Religious Economy - A Novel Strategy for Spiritual Leaders in Warlords

[Wodan]

This is kind of a summary but it's an attempt to get my thoughts down.

We have:

Gold producers
Spiral -- +2 per matching building in your cities (avg estimation +3 per each of your cities)
Shrine -- +1 per each matching city
Farms (to run specialists)
Cottages

Research producers
Sankore -- +2 per matching building (avg +3 per each of your cities)
Representation -- +3 per specialist
Farms (to run specialists)
Cottages

Production producers
Angkor Wat -- +1 per priest
Synergy: Mercantilism, Statue of Liberty, Salon, etc.
Synergy: Farms (to run specialists)
Mines, Workshops

I might have missed some.

Anyway, I think any "Economy" must pick at least one selection from each group. Mix and match, like a salad bar.

What's interesting to me on discussions such as this thread are combinations that people don't talk about. Such as Farms, Priests, multiple Shrines, Representation, and Angkor. Your shrines provide money, your priests provide hammers/money/great prophets, representation provides research. Great synergy there.

Or, here's another: cottages (research 100&#37, Spiral, multiple Shrines, Sankore, Mines. What a research monster that would be!

One problem with some combinations, however, is that they will run into one another. If you do Farms for Priests, then you need some method of early research, or you'll fall flat. You can get Pyramids, or do a Commerce/research "super city", but it's more difficult. But, you're limited because if you run a bunch of science specialists then you will be diluting the number of great prophets you get, and those are the fuel for the "multiple Shrine" economy. So that's what I mean that some options run counter to one another (e.g., it's not optimal to run a science specialist super city at the same time as multiple Shrines / priests).

Wodan

 

[Gnarfflinger]

Thyrwyn has a point. I look at this as a "backyard blastfurnace" type of economy/research strat. Basically, with Temples and Monasteries in each city, that's 4 G and 4 B, and then the libraries, Markets and the like enhance that...

The question is how realistic/feasible is that to pull off? Placing Temples and Monasteries early in a city's production may slow military production when you really need it...

 

[cabert]

the thing is you invest a lot of hammers + divert to a not so desirable tech
If you can afford that, you could also afford a better army :crazyeyes:

 

[UncleJJ]

Thyrwyn has a point. I look at this as a "backyard blastfurnace" type of economy/research strat. Basically, with Temples and Monasteries in each city, that's 4 G and 4 B, and then the libraries, Markets and the like enhance that...

The question is how realistic/feasible is that to pull off? Placing Temples and Monasteries early in a city's production may slow military production when you really need it...

My experience with hybrid economies and SE, both of which have good food and production says this is a good way to generate "commerce" in lieu of cottages. Temples only cost 90 hammers and monastries 60 (on normal speed) and give other useful benefits anyway including the much overlooked culture. Building both these using slavery after a granary is a great way to get a new city or captured city going. Only in a pure cottage economy with low production in many cities is this an expensive strategy that impacts on military production.

 

[aelf]

the thing is you invest a lot of hammers + divert to a not so desirable tech
If you can afford that, you could also afford a better army :crazyeyes:

Well, there's no need for a better army during this time if you are already dominating your continent.

 

[cabert]

the strat was about a full speed beeline to DR.
Meaning that you did build Oracle and not troops. I'm pretty sure the OP meant to build the Spiral minaret very soon.

Of course, UoSankore comes later, and is easier to make worthwhile.

 

[MickeyD]

Hi Y'all! I've tried playing this strategy with Ramses II, and using Stonehenge for Priests. However, I've light-bulb so many techs, I've found that I've found too many religions (3 out of 5 have their shrines now). I've just finished the tri of wonders (Angkor Wat, UofS, and Spinal). But I have all of the religions now except for Buddahism. Should I have slowed down the lightbulbing? -MickeyD

 

[cabert]

Hi Y'all! I've tried playing this strategy with Ramses II, and using Stonehenge for Priests. However, I've light-bulb so many techs, I've found that I've found too many religions (3 out of 5 have their shrines now). I've just finished the tri of wonders (Angkor Wat, UofS, and Spinal). But I have all of the religions now except for Buddahism. Should I have slowed down the lightbulbing? -MickeyD

Maybe?
How do you expect an answer here?

