ok after the last expansion piety took a pretty hard nerf with the lack of a free policy and a finisher that comes too late its not looking too good now but what is really bothering me is the change to organized religion (+1 faith to shrines and temples)
while this may seem good they got rid of the happiness that used to associated with it.
every policy tree has at least one policy that increases happiness somehow
trad-------------monarchy + aristocracy
liberty-----------meritocracy
honor------------(the one for garrison)
patronage--------(city state extra gifts)
freedom----------democracy? (specialist gives .5 happiness)
rationalism--------happiness for universities and observitories
order-------------opener +1 happy per city
autocracy--------+3 happiness per courthouse
commerce---------finisher (+2 for every resource)
piety used to have organized religion that gave 1 happy for every monument and temple but now its gone i must say this is a policy tree without happiness when every other one has, is too much of a nerf and on top of that you threw a policy (mandate of heaven) that is only useful when you have excess happiness (+1 culture for every 2 happiness) it doesn't even make sense. the finisher comes too late as always my religion is usually spread and established long before i finish the tree and the whole thing pales in comparison to rationalism
instead of just complaining i will offer a couple recommendations and i suggest others also to brainstorm.
firstly piety needs happiness either return organized to its original or combine it some how with the current but regardless piety needs happiness and enough to make it worth it to forbid rationalism
2nd mandate of heaven needs a buff i suggest this because everytree that branches off usually offers 2 choices the first being immediate benefit and the 2nd being a lesser benefit with better long term advantage an example of this could be with old liberty, gain a free settler which we all want right away or pick the lesser worker that opens up representation. another could be in patronage picking the one policy that increases the minimum influence with a city state versus the one that increases influence through gold gifts, the first was better but picker the latter would allow me to open up to scholasticism. you see this kind of pattern in every tree but piety is the only outcast why would i pick mandate of heaven which opens up nothing when i can pick organized which is WAY better, there is no incentive to pick mandate it is simply crap and now that the tree gives no happiness it is practically a waste of a policy so for my 2nd buff i suggest increasing mandate of heaven to a 1 to 1 ratio. for every 1 happiness you would now receive 1 culture besides it is simply not feasible to get enough happiness in any game to really abuse this. an alternative could be instead of culture change mandate to faith and keep organized as plus 1 happiness for every monument and temple that way i have a choice when i enter the tree; do i want the happiness or the faith. but above all a 1 to 1 ratio is needed, this buff was needed since the game came out.
and the 3rd recommendation would be to change the finisher i found that the 20% discount on religious units and buildings comes way to late, by the time i get it; my religion is already enhanced and spread across the map so i don't need the benefit, im not sure why they got rid of the free policy but the finisher needs a buff to make it seem worthwhile to choose instead of rationalism if a free policy is too much of a struggle perhaps a free prophet somewhere in the tree or a way to improve golden ages like more yield per tile or your happiness builds up the Golden age meter while your are already in golden age. piety is really sopose to be a culture tree now that culture has shifted into golden ages perhaps piety should just focus on faith and that golden age aspect.
just some ideas what do you guys think?
edit : i remembered a good buff for mandate would be to also allow % multipliers like hermitage to increase the culture you receive from it.
while this may seem good they got rid of the happiness that used to associated with it.
every policy tree has at least one policy that increases happiness somehow
trad-------------monarchy + aristocracy
liberty-----------meritocracy
honor------------(the one for garrison)
patronage--------(city state extra gifts)
freedom----------democracy? (specialist gives .5 happiness)
rationalism--------happiness for universities and observitories
order-------------opener +1 happy per city
autocracy--------+3 happiness per courthouse
commerce---------finisher (+2 for every resource)
piety used to have organized religion that gave 1 happy for every monument and temple but now its gone i must say this is a policy tree without happiness when every other one has, is too much of a nerf and on top of that you threw a policy (mandate of heaven) that is only useful when you have excess happiness (+1 culture for every 2 happiness) it doesn't even make sense. the finisher comes too late as always my religion is usually spread and established long before i finish the tree and the whole thing pales in comparison to rationalism
instead of just complaining i will offer a couple recommendations and i suggest others also to brainstorm.
firstly piety needs happiness either return organized to its original or combine it some how with the current but regardless piety needs happiness and enough to make it worth it to forbid rationalism
2nd mandate of heaven needs a buff i suggest this because everytree that branches off usually offers 2 choices the first being immediate benefit and the 2nd being a lesser benefit with better long term advantage an example of this could be with old liberty, gain a free settler which we all want right away or pick the lesser worker that opens up representation. another could be in patronage picking the one policy that increases the minimum influence with a city state versus the one that increases influence through gold gifts, the first was better but picker the latter would allow me to open up to scholasticism. you see this kind of pattern in every tree but piety is the only outcast why would i pick mandate of heaven which opens up nothing when i can pick organized which is WAY better, there is no incentive to pick mandate it is simply crap and now that the tree gives no happiness it is practically a waste of a policy so for my 2nd buff i suggest increasing mandate of heaven to a 1 to 1 ratio. for every 1 happiness you would now receive 1 culture besides it is simply not feasible to get enough happiness in any game to really abuse this. an alternative could be instead of culture change mandate to faith and keep organized as plus 1 happiness for every monument and temple that way i have a choice when i enter the tree; do i want the happiness or the faith. but above all a 1 to 1 ratio is needed, this buff was needed since the game came out.
and the 3rd recommendation would be to change the finisher i found that the 20% discount on religious units and buildings comes way to late, by the time i get it; my religion is already enhanced and spread across the map so i don't need the benefit, im not sure why they got rid of the free policy but the finisher needs a buff to make it seem worthwhile to choose instead of rationalism if a free policy is too much of a struggle perhaps a free prophet somewhere in the tree or a way to improve golden ages like more yield per tile or your happiness builds up the Golden age meter while your are already in golden age. piety is really sopose to be a culture tree now that culture has shifted into golden ages perhaps piety should just focus on faith and that golden age aspect.
just some ideas what do you guys think?
edit : i remembered a good buff for mandate would be to also allow % multipliers like hermitage to increase the culture you receive from it.