Open Borders and Prophets

[tatterdemalion]

I do not currently have Open Borders with an AI, yet that AI has a Great Prophet in my territory converting my cities.

Is that normal?

Moderator Action: Moved to G&K.

 

[FeiLing]

Yes.

Annoying, indeed.

 

[tatterdemalion]

I see, Can I convert his cities without declaring war?

 

[Granty555]

Yup, though he will probably turn up and give you some grief about doing it (one of those where you give the "Sorry, wont do it again" or "Ill do what I like!!" response)

 

[nefloyd]

Being able to bypass borders is one of the prime benefits of spawning a great prophet (missionaries can also enter borders but they will lose 250 strength each turn they end in a foreign civ's land)

You can convert foreign cities without declaring war, but you will receive a negative modifier (and generally they will ask you to stop) IF you convert a city that has followers of a religion that THEY founded.

If they haven't founded one and their cities are just following the religion of a third party, feel free to convert them as much as you want.

If they have a city that hasn't yet adopted a majority religion (outlying city or whatnot) you can usually hit it with your GP without causing any trouble

 

[Peacemongerer]

Yes... they will do it with Prophets at any time, although they seem more apt to do so if they have open borders. The AI is programmed to avoid ending turns in your territory if it can (As witnessed by the pre-determined pathing the game uses when you try to move your own missionaries) and as such will not send missionaries without open borders.

But yeah, Great Prophets... totally open-access.

 

[Aoxomoxoa]

If I'm in a religion spreading mode, I'll have built the Mosque of Djenne, and when I spread with a Djenne missionary, I like to use up the third spread on an AI city. You don't suffer the reduction in effectiveness if you don't turn over inside his borders. Pick a spot to get to his city and 'spread' in one turn.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I do not currently have Open Borders with an AI, yet that AI has a Great Prophet in my territory converting my cities.

Is that normal?

Moderator Action: Moved to G&K.

If you place inquisitors in a city they are targeting with a great heathen, they will avoid that city and be unable to convert. If you use multiple inquisitors in multiple cities, the great heathen will often do a dance around in your borders for a few turns, then give up and go home.

You can also use units to physically block the great heathens path.

 

[Hammer Down]

This is what I hate most about the religion aspect of the game, when in single player mode I use missionaries and prophets as scouts, that doesn't work to well in multiplayer though, usually provokes a war. In single player mode I surround my cities with military units to solve the problem.