My only answer would be a question : how do you plan to win?

 

[aelf]

Cabert, remember EMC2? That was where we built both the Spiral Minaret and the UoS without having much problem dominating our continent. By the time the two wonders were built, we've practically removed all effective resistance on our landmass. War Chariots are the key here. Fight an early war to eliminate/weaken most of your neighbours so that you have no problems crushing them later while going semi wonder-happy.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

One thing to consider in any of those economies is the ability to specialize

IE using Cottages/Commerce alone for both Science and Gold doesn't let you build seperate Gold and Science cities. (although it does have the highest eventual raw yield)

The Shrines are the best for this as that gives you large amounts of Gold from one/a few cities (and then those ones are the only ones that need to build Banks... until you need a few more for Wall Street in one of them.)

Specialists also can work well as they can give you specialized Gold (Merchant/Priest... normal or settled) and Science (Scientist) cities... Representation "despecializes" Specialist Science, but it is a boost so its OK
Same with Spiral Minaret and U. Sankore, they Despecialize science and gold so they aren't quite as useful as they would appear.

 

[MickeyD]

Cabert-

At first, I wasn't sure of which method to win. As I explored, I found myself on a large continent with Mehmed II beneath me and Korea to his east. Currently, we are all Hindu (theother continent got Buddahism). So, I'm thinking Cultural might be the way to go, since I have soooo many religions. Plus, I'm thinking of Krikkitone's post. My capital has 4 food resources (fish, crabs, deer, and corn), and is currently running Priests & the Hindu Shrine. My second city founded is my science city (Great library, plus tons of cottages), and my 3rd city has 2 shrines (Jewish and Confusian). I had the grassland jungles converted to farms for quick growth, and windmills along the south border (a ridge of grassland hills). I'd pick these three to be my cultural centers, as I have currently 6 smaller cities). I hate to go to war with my to buddies (both pleased), but I can't expand any further.

Anyhow, it just seems that running a priest economy lends itself to founding multiple religions (especially with Egyptian Obelisks) where as the religous economy of Spinal/UofS doesn't need the religions, just the techs. -MickeyD

 

[Gnarfflinger]

I find this works well with a SE, but tapers off when you hit Scientific method because the Monasteries stop giving you gold and Science...

 

[cabert]

Cabert-

At first, I wasn't sure of which method to win. As I explored, I found myself on a large continent with Mehmed II beneath me and Korea to his east. Currently, we are all Hindu (theother continent got Buddahism). So, I'm thinking Cultural might be the way to go, since I have soooo many religions. Plus, I'm thinking of Krikkitone's post. My capital has 4 food resources (fish, crabs, deer, and corn), and is currently running Priests & the Hindu Shrine. My second city founded is my science city (Great library, plus tons of cottages), and my 3rd city has 2 shrines (Jewish and Confusian). I had the grassland jungles converted to farms for quick growth, and windmills along the south border (a ridge of grassland hills). I'd pick these three to be my cultural centers, as I have currently 6 smaller cities). I hate to go to war with my to buddies (both pleased), but I can't expand any further.

Anyhow, it just seems that running a priest economy lends itself to founding multiple religions (especially with Egyptian Obelisks) where as the religous economy of Spinal/UofS doesn't need the religions, just the techs. -MickeyD

Right!
Cultural with 3 or 4 religions and 9+ cities is easy.

Cabert, remember EMC2? That was where we built both the Spiral Minaret and the UoS without having much problem dominating our continent. By the time the two wonders were built, we've practically removed all effective resistance on our landmass. War Chariots are the key here. Fight an early war to eliminate/weaken most of your neighbours so that you have no problems crushing them later while going semi wonder-happy.

right, but you had a more balanced approach, the religious economy gave you a late (valuable!) boost.

 

[aelf]

Meaning that you did build Oracle and not troops.

This was the sentence that I thought encapsulated your opinion on this strat. The Oracle and the other wonders were built in EMC2, but we still managed to dominate our continent militarily in the meantime. I'm saying that it's possible, mostly thanks to War Chariots.