Wheee, I made it to 0% science.

[Blake]

On an Highlands map, large, epic, raging barbs. After the barb siege ended I expanded like crazy, right to 0% science, all the cities are on great resource spots, and there are still more unclaimed resources, and some backfilling could be done! Now to see how hard it is to "recover". On a terra map my new world expansion resulted in 30% science, it took no time at all to get back up to 70% and my power greatly surpassed the AI.

Are other people using these "deficit spending" expansion booms to found cities while the founding is good, and worrying about paying for it later?

[V3nom]

you think thats bad? I've quite successfully had 0% science and still been in deficit to the point where the computer was dispanding my units. so basically I was expanding far far far far too fast :P.

Also it is possible to catch up from that point, but its a long slog.

[Blake]

Turns out in this game (on Noble btw) I ended up more than twice as powerful as the strongest AI, and researching as fast on Epic as I usuaully do on normal.... after the expansion boom I founded Taoism, Christainity and Islam, built the shrines for two of them, and mass spread my religions (many cities have 4 religions), I actually converted two neighbours to Taoism, despite me being pagan throughout the entire game . Anyway the religion income.

I'm starting to think that Heathenism is too powerful. The AI's let you get away with anything and the culture boost from paganism is HUGE.

[Backpack]

Culture Boost from Paganism? - Did I miss something?

[Metaliturtle]

Free Religion Maybe?

[rayw69]

Originally posted by Backpack
Culture Boost from Paganism? - Did I miss something?

The actual culture boost is not from the paganism civic itself, but rather, from not choosing a state religion. So that is not the same as staying with the paganism civic. However, it would almost always be paired with that civic choice. Having no state religion and paganism usually go hand in hand before the ability to switch to the Free religion civic, so I think Blake is using the term "paganism" for this particular combination of civic and religion.

[Azuarc]

OK, but there's a culture boost for agnostic civs?

[rayw69]

Originally posted by Azuarc
OK, but there's a culture boost for agnostic civs?

Not so much as there is a potentially significant culture penalty for Civs that have a state religion. This penalty largely depends on your ability to found and spread religions.

I wrote a long winded explanation of it in the "On the benefits of being Heathen" thread, which is a few posts down on this forum.

[Blake]

Basically in short under paganism you get culture for ALL religions. Under other religion civics (except free religion) you only get culture for your state religion.

It may make sense, if you choose to spread multiple religions (which you have to work to do) you deserve to be able to get a boost from it, and it makes sesne that a religiously diverse civ WOULD be more cultured...

[rayw69]

Originally posted by Blake
Basically in short under paganism you get culture for ALL religions. Under other religion civics (except free religion) you only get culture for your state religion.

This is actually incorrect. You are confusing 2 different gameplay mechanics here.

Your ability to gain culture from all religions present in a city stems from your choice of not having a state religion. Whether or not you choose to stay with the paganism religious civic has no bearing on culture production.

You can choose any of the five religious civics and still gain culture from all religions, as long as you do not pick a state religion.

[Blake]

Thanks for clarifying that. I was aware of that in the murky depths of my mind (such as if I didn't post that in such a hurry and even if I actually were as confused as I sounded I would have said under Paganism and Free Religion...).

But I have run org to make missionaries of all religions while keeping the culture.

Theo is useless while heathen right? (other than for keeping religion completely out, which seems a bit self-defeating)

[Pocus]

how to remove a religion from an enemy city (say for example that I want to reduce the income they get from being the founder of the given religion)