In my current game I founded/captured 5 holy cities, and built the appropriate shrines. I make 2g for each city with the appropriate religion, so with State Property, I make 10g - 6g (maintenence) = 4g from a 1 population city that has a citizen and nothing else. There seems to be no downside to this other than cranking out settlers and missionaries (organized religion lets me build them without monisteries). Am I missing something, or is there a reason to not build cities in every little nook and cranny once you have 3 religions? This is based on experience at noble/prince. Strategies obviously change at higher levels.
Spiritual Victory (or C..C)
- Thread starter Qed
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MrCynical
Deity
Well it is going to cost you at least 4 missionaries, and probably more like 7 or 8 to get five religions into a new city. That adds up to an awful lot of hammers. In any case, maintenance isn't just 6gpt, it increases with the number of cities you have. Your civic upkeep also increases with city number, which I don't think you've taken into account.
I doubt this strategy is going to work well, simply because you're burning a lot of production for a fairly trivial amount of gold in return (if it's even positive).
I doubt this strategy is going to work well, simply because you're burning a lot of production for a fairly trivial amount of gold in return (if it's even positive).
Palantir30
Warlord
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2005
- Messages
- 241
It's indeed positive income. Building missionaries and accounting for the success rate still nets you more cash than changing those hammers to coin via building wealth. Shrine wealth is by far the most easily exploitable source of income through the bulk of the game. Reasonable limits are kept if the shrines are in different cities, but all balance is lost when more than three shrines are in the same city as then you get to add before multiplying instead of vice versa with regard to harbor/market/grocer/bank bonuses.
It's not worth it to build missionaries instead of other buildings, but missionaries are still greater than wealth, even accounting for the diminishing returns of missionaries.
It's not worth it to build missionaries instead of other buildings, but missionaries are still greater than wealth, even accounting for the diminishing returns of missionaries.
Zombie69
Emperor
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2005
- Messages
- 1,902
Palantir30 said:
Everything in the game is better than wealth, so that's not saying much.
The answer is no, don't build those cities. If you absolutely must have the shrine income, then save yourself the settler and the maintenance, and just convert opposing cities instead.
n0xie
OCC-addict
There is a whole playstyle around the theme of founding several religions in 1 city known as the X Headed Hydra where X is the number of religions you have. If you manage to get 3 or more AND manage to survive the first few years (you totally plummet your economy if you play this way) it will net you a very stable almost broken way of paying for your entire civilization. Your holy city will probably pay for all your costs and still make a profit further in the game, enabling you to make your other cities build non money related improvements/buildings.
Keep in mind this is just 1 way to play the game and it's not the 'holy' grail (or rather it is but you get my point) but if played correctly with the right settings it is a very powerful way of building a very stable empire.
Most of it is inspired by this thread. It's a good read and very educational.
Then again if you try to pull this off in multi player you most likely will be crushed by an army of 4 axeman.
Keep in mind this is just 1 way to play the game and it's not the 'holy' grail (or rather it is but you get my point) but if played correctly with the right settings it is a very powerful way of building a very stable empire.
Most of it is inspired by this thread. It's a good read and very educational.
Then again if you try to pull this off in multi player you most likely will be crushed by an army of 4 axeman.
