religion question?

[thickhead]

Does anyone know if different religions have any different benefits or is one religion pretty much the same as the other as far as the game is concerned? I've got the game earlier, but haven't had much chance to play due to work, but i've been going over the manual and don't really see much description on how different religions really differ. so is it correct to think all religions have pretty much same benefit (other than benefits due to game mechnics)?

 

[The Caltrop]

They are all generic. Nothing about them is different, except their founding tech.

 

[CitizenCain]

Which does lead to some interesting results... such as my current game where I founded Hindusism, Judeaism, Islam and Christianity. And no massive holy war going on inside my borders. Just seems wrong somehow.

 

[BigStick]

Can't give any religious fanatics out there any reason to think that the game developers/publishers might be pushing one religion over some other. Might start a holy war, you know.

 

[Stevenpfo]

There's no religious wars in your borders but if you push your religion on other countries you'll end up with a few civs realllly hating you. It usually leads to war down the road. I've even turned a whole continent against one civ through religion.

 

[Stuporstar]

Yeah, I think it's only really useful for diplomacy. It's great for keeping up happiness too (more religions in one city = more temples) but I remembered reading something about more than one religion in one city causing unhappiness until you get the freedom of religion civic. I've never really noticed it having much of an effect.

I would have liked the different religions to have different flavours myself. Maybe they could be flavoured for a mod. I'd like to see different religions being favoured by certain civ traits and maybe having something like a doubled happiness effect if the civ traits and state religions match.

The question is, which traits do you choose for which religions. It can't be that much harder than choosing which tech gives which, can it?

 

[PoweredBySoy]

So if all single religions are the same, in that they all give the same advantages, is there ever any reason to switch religions???

I've been playing Spain for the past couple days, and having the Spiritual trait, I am usually first to discover Buddhism. So for the next 2000 or so years I spend my money and resources building up my Buddhist temples and whatnot, and everyone loves it. Now lets say I'm first to discover Christianity as well. Is there any reason to switch state religions??

If Christianity doesn't give any other bonuses over Buddhism, why would I want to go through building temples again and sending out missionaries, just to make Christianity my state religion?

 

[lordqarlyn]

The ultimate usefulness of religion is to have the holy cities and collect the income (after you build the shrines). Though I just started, one game I had three holy cities, and was making enough through all cities that had those religion I was able to pay my moderate maintenance costs through religion alone. I may try a strategy where I try to find as many religions as possible. Regardless of what the opponents choose, I will still get the money and the line of sight.

Don

 

[elderotter]

If Christianity doesn't give any other bonuses over Buddhism, why would I want to go through building temples again and sending out missionaries, just to make Christianity my state religion?

Dont do it to switch religions do it to get the money from the temples build to that religion in other countries.... when the free religion rez passed in my game my gold per turn dropped from 3k to 400. PS if you find yourself with several holy cities and and mucho money coming in - dont let the free religion rez pass...lol you'll be sorry.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

Dont do it to switch religions do it to get the money from the temples build to that religion in other countries.... when the free religion rez passed in my game my gold per turn dropped from 3k to 400. PS if you find yourself with several holy cities and and mucho money coming in - dont let the free religion rez pass...lol you'll be sorry.

Hmmm. I guess I need to read up more on religion then, because I don't fully understand what you're talking about.

So if I discover Buddhism in Madrid, then Madrid becomes the holy city for that religion. Now I'll get money for every Buddhist temple built, regardless of what civilization it's in???? If that truly is the case, I'm starting to see the fascinating importance of missionaries.

 

[Stuporstar]

So if all single religions are the same, in that they all give the same advantages, is there ever any reason to switch religions???

I've been playing Spain for the past couple days, and having the Spiritual trait, I am usually first to discover Buddhism. So for the next 2000 or so years I spend my money and resources building up my Buddhist temples and whatnot, and everyone loves it. Now lets say I'm first to discover Christianity as well. Is there any reason to switch state religions??

If Christianity doesn't give any other bonuses over Buddhism, why would I want to go through building temples again and sending out missionaries, just to make Christianity my state religion?

The only reason I see to switch religions is if the AI is spamming you with their missionaries so that you have their religion spread through all your cities and they are trying to get you to convert and you really can't afford to go to war with them over it at the time.

Then again, you can use the Theocracy civic to counter this problem if you have it so...no there rarely seems to be a reason to switch religions.