Razorwing
Warlord
I read that religion won't be a part of Civilization V, presumably because other gameplay elements will now fill the same role as religion did in Civilization IV.
But why not include religion anyway, without it having any bearing on gameplay? Religions could be founded following the first discovery of a new technology, just as it is in Civilization IV. Except that it wouldn't have any effect on gameplay, nor would you be able to build missionaries or other religion-based improvements.
But you could watch how 'your' religion spreads throughout the world, and how other religions spread to your cities. Perhaps you would even see shrines / temples / cathedrals being built in cities - but only as a graphical illustration of various religions' strengths.
These effects might be utilized as a graphic expression of your civilization's cultural strength. If you focus enough on culture you would see those cathedrals spring up in your most cultured cities, which would presumably be gratifying and visually pleasing.
Of course, a system like that wouldn't be as good as having religions play an active role in Civilization V. The introduction of religion in Civ IV was, in my opinion, a huge step forward in adding even more realism to the game. Removing religion as a factor from Civilization V is a mistake that will detract from the fun of playing the game. That's not to say I don't think it will still be a great game, just a bit less fun than it could have been. But it would seem the decision was made long ago and is already implemented, so I suppose it wouldn't help to complain about it - but if we can't have religion as an active ingredient, at least include it for ambience's sake!
But why not include religion anyway, without it having any bearing on gameplay? Religions could be founded following the first discovery of a new technology, just as it is in Civilization IV. Except that it wouldn't have any effect on gameplay, nor would you be able to build missionaries or other religion-based improvements.
But you could watch how 'your' religion spreads throughout the world, and how other religions spread to your cities. Perhaps you would even see shrines / temples / cathedrals being built in cities - but only as a graphical illustration of various religions' strengths.
These effects might be utilized as a graphic expression of your civilization's cultural strength. If you focus enough on culture you would see those cathedrals spring up in your most cultured cities, which would presumably be gratifying and visually pleasing.
Of course, a system like that wouldn't be as good as having religions play an active role in Civilization V. The introduction of religion in Civ IV was, in my opinion, a huge step forward in adding even more realism to the game. Removing religion as a factor from Civilization V is a mistake that will detract from the fun of playing the game. That's not to say I don't think it will still be a great game, just a bit less fun than it could have been. But it would seem the decision was made long ago and is already implemented, so I suppose it wouldn't help to complain about it - but if we can't have religion as an active ingredient, at least include it for ambience's sake!
I'm embarrassed I didn't think of that. Considering that as Firaxis probably will monitor comments about the game, that's a very real possibility even if they didn't plan it that way.
