Religious Texts is to powerful.

[aguliondew]

I focus on getting a religon and on emperor/immortal and I am one of the last civs to get. But, how can I spread my religon when the first civ that enhances their religon and gets religious texts as the enhancer. This happens around the time I have my just started my religon.

By the time I get my enhancer the AI will have multiple cities with thier religon and none of the other enhancers can keep up with the amount of religous pressure that a couple of cities with religous texts puts out.

 

[nefloyd]

Itinerant preachers can overpower it with enough city density
Hit 'em with great prophets every chance you get
You shouldn't really be last to get a religion on emp if you're actually focusing on it though

 

[RealHuhn]

Yeah, itinerant preachers is often better.

One religious city gives +6 influence, two cities +12.
With the increase in range from itinerant preachers, it's often +12 influence compared to +8 from religious texts (one city without printing press) and the effect is exponential when you have more cities in range. 2-3 missionaries to convert a few city states scattered around the center of the map and the religious pressure will be huge on almost all cities. Religious texts becomes stronger with printing press but religious borders are often established by that time.

I think you should try to found your religion earlier by building more cities and shrines. Piety left side can also help tremendously.
Skip the early wonder and expand. 5 early cities with a shrine = Stonehenge = early religion on emperor, guaranteed.

 

[aguliondew]

With itinerant preachers your cities will have to be part of your religon already, so it will not work if some of your cities are already the AI's religion. Also, if you go for a tradition start(few safe places to expand) that will not work either. I mentioned emperor/immortal because if get a late game lost on immortal (austria/korea) I will go for a easier difficult for my next game.

 

[ahawk]

Best advice I can give is to find a way to get a Great Prophet early on (Mayan UA, Hagia Sophia if possible -- it's almost impossible to get on Immortal, though Emperor I can get it some of the time).

Another is to choose a Pantheon belief that gives faith. If you rolled a stone/marble heavy start, go with Stone Circles.

Another is to play as a side with religious bonuses:
Ethiopia's UB,
Siam's UA used on a religious CS,
Celtic UA with forests, or their UU used on barbarians

Another is to build Stonehenge (again, not easy at all on Immortal, but do-able at times on Emperor).

 

[nefloyd]

That's why you have prophets and missionaries

 

[ahawk]

That's why you have prophets and missionaries

I think the OP is trying to say that by the time he can spawn a religious unit that he's often already on the ropes as far as his own religion. Which is entirely possible on Immortal. Depending who his neighbor is (Ethiopia can be a problem), on Immortal he may have an enemy Great Prophet come in and wipe his religion from the Capital before he makes enough faith to spawn a missionary, prophet, or inquisitor.

That's what I think he means. Could be wrong, though.

 

[insaneweasel]

Another is to build Stonehenge (again, not easy at all on Immortal, but do-able at times on Emperor).

Can't you get it most of the time if you gun for it and chop?

 

[ahawk]

Can't you get it most of the time if you gun for it and chop?

On Emperor, yes.

Immortal and Deity, not so much. On higher levels, the AI starts with Pottery already researched from turn 1, so a culture-oriented AI civ (Siam) or one that spawned with Marble immediately near-by could possibly beat you to it. After all, the AI is one tech away from Stonehenge right off the bat at those levels, while you would need three techs to gun and chop (Pottery - Mining - Calender).

That said, I have gotten Stonehenge on Immortal at least once, so it is do-able, but that was on a duel-map... on a big enough map and high enough level, someone is going to beat you to most of the early wonders (Temple of Artemis, Stonehenge, Statue of Zeus, etc.) almost every time - you start to pull ahead in the mid-game, if lucky, and will then have a chance to build the rest of the wonders yourself, usually.

 

[Halcyan2]

I often have my cities spread far apart (occasionally my second city is >10 tiles away from my capital), so traditionally I tend to choose Itinerant Preachers.

However, by the mid-game, I often find it difficult to compete with religions with Religious Texts, so I'm beginning to lean in favor of Religious Texts over Itinerant Preachers.

 

[Tachii]

I often have my cities spread far apart (occasionally my second city is >10 tiles away from my capital), so traditionally I tend to choose Itinerant Preachers.

However, by the mid-game, I often find it difficult to compete with religions with Religious Texts, so I'm beginning to lean in favor of Religious Texts over Itinerant Preachers.

Your second city is more than 10 tiles away? What. The rule of thumb for me is often to get a city within 3-5 tiles from the capital. Anymore and it's either too far to defend well or the trade route is too far to be of use. Unless I'm Carthage or something.

 

[Halcyan2]

Your second city is more than 10 tiles away? What. The rule of thumb for me is often to get a city within 3-5 tiles from the capital. Anymore and it's either too far to defend well or the trade route is too far to be of use. Unless I'm Carthage or something.

It depends on the situation:

- If there is a really sweet wonder (Fountain of Youth, Urulu, GBR or even a workable Krakatoa early on) nearby, I will travel pretty far to get access to it. Especially if I am Spain, but even if I am not Spain.

- The spot may have geographic features I want for later wonders (coastal, near mountain, near desert)

- The spot may have great luxuries or strategics I want

- Might be a strategic chokepoint, or I can box in an opponent

- City can have lots of special potential (tons of desert hills for Petra, or really good choice for Terrace Farms or Polders).

- If I choose a geographic/resource based Religion, I might go out of my way to choose good spots that fit my beliefs

 

[Peng Qi]

Your second city is more than 10 tiles away? What. The rule of thumb for me is often to get a city within 3-5 tiles from the capital. Anymore and it's either too far to defend well or the trade route is too far to be of use. Unless I'm Carthage or something.

Sometimes there's a choke point or resource dense area that you just can't pass up.

 

[Hammer Rabbi]

Your second city is more than 10 tiles away? What. The rule of thumb for me is often to get a city within 3-5 tiles from the capital. Anymore and it's either too far to defend well or the trade route is too far to be of use. Unless I'm Carthage or something.

sometimes i'll land grab with my 2nd city 10 tiles away and put my 3rd or 4th in the gap. but it is only when the resources are really advantageous and i dont mind the diplo hit from the AI.

 

[Harv72b]

Unless I'm playing as a religion-oriented civ or I luck into starting next to a faith NW, I don't even bother trying to get a religion on Immortal. Maybe if I were better at the game, but as is I generally have enough headaches at that level without throwing faith production & religion-based diplo hits into the mix.