Prerequirements for buying GP with faith?

[BigChiefLizzy]

In my first game (Celts), I was able to buy great people with faith when I unlocked the second tier of the social policies.

Second game, now as Pacal of the Maya, I've unlocked Commerce and the faith screen shows I have a 'Chance' at a great merchant; but in the previous game I could actually select from the drop down which great person to buy, then click on the drop down again to select. It was very handy even if the cost increases each time it's bought (for the same type of great person).

Was it a founder or follower belief I picked last time that let me do this? I can't figure it out

 

[Huaojozu]

Nope, should be possible from the regular City Purchase screen. At the same screen where you can purchase say Walls for Gold, you can also purchase a Great Merchant for Faith if you have unlocked the Commerce branch.

 

[DST1348]

Hello,

are there any other prerequirements other than adopting a Policy?

In my current game, I have adopted Commerce and banking 1500 Faith. Yet I can't buy a Great Merchant. Do I need a special building for this, like the Bank? Or unlokck a further Policy in the Commerce tree? Or this is bug (I get the 25% Gold bonus in the capital)?

Thanks for your help!

 

[civnoob13]

This is probably a stupid question, but is another civilian unit stationed in your city? If so that might be why you can't get it, because from what I've heard you should be able to get it.

 

[Atlanteax]

You mean Great *P*rophet, right?

Great Prophets require escalating Faith costs, so just double-click on the Faith icon and you should see a menu that lets you pick "buy a missionary" or "save for prophet" and it will also tell you what is the minimum faith you need for a GP (and if you have enough, just need a few turns of patience).

 

[Waywocket]

Is it greyed out, or is it not in the list at all?

 

[Barghaest]

The city in question has to have a religion (at least half pop converted) to buy em. All you need to do is unlock commerce and you can buy a Great Merchant for example. But you can't buy em if there's a civilian unit in stationed in the city (just like you can purchase workers if there's a civilian in the city).

As for Great Prophets, they stop spawning randomly and become purchaseable in later eras (just like GP unlocked via SPs). I noticed it around late Industrial one game I had 12k faith banked and saw Great Prophet on the purchase menu for 3800.

 

[fuzzatron717]

i'm pretty sure you need all the policys in a policy tree.

 

[DST1348]

Thank you for you quick replies!

This is probably a stupid question, but is another civilian unit stationed in your city?

There are no other units in the city, civilian or otherwise.

You mean Great *P*rophet, right?

I mean Great Person, in this particular case a Great Merchant.

Is it greyed out, or is it not in the list at all?

It's not there at all. I can buy Missionaries and Inquisitors.

The city in question has to have a religion (at least half pop converted) to buy em. All you need to do is unlock commerce and you can buy a Great Merchant for example. But you can't buy em if there's a civilian unit in stationed in the city (just like you can purchase workers if there's a civilian in the city).

The city is my Holy City, and my other cities following my Religion can't buy one either. No other Religions present.

 

[juxtapose519]

Edit: Nevermind. Already suggested.

 

[Atlanteax]

I bet I know what it is now...

You do not (yet) have a majority following your religion in your city.

I recall while learning how faith-purchases worked, that I could not buy some religious buildings in some of my cities, despite having enough faith, and then discovered that the option became available once the specific city had a majority following my faith. It was puzzling at first trying to figure out why 2 of my cities could build monasteries but my other 3 could not.

I would gamble that the same applies to great-person mechanics as well.

 

[Barghaest]

I've bought tons of Great Admirals when I went Autocracy...

Wait, you can't buy GP until Industrial even though you can unlock GM with Commerce much earlier it isn't available to buy immediately. (Same for GS in Renaissance).

Says so in Civilopedia section about spending faith. That's when Great Prophets stop auto-spawning and have to be purchased as well.

 

[nnja]

I've always had problems buying the great merchants but by the time I get to the last 3 social policy's available all I have to do is adopt one of the policies in the tree and I can buy a great engineer or whatever unlocks with that branch. I always spread my religion immediately by missionary to my close cities so its always been somewhat puzzling

 

[Lyoncet]

I believe you need to be in Inudstrial before you can buy GPs directly, but I could be wrong.

 

[DST1348]

I bet I know what it is now...

You do not (yet) have a majority following your religion in your city.

I recall while learning how faith-purchases worked, that I could not buy some religious buildings in some of my cities, despite having enough faith, and then discovered that the option became available once the specific city had a majority following my faith. It was puzzling at first trying to figure out why 2 of my cities could build monasteries but my other 3 could not.

I would gamble that the same applies to great-person mechanics as well.

Good to know, but that cannot be the problem either, since the city has 16 Citizens and 16 Followers with no other Religion present.

I will see what happens once I reach the Industrial Age...

 

[Barghaest]

Not wrong, says so in the Civilopedia under Game Concepts > Religion > Spending Faith.

 

[BigChiefLizzy]

Thanks all, rechecked after researching rifling and yes can now queue a great merchant.

 

[The_J]

Moderator Action: Merged 2 similar threads together.

 

[Nyanko]

Well Im glad that was sorted out; I was curious as to why I couldnt purchase Great Merchants when playing the Into the Renaissance scenario

 

[DST1348]

Once I hit the Industrial Age, I can buy Great Merchants (without having to complete the whole tree).

Not wrong, says so in the Civilopedia under Game Concepts > Religion > Spending Faith.

Ah, that's it! I didn't read the small print