up a missionary... I'll save that for Saladin or maybe Asoka since Saladin isn't likely to grant Open Borders anytime soon and Asoka offered it twice to me and I refused.

 

[petey]

It'll probably spread eventually, but there's no guarantee how long that will take. It goes through trade routes the best and most of your cities probably have foreign trade routes, so that likely won't happen for a while. Also, since there's already another religion there, it makes it harder for a second one to spread naturally.

With the gold, hapiness and production bonuses of having your state religion in the city, it's better to spend the time building a missionary and putting it in there yourself rather than waiting around and hoping it just comes.

 

[tigerden27]

I'm assuming you are still early enough to build a monastery. If so, just build one of them and then build all the missionaries you need. The cultural benefits are pretty good reason to build one anyway. If I remember correctly they are the cheaper "spiritual" buildings around.

Missionaries are very cheap to build considering the trade route value you get from them throughout the game.

 

[weakciv]

religion will only spread on its own to a city that does not currently have a religion. you must send a missionary to a city that already has a religion.

you will not be able to remove the existing religion within the city but you will be able to add your religion to it.

 

[walkerjks]

religion will only spread on its own to a city that does not currently have a religion.

Not entirely true, but it does spread much more easily with no existing religion. I have had religions spread to cities with a single pre-existing religion before.

I might have had religion spread to cities with 2 religions (I definitely picked up a 3rd religion in individual cities, but I am not sure if these were spread by AI missionaries or naturally).

But yeah, if you really want a religion in a city, better to spread it with a missionary.

 

[weakciv]

Not entirely true, but it does spread much more easily with no existing religion. I have had religions spread to cities with a single pre-existing religion before.

1) Was that your religion spreading to the the city with a pre-existing religion?
or
2) Was it a religion from another civ spreading to your city with your religion?

If I remember, missionaries are concidered "invisible" units, like the spy.

In the case of 2) if you had Open Borders with the other civ they could have sent a missionary to your city.

anyway, i have seen it mentioned elsewhere (either Sirian or Sulla in their HUGE RB1 Succession Game) that religion will only spread on its own to a city with out a religion.

i could be wrong though

 

[walkerjks]

If I remember, missionaries are concidered "invisible" units, like the spy.

I have definitely seen "enemy" missionaries before, but I really don't remember the context (did I see them when they were still in the opponent's borders? Did I see them within my borders? Did they operate near a city where I founded a different religion?). I recall the missionaries quite clearly, because I was quite surprised when an AI graciously spread Islam to 5 of my 6 cities over about 10 turns (most of the cities already had 3 or 4 religions).

I could easily be wrong as well. In fact, if missionaries are invisible under some or most circumstances, then I probably am wrong. A little multi-player testing would clear this up.

 

[RoddyVR]

missionaries are not invisible.
atleast not to the AI.
i've had an ai unit get distracted from attacking my city by placing an undefended missionary (free one from a late religeon i didnt want to spread) on the other side of him. went right after him and killed him.
and i've seen AI missionaries. (jewish ones, they look like sith lords i thought it was a unique unit at first)

 

[Batvanio]

I also think it spreads when it is without religion
IN some cases other civs send you missionary for a second.third religion but it is still a missionary.

To build missionaries early on just use the organized religion civic and build missionaries without monastery

 

[warpstorm]

I often see religions spread without missionaries (which are visible) into cities that already have one. The odds are lower.

 

[weakciv]

I often see religions spread without missionaries (which are visible) into cities that already have one. The odds are lower.

I read back over the text that I mentioned before and I believe I misread it. The odds are lower for it to spread on its own to a city with an existing religion as said. However if you want to spread your religion dont waste your time waiting for it to spread on its own, build your missionaries.

about the invisible statement, i found out that it is a graphical bug where some units become invisible at times. personaly I have never seen a foreign missionary in any of my games thus far.

 

[Akela]

Are you operating under a state religion?


I have found that I could not spread my state religion in other civs. I would get a message stating "cannot spread a non-state religion".

