- Buddhism

- Catholism

- Mormonism

- Jewdism

- Athiesm

- Idolism

Religions would start automaticaly, throughout the game, and would start in any city, and any civ. They would then expand from there. When a new religion is introduced to your civ, it gives you the option of how to treat it:

1. Support it
2. Nuetral towards it
3. Do not support it
4. Condemn it.

When an enemy takes a city of yours, that is the headquarters (origonal city) of that religion, then that religion has the right to order a crusade from there former civ. THe government must order it, no matter what they think of it. A crusade would be used to take back that city.

------------------
"Freedom, Trade, Christantine!"

The Official Webpage of the Chrisonian Republic

The Viking Archives

Although it has had a great influence over many aspects of countries, populations, and other aspects of overall consciousness (historically), the general idea about Civ's progress is that they must rely on a steady supply of Food, a cunning flair at Trading and a sturdy mecanism to Produce.

Besides, happiness of your citizens is vastly controlled by the above factors and by what sort of government rules them.

quote: Need i remind, everyone, that religion is ALREADY well represented into the tech-model (Monotheism...).

Religion is HARDLY represented in the tech-model. And even if it were, religion is not a technology. A ruler can not simply research a new religion he wants. If he could, the entire history of Western civilization would be different. And why are there Cathedrals and Chapels? Who forgot to pass around the memo on the arrival of the messiah? because when the game hits 0 A.D., I don't remember being informed.

And other than the wonders and the city improvements, it really had no effect. Nothing really changed from it. As I said, a polytheistic religion is much more difficult to have a consolidation of power because every city has its own god that they pledge loyalty to . Monotheism unites the entire nation under one god, and with Monarchy, the king is the divine ruler thus making him even more powerful.

------------------
"...The highest realization of warfare is to attack the enemy's plans; next is to attack their alliances; next to attack their army; and the lowest is to attack their fortified cities." - Sun Tzu

Dom Pedro II.... aka Hannibal3

Religion is a MUST! All the major civilizations of the past have been shaped, or destroyed, by the major religions.

Ancient Egypt declined with the advent of Judaism.

The Roman Empire declined with the advent of Christianity.

The Byzantine Empire declined with the advent of Islam.

Etc.

Religion has been a MAJOR part of history and it should not be ignored in Civ3 - indeed it should be fully integrated as a big feature, something that defines aspects of the way things occur... I don't have specific ideas, but the concept is important.

However to use real-world religions is insane. Not only could it have potentially unpleasant and divisive real-world effects, but its not fair on people who believe in one religion or another.

So made-up religions should be used. The principles of these religions is secondary in terms of the game.

This idea also helps us scenario builders out there.

quote: Originally posted by DarkCloud on 10-24-2000 11:56 AM Religion should not be in civ... too controversial.

I can see a few ways in which it could be integrated in the game, without offending anyone, and which would make the game more challenging.

Both in COLONIZATION and CTP appear religious units!!.

In CTP there are the cleric (with theocracy) and the televangelist (with massmedia, makes cleric obsolete). They can: a) sell indulgence; b) soothsay; and c)convert cities. The effect of them is increasing happiness and "conquest" (depending on which side things happen pleasant or nasty).

In COLONIZATION you have a) the jesuit missionar and b) the firebrand preacher. The effect of both of them is creating free units for the build-up of your colony. A) is to be send of to indian villages to "convert the savages", so that every now and then an indian appears at the gate of the most nearby city who spontaneously wants to join your city. B) has to function inside a city in a church>cathedral to "show off the religious freedom they have" so that units in the homeland pop up for free on the quay "to be taken to that free place overseas".

Things could be likewise in CIV.

1. I would like it if these kind of P&P-units should appear in the game (I must say that I don't like the televangelist, just to solely & typically American a notion).
   
2. I can think of a kind of balance in religions between civs (like now with diplomacy).
   If you have developed either polytheism / monotheisme / theology it should be possible to choose a religion (a roledown menu ?!). And if you have made that choice without knowing which one the AI has chosen for other civs (not yet made contact) it may turn out to be .... . That could be a reason for tensions between the civs, especially when heavy conversion activity is undertaken.
   
3. When you send in just one "P&P-unit" it shouldn't be possible to convert a whole city at once (like with spies now). Like in COLON. it should be so that in CIV-terms settler-units "defect" from other civs for reason of conversion. That might have the consequence that you would have to pick up these units from the other side of an ocean. To convert a whole city you would have to send in a lot of them (the complete salvation army ).
   
4. The effect of "P&P-units" should be depended on the happiness of a population, high standards low effect and vice versa.
   
5. Civs which have turned fundamentalistic might even start a holy war (crusade?!/jihad?!/whatever nonsense). It should only be possible to build either crusaders or fanatics under these conditions, and when things are really.
   
6. The only way to keep units from "defecting" in your own civ is increasing happiness, which you may do by sending in a P&P into your own city ......
   

In the thread top 10 of new tech by Ribannah (last post october 8th )I pleaded for the introduction of Humanism as a link between the religious and the scientific advances.

With only 7 players as in Civ2, to distinguish between different religions would not add anything new and only complicate gameplay.

Religion as such is incorporated by techs like Mysticism, Polytheism, Monotheism, Theology, Fundamentalism, city improvements like Temples and Cathedrals and several wonders. So, the importance of religion in human history is well taken into account.

I think it's very doubtful that any specific religion by its unique content has had a major influence on the course of civilization. Religions reflect civilizations rather than shape them, and most of them are not so unique at all.