AdonisFigure
Chieftain
I've playing on Monarch thus far, the first difficulty level that gives the AI significant advantages, and getting a feel for how to use multiple tactics and leaders. I started with the Arabs, and loved the Spiritual/philosophical combo. If you are spiritual, then you will quickly establish a religion. I got Hinduism, or the second religion available. It boosts culture, allows quicker religion spread, etc. Very straightforward and easy to intuitively use.
Then I switched to civ traits I wanted to learn how to use. I tried the Greeks, but didn't like the combo so well, and instead moved to the Mongols, where I played as Kublai Khan, who is Aggressive and Creative.
Without a Spirtual bonus, you will pretty much lose out at any chance for first 3 religions, Buddha, Hindu, and Judaism. It's not worth trying, as the technologies are the wrong ones to shoot for. So, at first I was a little scared of open borders, after all, what happens if my close rivals, who were Aztec, Egypt and Mali, so all spiritual, bombarded me with religions. But I needed to explore, so I said what the hell.
As expected Egypt spread Judaism, Aztecs spread Hindu, to my capital no less, and Mail spread Buddhism. I didn't see a penalty to any of this, but if made me uneasy. I aimed for Christianity and got it, but it founded in a non-capital city, as hindu was there. I then spread missionaries to make my cities Christian and be able to use the %25 production bonus of Organized religion. However, the early religion spread doesn't disappear now does it?
It turned out to be very useful, though. Having my capital on a river, and build for commerce and research, especially after building the Great Library, my only wonder built, I stumbled upon the solution: build missionaries from my other cities, and establish Judaism and Buddhism into the captial. The result was I had 4 relgions at home. I then could build All Four Monastaries. Each gives a 10% each research bonus. Combined with Great Library, Academy established by GP, Library and University, I can yield a city of 180 beakers far more than my other six cities combined.
Now, the Monasteries will eventually stop working after Scientific method. But that's a long time if done well and early for the 40% boost, and you can pick and choose techs to postpone that changeover as well.
Don't be afraid of religion spread, especially if you are creative, because you will have plenty of culture anyway.
Then I switched to civ traits I wanted to learn how to use. I tried the Greeks, but didn't like the combo so well, and instead moved to the Mongols, where I played as Kublai Khan, who is Aggressive and Creative.
Without a Spirtual bonus, you will pretty much lose out at any chance for first 3 religions, Buddha, Hindu, and Judaism. It's not worth trying, as the technologies are the wrong ones to shoot for. So, at first I was a little scared of open borders, after all, what happens if my close rivals, who were Aztec, Egypt and Mali, so all spiritual, bombarded me with religions. But I needed to explore, so I said what the hell.
As expected Egypt spread Judaism, Aztecs spread Hindu, to my capital no less, and Mail spread Buddhism. I didn't see a penalty to any of this, but if made me uneasy. I aimed for Christianity and got it, but it founded in a non-capital city, as hindu was there. I then spread missionaries to make my cities Christian and be able to use the %25 production bonus of Organized religion. However, the early religion spread doesn't disappear now does it?
It turned out to be very useful, though. Having my capital on a river, and build for commerce and research, especially after building the Great Library, my only wonder built, I stumbled upon the solution: build missionaries from my other cities, and establish Judaism and Buddhism into the captial. The result was I had 4 relgions at home. I then could build All Four Monastaries. Each gives a 10% each research bonus. Combined with Great Library, Academy established by GP, Library and University, I can yield a city of 180 beakers far more than my other six cities combined.
Now, the Monasteries will eventually stop working after Scientific method. But that's a long time if done well and early for the 40% boost, and you can pick and choose techs to postpone that changeover as well.
Don't be afraid of religion spread, especially if you are creative, because you will have plenty of culture anyway.
