Differing Degrees of Spiritual Life and Moral Codes

                                                    Religion and Morality in Civilization V

                     

Religion in Gods and Kings

  As many of you all know I had the basic package of the game. With that being said I did not get to experience any religious aspects to my game play. Watching fellow students presentations who had the Gods and Kings or Brave New World expansion package I was able to gain insight into the added religious and spiritual elements that were added to the game. You could convert people in tiles near yours, influence others through your religious beliefs etc.However, picking a religion in the game is somewhat arbitrary like other aspects. As in real life when you choose a religion in the game you make it your own. No matter what religion you pick the game will still allow you to build wonders and other structures from different religions and it doesn't alter the things you can make or the social categories that you have.

              All religion is predicated on faith, which like science, production, and gold, you'll earn over time by building items and structures that increase it over time. Early in a game, you'll have the option to choose a "pantheon," a culture-specific religion that allows you one statistical benefit. This could be something as simple as more gold attained from spaces that generate faith, or more rapid border expansion via the "religious settlements" option. Once your pantheon is founded and your civilization begins to grow, you'll eventually spawn a great prophet, a unit that can be used multiple ways down the road, but initially will be consumed to create your religion.(http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/sid-meiers-civilization-v-gods-kings-review/1900-501/)

Social Policies Trees

                       Moral Codes on the other hand were evident in all the editions of Civilization V. The social policies tree with the different branches of tradition, liberty, honor, piety, patronage, order, aristocracy, rationalism and commerce. I believe each one of these branches especially honor, tradition, rationalism and piety showcase moral codes that are represented in real life. All of these different branches affect how the game plays out and what a civilization deems as most important will have an effect on their culture and their relation with other civilizations.

                   Piety in particular, though I didn't see it in my game play, allows for some additions to the game through religion. Each respective branch in the piety tree represents organized religions, mandate of heaven, theocracy, religious tolerance, and reformation. Rationalism allows for free thought, secularism, humanism, and sovereignty.