Why bother maintaining religious purity?

[mystikx21]

The belief itself can be removed by expelling or killing off the populations involved or by repressing it with favorable policies toward a majority faith. It isn't exterminated entirely but it is functionally removed from that society (see Spain with Muslims and Jews in the 15th century or Eastern Europe with Jews again in the 20th, or China's suppression of various religions under Mao, etc). I would argue most societies religious suppression of minority faiths is the norm, even including the US and Western Europe and even into modern day (see Mormons and atheists, among others. Scientology for example is outright banned in some countries). That doesn't mean these minority faiths and beliefs will disappear and cease to exist, or that they won't eventually flourish in the new environment anyway, but it does suggest that the social norm is to suppress and restrict new faiths and the people who practice them in favor of the local majority.

I think the existing system of "the majority local faith in a city governs any applicable beliefs that the city uses" works fine without needing new layers. I might also prefer a watered down version of many beliefs practiced locally, but I think that reduces the importance of founding faiths and pantheons and reduces their power and effect individually. It would be more realistic, but would reduce some game play options too much without much benefit. I think we should have to do at least some strategic decisions relating to faith (which one goes where, what city we need to defend, etc) rather than totally passive acceptance of whatever comes our way when a religion spreads and where.

 

[gdwitt]

Thank you for the guidance Mystikx.
In the meantime, I will use IGE during those 30 turns when missionaries are a bit useful.
Just deduct 240 faith points and place a missionary.
Even by turn 80 it takes about 12 annoying turns to navigate a missionary to a nearby foreign city.
Inquisitors can handle the rest.

I would like to hear more about Pantheon persistence. I haven't tested it out.

I do hope Thal removes those conversion questions from the City-States.

If missionaries are removed, I hope their is another use for the third Prophet that usually lands around turn 150. Maybe a third enhanced belief or a holy-site that provided special benefit like conversion bonuses.

 

[mystikx21]

I should think that could apply also to the AI. They have some use for them for a while too.

As far as I can tell, pantheon's persist in effects throughout so long as the religion attached does, and remains the majority faith of a city. So you would continue to get extra culture on shrines or extra food from jungles or camps, and you could in effect moderate the flow of these benefits by choosing which cities have majority faiths where if there are good options (that locally exceed any benefits given from the actual religions). Most of the good religion benefits are more global or per city effects than the good pantheons are terrain based I think so it can often be useful to make local decisions about which faith should go where. And also try to override AI benefits to deny them to your opponents while providing global benefits to yourself in diplomatic gains or through CS/tithing, and denying their own global benefits (extra science/gold per city, etc).

I do not know, or haven't tested, how a "minority" pantheon works, if it does. It doesn't appear to do so if a majority faith overrules, the pantheon benefits appear to disappear, but I haven't tested all of them. Just obvious things like camp food or shrine culture.

One other note, if we are removing missionaries, some other effect should go on Djenne (decreased cost of inquisitors/GPs?, increased passive spread?)

 

[klngarthur]

If you want to re-enable inquisitors in the latest beta add the following line to GEA__End.sql:

UPDATE Units SET FaithCost = 200 WHERE Class = 'UNITCLASS_INQUISITOR';

 

[AnthonyG]

Maintaining religious purity is a matter of pride for me, kind of silly I know. I do, however, now use the idea given to me in this thread to take advantage of any (temporary) conversions in terms of buying religious buildings, so that's a plus - thanks.