Roghar
Warlord
I started a game last night with Ethiopia, emperor/continents, thinking to play small for a cultural victory if possible. Two gems in the start, so went with Tears of the Gods for my pantheon. Found a couple more city sites nearby with gems and pearls, so happy with the start.
I was first to a religion, first to enhance, managed to get both Pagodas and Mosques, so thought Sacred Sites for sure. Have Tithes and Itinerant Preachers. Egypt beat me to Reformation belief, took Sacred Sites despite having neither of those buildings, so I took Jesuit Education.
I took Piety straight out the gate, and have started on Aesthetics.
At the same time, the AI on my continent has somehow left space to build decent cities; I have 5 and am building a settler for a 6th.
Im not in the place I had planned to be, but find myself with some interesting potential, and am wondering if I can in fact go very wide. Despite all of the disadvantages to social policies and happiness going very wide, and difficulties getting national wonders up:
With great early faith income and having pagodas and mosques, Ive been able to buy those buildings very quickly in all cities as soon as they get my religion. Those two plus a cheap stele gives +7 faith, +6 culture and +3 happy very very cheaply and quickly, substantially mitigating the culture and happy costs of adding a new city.
Each city adds a lot of faith fast, so going wide I can get a very strong late game faith income to buy research buildings, great people, etc.
Absolute culture generation is large, so Im fairly safe from influence later in the game and still have strong tourism potential, despite no Sacred Sites.
My current plans are to finish aesthetics, then rationalism and order. Once I have caravels Ill explore the seas and try to settle other continents, and basically just grow as much as possible, enabling a range of possible victory conditions. My science is behind but should explode once I can buy my cheap universities (have plenty of jungle).
This has been a bit long-winded, but basically my question is, is it actually feasible to go very wide with a strong religious start utilising steles, mosques and pagodas?
I was first to a religion, first to enhance, managed to get both Pagodas and Mosques, so thought Sacred Sites for sure. Have Tithes and Itinerant Preachers. Egypt beat me to Reformation belief, took Sacred Sites despite having neither of those buildings, so I took Jesuit Education.
I took Piety straight out the gate, and have started on Aesthetics.
At the same time, the AI on my continent has somehow left space to build decent cities; I have 5 and am building a settler for a 6th.
Im not in the place I had planned to be, but find myself with some interesting potential, and am wondering if I can in fact go very wide. Despite all of the disadvantages to social policies and happiness going very wide, and difficulties getting national wonders up:
With great early faith income and having pagodas and mosques, Ive been able to buy those buildings very quickly in all cities as soon as they get my religion. Those two plus a cheap stele gives +7 faith, +6 culture and +3 happy very very cheaply and quickly, substantially mitigating the culture and happy costs of adding a new city.
Each city adds a lot of faith fast, so going wide I can get a very strong late game faith income to buy research buildings, great people, etc.
Absolute culture generation is large, so Im fairly safe from influence later in the game and still have strong tourism potential, despite no Sacred Sites.
My current plans are to finish aesthetics, then rationalism and order. Once I have caravels Ill explore the seas and try to settle other continents, and basically just grow as much as possible, enabling a range of possible victory conditions. My science is behind but should explode once I can buy my cheap universities (have plenty of jungle).
This has been a bit long-winded, but basically my question is, is it actually feasible to go very wide with a strong religious start utilising steles, mosques and pagodas?