Rock bands -- how do they work?

[MinnesotaRuss]

What are the mechanics of rock bands? I send one to another civ and something about 1000 points of some kind is talked about. When do the "points" show up? In culture or tourism or what?

 

[Victoria]

What are the mechanics of rock bands? I send one to another civ and something about 1000 points of some kind is talked about. When do the "points" show up? In culture or tourism or what?

There is a rock bands guide link after this text at the right of the list of links.

 

[tetley]

I think I prefer Apostles over Rock bands, even for a CV. For the price of a rock band, I can get 2 Apostles, and go in and get the 50% tourism modifier for shared religion. And the apostles don't have a 37% chance of dying every try. And even if they do die, you can martyr yourself.

 

[Victoria]

I think I prefer Apostles over Rock bands, even for a CV. For the price of a rock band, I can get 2 Apostles, and go in and get the 50% tourism modifier for shared religion. And the apostles don't have a 37% chance of dying every try. And even if they do die, you can martyr yourself.

This is your choice, as long as you understand that even when a rock band dies the amount of tourism it can give you toward your victory far outstrips a martyr in the short term.
Rock band are something to finish off your CV faster and they can severely speed it up, dribbling 1 or 2 rock bands out is not such a help.
Apostle become quite expensive and certainly the first few rock bands become definitely worth it.

 

[tetley]

I think my last game, small map, I was making >800 tourism. My last domestic tourist holdout civ was--surprise surprise--a different religion. My best rock band tour only produced 1750 tourism. If I had converted their religion, I'd be getting at least 400 tourism more per turn on them. If I had known, I would have been working on that long before I had access to rock bands.

I consider Martyr a consolation prize. I want to bring their spreads down to 1 and fight. But if they die, at least you get a relic. Definitely don't want them dying within the civ I'm trying to convert.

 

[Victoria]

I'd be getting at least 400 tourism more per turn on them.

Sure, If you have Cristo wonder because at 400 tourism they will have been enlightened to your false ways and if that 400 is all religious because it only affects religious, as does the negative for differing religions.
I agree that in that specific circumstance where you have 16 relics, reliquaries, and Cristo that converting would be better unless you were only a few turns away from victory.
Just be aware though that one rock band at 600 faith taking nearly 1.5 off their domestic tourists in a single turn all up equates on a small map to going up 3 points closer to a CV.
400 all religious and Cristo with conversion equates to increasing each turn by 2/3 of a point.
And your rock band could have done a lot better but it is a risk.

 

[tetley]

The "negative for differing religions" is the big elephant in the equation; not the relics.

 

[Victoria]

The "negative for differing religions" is the big elephant in the equation; not the relics.

If you have 300 Tourism of non religious items and 100 tourism of relics they will be getting 350 tourism rather than 400 or 200. The relics and the differing religions are the same thing. I have tested this many times including about a month ago. Differing religions only affect religious items which makes perfect sense.
does that help clarify where the elephant is?
I doubt you have religious art a plenty and you can only have one holy city... so its in the relics... or you do not have many relics in which case you have been operating on a misconception like we all do from time to time.
... Rock bands are typically OP unless playing a later victory with Khmer or kongo types. A kandy relic victory is winnable before you get to 400 tourism (someone got one in T78 in a GOTM)