When do you start pushing preachers and bells?

[Oddible]

Just curious how other folks are planning for the end-game. Do you start loading up your churches early or wait until the immigrants start flowing more slowly? Is there any reason to have a church in every city or is it ok to have a couple major cities with full cathedrals pumping out your crosses?

What about bells? It seems different with liberty bells - I need fill my town halls in all cities to push up the rebel sentiment. When do you start pushing? I'm in a game now where I have no master statesmen specialists : / I'm building newspapers like crazy and just loading up my down halls with free colonists. Any strategy advice on getting your rebel sentiment up (just now building an armory so I've got a ways to go before I have the guns to break free).

 

[Dale]

A cathedral with three firebrands is better than three churches with firebrands, so yes it's better to have a fully loaded cathedral than church-spam. But you need 6 food to feed those guys.

 

[Gliese 581]

If it's like in the first game you need to stop growing your population to get rebel sentiment up in the end. Make soldiers of them instead once you have the infrastructure and work force you need. Trade eventually became less important as you become self-sufficient in building and training.