I did have open border agreements as my missionary went to their city without trouble.

Perhaps religion spreading only works early in the game when religions are not established?

 

[gibbie99]

At the risk of asking a stupid question, what is the value of spreading religion. Do all of your cities have to have the same religion? I understand that you would probably want this for state religion, but what about late in the game, when you get free religion? So, if I understand right, before free religion, religious cities and civics are important. Afterwords? I guess the building of religious buildings are helpful. Is there a greater benefit to having multiple religions? (Multiple religious buildings?). Also, if you invade another continent, how do you spread religion beyond using the religious units? Sorry for the many questions, this aspect I really do not understand.

 

[Vizzini]

At the risk of asking a stupid question, what is the value of spreading religion.

It allows you to build that religion's religious buildings in that city - which are all either + buildings or +culture (and monastarys add +science for a time).

In other words, you want every religion in the game in every one of your cities - which is difficult but worth doing if you can devote a city to just cranking out missionaries. It doesn't matter if you have a state religion or not - expedite the spread of all religions in your Civ. (With priority going to any you found yourself of course)

In my current game I'm in the process of spreading a third religion through my empire (Harumph, Empire.. all of 5 cities ) That adds +3 per city from Temples. +3 base culture per turn for each Temple/Monastary combo, and +60% Science (until those Monastary buildings become obsolete of course)

Do not despair if you do not found your own religion - but as soon as one shows up in your empire build a monastary in that city and start cranking out missionaries ASAP. It is perhaps the cheapest + in the game. I'm to the point that new Settlers are escorted by both military units and missionaries.

I have found that I could not spread my state religion in other civs. I would get a message stating "cannot spread a non-state religion".

That is not because you have a state religion - that's because the AI civ is using the Civic that prohibits the spread of their non-state religion. (Theocracy?)

 

[petey]

Are you operating under a state religion?


I have found that I could not spread my state religion in other civs. I would get a message stating "cannot spread a non-state religion".

I did have open border agreements as my missionary went to their city without trouble.

Perhaps religion spreading only works early in the game when religions are not established?

If the other civ is using the Theocracy civic, then you can't spread your religion to them. Otherwise, you can do it fine.

 

[Steve2000]

At the risk of asking a stupid question, what is the value of spreading religion.

I will add to the answer given by Vizzini to your first question: If you are the founder of the religion (or control the holy city) then you can build a shrine of that religion in the holy city. The shrine (each has a different name) can only be built by a Great Prophet. If built, it gives you line of sight to each city in the AI empires that has that religion and 1 gpt from each city (AI or yours) that has that religion. It is pretty huge (until everyone switches to Free Religion).

EDIT: Thanks for those below who clarified some of my statements. So building you the shrine gives you gold per turn forever. You can only get the line of sight of it is your state religion - but that is independent of building the shrine. The Free Religion issue is that if YOU are in Free Religion then you don't have a state religion and thus - no line of sight, but of course still get shrine income from any and all shrines you built/build. Doesn't matter what the religious civics are for AI as far as shrine income and LOS goes.

 

[MosquitoE]

The shrine (each has a different name) can only be built by a Great Prophet. If built, it gives you line of sight to each city in the AI empires that has that religion and 1 gpt from each city (AI or yours) that has that religion. It is pretty huge (until everyone switches to Free Religion).

The line of site is free and automatic, only the +1gpt/city requires the shrine.

 

[Grogs]

It is pretty huge (until everyone switches to Free Religion).

I don't think switching to Free Religion changes anything. *You* changing to Free Religion doesn't.

These shrines can bring in pretty large amounts of money. If you've got a bank+market+grocer+Wall Street in a shrine city, you're pulling in 3g for every city with that religion.

 

[Randle]

The line of site is free and automatic, only the +1gpt/city requires the shrine.

I think you only get the line of sight if you have founded the religion AND it is your state religion. (For instance, I pretty clearly remember losing line of sight each time I adopted Free Religion).

 

[Pbhead]

That's a lot of gold!! (expecally on large maps)

But does free religion elimenate that gpt?