Goals that I pursue with this overhaul:
So let's start with missionaries:
Combining all reworks suggested above, I see the following outcome:
- Make religion spreading more strategic and less micromanagement-intensive
- Introduce more impactful and interesting beliefs, possible because of religion spreading overhaul
So let's start with missionaries:
- Each settlement with a temple can have one (base value) missionary
- Missionaries become more expensive to purchase and produce based on the number of acquired missionaries
- Missionaries don't have charges, instead they have cooldown (base value of 5 turns), and they never expire unless deleted by you or:
- Losing the settlement also removes the corresponding religious unit from the map
- Certain civics, beliefs and wonders may influence base values outlined above, and provide unique bonuses, e.g. in the following ways:
- Receive 1 additional missionary in your holy settlement (this could be unlocked via first religious civic)
- Gain the option for a stronger religion spread: when spreading, your religion becomes dominant in the settlement, but in foreign settlements your opponent receives influence and your missionary is exiled back to the host settlement (this could be unlocked via 2nd religious civic). The cooldown of this ability is 10 turns (base value).
- Gain the option to convert a missionary into an inquisitor (irreversible); when using inquisition, other religions are removed from this settlement, but it can only be done in your own settlement, and each opponent who had his religion present in the settlement receives influence. The cooldown of this ability is 10 turns (base value). Once converted, it does not release the slot for a new religious unit (you can't produce a missionary until this inquisitor is deleted or the settlement is lost and reconquered).
- Reduce the cooldown of missionaries' abilities by 2 turns (this could be a civ bonus achievable via civic tree)
- etc.
- A settlement can have 0, 1, or any number of religions
- A religion in the settlement can be present, dominant or exclusive (from lowest to highest presence tier). Many religions may be present in the settlement; only one of them can be dominant. Religion is exclusive if it's the only religion present in the settlement.
- 1st missionary spread makes the religion present in the settlement. If there's no other religion, this religion becomes exclusive. If there is an exclusive religion already, it becomes dominant.
- 2nd missionary spread (possible if the religion is not exclusive and not dominant) makes the religion dominant in the settlement.
- Certain missionary abilities (described in the `missionaries` section) can be used to make the religion dominant with a single spread or remove other religions from friendly settlements.
- The presence of your and other religions in home and foreign settlements defines the amount of bonuses you receive. The type of bonuses is defined by beliefs and policies.
- +4 influence/science/culture (three separate beliefs) per turn for each foreign settlement with your religion dominant in it. This is doubled in distant lands, and also doubled if your religion is exclusive.
- The bonus of your town specialization having your religion as dominant is increased by 50%. Double the increase if exclusive.
- Specialists provide +1 science and culture if your religion is dominant in the city. +2/+2 if exclusive.
- Receive 25 gold when your religion becomes present for the first time in your settlement, or 25 influence in the foreign settlement. If your religion became exclusive upon spread, double the amount.
- -3 combat strength to enemy units within borders of all settlements that have your religion as dominant.
- +3 combat strength to your units within borders of your settlements that have your religion as dominant.
- +1 to all yields per turn in your capital for each religion present in it. Whenever a religion becomes exclusive in any of your settlements, it also becomes present in your capital (if it isn't already).
- +5 combat strength when defending to units in your settlements standing next to your missionary.
- Your missionaries increase yield output of your settlements by 3% when standing in the settlement center and if your religion is dominant. If exclusive, double the bonus.
Combining all reworks suggested above, I see the following outcome:
- Limited number of missionaries and cooldown-based abilities reduce the amount of micromanagement, while providing new variables for tuning and bonuses
- New missionary abilties allow using them in different ways (as passive contributors to your income, as defence supporters, as spreaders in foreign settlements as before, etc.)
- New religious beliefs make this possible by introducing flexible choices depending on your desired strategy and gameplay style.
