What religous beliefs would you pick in this situation?

[besset]

Playing as Korea on Deity difficulty. Im aiming for culture victory, and science victory as backup. Im the first founder of a religion on turn 77, so i will spread to all my neighbours right now.

What im debating so far:

Founder:

- Apolistic Tradition: I wasnt able to get hanging gardens or temple of artemis, so food might be good here so that i can work all specialist slots (specialist give science bonus as Korea) and also golden age points (extra science during golden ages as Korea), maybe get mosques too. But i do have a great start with plenty of fish in my capital and secondary cities with god of the sea pantheon so i dont know if food will be an issue in this game. I value culture over food so dont know if this is the right pick.

- Ceremonial Burial: I think i will pick this here, because it gives great culture and i might have enough food in this game anyways.

- Divine inheritence: Great founder as Korea but i have the ability to spread my religion a lot this game, ceremonial burial gives better culture i think.

Beliefs:

- Asceticism: Get the extra food i might need here so that i can work almost all specialist slots in my capital and cities. But dunno if i even need extra food with this start. With the extra food from this i can skip Apolistic Tradition perhaps and go for Ceremonial Burial instead.

- Inspiration: Extra culture is never wrong with tradition

- Mastery: Potentially great as Korea, because i also get science from every specialist. Also golden age points are nice.

- Mosques: Great culture during Golden Ages, i almost always pick this when playing as tradition.


Potential Combos:

- Mastery + Asceticism: So i can work all specialist slots comfortably for great extra science. Can skip Apolistic Tradition in this case.

- Mastery + Mosques: Extra food might not be needed with this start so rather go for massive extra culture during Golden Ages.

Inspriation + Mosques: Extra culture might be best overall. Maybe go for Apolistic Tradition in this case? But dont think Inspiration + Mosques would give more culture than Ceremonial burial.

What would you pick?

 

[SpecifiedUsername]

If you are beelining Sankore, I would say ceremonial burial, as tall tradition you will get much less faith than wide AIs, not to mention Assyria can choose fealty. Tradition really needs that extra culture, it cannot just outproduce at peace or reliably conquer anyone, at least in your setting. I think your other cities will not gain much from mosques for the most of the game and you have extra science anyway, I think synagogues will be much more useful with +3 production straight away and +10% science later they are amazing for tradition and Korea. I don't think inspiration is strong, you will get the same from mastery and more, but it depends if you want to go artistry. Extra food in the capital is just amazing, but as a fragile Korea I don't think there's a space for food belief. Fealty can be strong as tradition but you have very suboptimal land for it. It can still be good, and you will apreciate extra production which fealty has three sources of in GA, WLTKD, and double production to castles and armories. I would secure synagogues first as a baseline.

 

[besset]

If you are beelining Sankore, I would say ceremonial burial, as tall tradition you will get much less faith than wide AIs, not to mention Assyria can choose fealty. Tradition really needs that extra culture, it cannot just outproduce at peace or reliably conquer anyone, at least in your setting. I think your other cities will not gain much from mosques for the most of the game and you have extra science anyway, I think synagogues will be much more useful with +3 production straight away and +10% science later they are amazing for tradition and Korea. I don't think inspiration is strong, you will get the same from mastery and more, but it depends if you want to go artistry. Extra food in the capital is just amazing, but as a fragile Korea I don't think there's a space for food belief. Fealty can be strong as tradition but you have very suboptimal land for it. It can still be good, and you will apreciate extra production which fealty has three sources of in GA, WLTKD, and double production to castles and armories. I would secure synagogues first as a baseline.

So synagogues + mastery?

Will probably first pick mastery though because all my faith will be used to spread religion initially, won't have enough faith to buy buildings

 

[SpecifiedUsername]

I would choose sangogues first, they are too important to miss as Korea, even if won't buy them out outright. Mastery will give you very little too during this period, you probably don't work more than 6-8 scientists, even less of them right now. +4 GAP and +2 culture, +1 science, +1 production doesn't look very sexy to me compared to +10% science in all cities even 50 turns from now, it will be +10-15 science by late medieval.

Mastery is good but I'm not sure I would choose it. If you don't get Sankore (though it's easy to get), mosques takes precedence. If you will defend a lot, orders might actually be the play and they probably will give you the most faith of any follower. You might need this more exp on fleet and massive siege/ranged army to just not die/have all sea tiles blockaded all the time. Churches are very powerful, they are inspiration plus much more faith but I don't know if worth it on water spread. I would say orders as second makes the most safe play, though probably mongolia snatches them. Would be nice to caprute one of the missionares of religion with orders to get them, and buy them in all cities. If you can get free mosque for the capital, orders from the other religion, synagogues from yours and then mastery, then you get very strong position religiously.

 

[besset]

I would choose sangogues first, they are too important to miss as Korea, even if won't buy them out outright. Mastery will give you very little too during this period, you probably don't work more than 6-8 scientists, even less of them right now. +4 GAP and +2 culture, +1 science, +1 production doesn't look very sexy to me compared to +10% science in all cities even 50 turns from now, it will be +10-15 science by late medieval.

Mastery is good but I'm not sure I would choose it. If you don't get Sankore (though it's easy to get), mosques takes precedence. If you will defend a lot, orders might actually be the play and they probably will give you the most faith of any follower. You might need this more exp on fleet and massive siege/ranged army to just not die/have all sea tiles blockaded all the time. Churches are very powerful, they are inspiration plus much more faith but I don't know if worth it on water spread. I would say orders as second makes the most safe play, though probably mongolia snatches them. Would be nice to caprute one of the missionares of religion with orders to get them, and buy them in all cities. If you can get free mosque for the capital, orders from the other religion, synagogues from yours and then mastery, then you get very strong position religiously.

Yeah sounds good. What about food beliefs/ mandir? I didnt get hanging gardens/Artemis and i would like to work most specialist slots as Korea

 

[SpecifiedUsername]

1/2/3 food trade routes to a capital, probably one production to a capital and rest production to other city. all sea one if possible, they have inherent bonus to food, you get another from lighthouse, apart from all buildings bonuses to food that also benefit land routes like windmill

i think it should be enough, of course invested aqueducts, gorcers ASAP in the capital

orders and fleet plus trade routes are better for food than just a food belief imo

 

[besset]

1/2/3 food trade routes to a capital, probably one production to a capital and rest production to other city. all sea one if possible, they have inherent bonus to food, you get another from lighthouse, apart from all buildings bonuses to food that also benefit land routes like windmill

i think it should be enough, of course invested aqueducts, gorcers ASAP in the capital

orders and fleet plus trade routes are better for food than just a food belief imo

Would you pick to the glory of god or inspired works as reform?

Edit: i picked inspired works and it's by far better than to the glory of god. You get extra science/faith and culture per turn very early which will stack up. You also don't need the potential writers and artists from to the glory of god.

 

[SpecifiedUsername]

I would go with inspired works just because i think to the glory of god is gamey and i banned myself from using it.