Religion

Introduction From the Encarta

Religion has had a profound effect upon human history - for Ara, it is an important tool to boost your Nation and a great source of Prestige. At the start of the game, the people of the world are unaffiliated with any organized type of Religion.

Elements of Religions

Name: You can pick from a selection of representative religions. This is not an exhaustive list. Icon: Existing religions are represented by icons meant to represent major symbols of the faith. Religious Improvements: Each improvement impacts the 'Religion Spread' for your Nation in some way. Triumphs: Any Religious Triumphs may be used by any Religion (if a Nation is the first to build it). Verses: Successfully spreading your religion grants you access to verses which provide yield or effect bonuses. Religion Strength: This determines the likelihood that a dominant Religion remains dominant and resists conversion. Religion Spread: This determines how far your cities and spread your religion - this follows road networks initially*(verify).

Currently in Ara Religions are always beneficial - they provide bonuses to their founding nation only*(verify) - asserting your religions strength and spread is a part of having beneficial bonuses in the mid to late game. Using religious units such as Missionaries or Oracles is pretty essential to maximizing your Nations religious cohesion. Missionaries can preach in cities increasing the Religion Strength in the city they are preaching, a missionary always preaches in favor of your Nation's religion. Oracles can denounce as an action which has a chance to remove a population(s) religious affiliation - an unaffiliated populace has a chance to adopt a new or different religion based on the relative strengths in the city.

Prestige is gained by successfully spreading your religion. This is described in the Encarta as a reward when your religion is adopted by more Nations. The other method is maintaining a religion spreading into another Nation. Prestige is awarded in two aspects then, the initial spread into another Nation and then continue to maintain followers inside of another Nations borders.

Gaining followers grants Verses for your religion. Verses have a unique benefit for your Nation. New verses are unlocked after you reach (increasingly large) follower counts. When a new verse is unlocked you choose one of three to adopt. A religion can have a maximum of 12 Verses. Your religion must be the dominant Religion in a city for it's Verses to have an effect. Currently verses are associated with different gaming concepts but it appears to be a random pool of verses every time you unlock them.