stefista
Chieftain
I am trying to figure out how to use the Shwedagon Paya effectively. The Shwedagon Paya has the makings of a powerful wonder because, like the pyramids it offers early access to advanced civics but, unlike the pyramids, the civics it unlocks come soon after the wonder is itself unlocked.
Specifically, the Shwedagon Paya is unlocked with Meditation and Aesthetics.
If you want to run Organized Religion, you need Monotheism, which you usually have before Aesthetics, and certainly can have before aesthetics if you want it.
Theocracy comes with Theology; again, you can easily have Theology at or near the time of Aesthetics, perhaps by even trading Aesthetics for Theology.
Pacifism comes with Philosophy, just a few steps away from Aesthetics. From Aesthetics, if you want Pacifism, building the wonder and researching directly to Philosophy are comparable options. Building the Shwedagon Paya is probably going to get the civic first, but not too much earlier, nothng like the gap between the Pyramids and Constitution for representation.
Finally there is Free Religion, which comes with Liberalism, which does come significantly later than Aesthetics plus a wonder-build. Even so, if you really want Free Religion, it may pay off to take the Liberalism beeline early, and Aesthetics is a part (an early part) of the Liberalism beeline.
Does anything else matter for the Shwedagon Paya? Yes: the fact that, in order to benefit from Organized Religion, Theocracy, or Pacifism, you must have at least one religion in your empire, that religion needs to be spread to cities where it matters, and you need to accept the diplomatic effect of making that religion your state religion.
So, given all the above, the best use I can imagine for the Shwedagon Paya is in isolation without foubding religion. If you can get to Aestetics and have the Shwedagon Paya built early on, then you can maximize the lead time on Free Religion, and get the +10%science benefit, the equivalent of having a free monastery in every city, which couldn't have been built because you have no religion. Later, when you meet the world, you will be able to avoid the negatve religion diplo bonuses and, if you beat the AI to optics by far enough, still get trade value out of Aesthetics.
a second way to exploit the Shwedagon Paya: As stated above, you can probably have Theology before Aesthetics or soon after, and you can have Philosophy soon after, but researching both may take significantly longer, so if your strategy is to cycle between Pacifism and Theocracy, the Shwedagon Paya will allow this earlier than it would otherwise be available, perhaps earlier enough to be worthwhile.
Does anyone have any other uses for this neat little wonder?
Specifically, the Shwedagon Paya is unlocked with Meditation and Aesthetics.
If you want to run Organized Religion, you need Monotheism, which you usually have before Aesthetics, and certainly can have before aesthetics if you want it.
Theocracy comes with Theology; again, you can easily have Theology at or near the time of Aesthetics, perhaps by even trading Aesthetics for Theology.
Pacifism comes with Philosophy, just a few steps away from Aesthetics. From Aesthetics, if you want Pacifism, building the wonder and researching directly to Philosophy are comparable options. Building the Shwedagon Paya is probably going to get the civic first, but not too much earlier, nothng like the gap between the Pyramids and Constitution for representation.
Finally there is Free Religion, which comes with Liberalism, which does come significantly later than Aesthetics plus a wonder-build. Even so, if you really want Free Religion, it may pay off to take the Liberalism beeline early, and Aesthetics is a part (an early part) of the Liberalism beeline.
Does anything else matter for the Shwedagon Paya? Yes: the fact that, in order to benefit from Organized Religion, Theocracy, or Pacifism, you must have at least one religion in your empire, that religion needs to be spread to cities where it matters, and you need to accept the diplomatic effect of making that religion your state religion.
So, given all the above, the best use I can imagine for the Shwedagon Paya is in isolation without foubding religion. If you can get to Aestetics and have the Shwedagon Paya built early on, then you can maximize the lead time on Free Religion, and get the +10%science benefit, the equivalent of having a free monastery in every city, which couldn't have been built because you have no religion. Later, when you meet the world, you will be able to avoid the negatve religion diplo bonuses and, if you beat the AI to optics by far enough, still get trade value out of Aesthetics.
a second way to exploit the Shwedagon Paya: As stated above, you can probably have Theology before Aesthetics or soon after, and you can have Philosophy soon after, but researching both may take significantly longer, so if your strategy is to cycle between Pacifism and Theocracy, the Shwedagon Paya will allow this earlier than it would otherwise be available, perhaps earlier enough to be worthwhile.
Does anyone have any other uses for this neat little wonder?
to 
option. On diety and immort it becomes increasing difficult to hold your tiles and with heavy culture pressure with bad war odds (e.g. facing China); Paya is a solid way to get a border pop sooner.
