I have some concerns about criminal branch offices and especially when combined with Gospel of the Masses.
1st - the pop requirements for open slots are a bit weird. you need at least 25 to gain a 1st slot. which leadto almost no offices during the early game (only capitols have enough pops, and new planed don't generate enough trade to compensate the cost of opening)
2nd - when you reach mid game there are almost always a lot of crime decreasing pops. so even with 4 buildings you almost certainly will be at 0% or close to that (and AI loves building a lot of -crime)
3rd - that lead us to the criminal church - I assume that it's mostly RP build (aside from great trade benefits from spiritualist pops) . and your goal should be mostly to open the office without asking. then build a temple to start converting. and that's where I think the problem lies - you can't build a temple until it's large enough(25+) and by that time ai will usually have enough crime reduction to throw you off. and since temple doesn't generate crime(for criminal empire) you'll be thrown away faster. also conversion is too small to be noticeable if you consider the short life span of the branches.
imho some of those problem could be solved by 3 things:
1)when a player select criminal heritage and gospel together - give them a special criminal temple with 25 crime(or similar number)
2)maybe a free slot in each office? so you could open them earlier and gain benefits(even RP-ones) from a different opening moves - either a temple or harbor or even something other(or if not free - then at 10 pops where opponent has ability to build enforcers if he want). also a nerf to that building that gives 50 crime(to 25 too, so all buildings will give the same amount). cuz it's almost no brainer 1st pick if you want your office to stay long.
3)dedication to fighting crime is ok(if you really need it) but I've noticed that sometimes AI is overdoing it. even when there are no criminal syndicates in the game.
ps: maybe I misunderstood and doing something wrong. then I'll gladly hear the way to properly play criminal megachurch. but right now I see it only as a criminal empire with a benefits of great trade power at the start (I usually have more trade score then 2nd and 3rd place combined. on admiral). and I can see no way to build a temple. especially after the midgame, where everyone has social tech and harmony perk that gives more then enough ethic attraction to counter it.
1st - the pop requirements for open slots are a bit weird. you need at least 25 to gain a 1st slot. which leadto almost no offices during the early game (only capitols have enough pops, and new planed don't generate enough trade to compensate the cost of opening)
2nd - when you reach mid game there are almost always a lot of crime decreasing pops. so even with 4 buildings you almost certainly will be at 0% or close to that (and AI loves building a lot of -crime)
3rd - that lead us to the criminal church - I assume that it's mostly RP build (aside from great trade benefits from spiritualist pops) . and your goal should be mostly to open the office without asking. then build a temple to start converting. and that's where I think the problem lies - you can't build a temple until it's large enough(25+) and by that time ai will usually have enough crime reduction to throw you off. and since temple doesn't generate crime(for criminal empire) you'll be thrown away faster. also conversion is too small to be noticeable if you consider the short life span of the branches.
imho some of those problem could be solved by 3 things:
1)when a player select criminal heritage and gospel together - give them a special criminal temple with 25 crime(or similar number)
2)maybe a free slot in each office? so you could open them earlier and gain benefits(even RP-ones) from a different opening moves - either a temple or harbor or even something other(or if not free - then at 10 pops where opponent has ability to build enforcers if he want). also a nerf to that building that gives 50 crime(to 25 too, so all buildings will give the same amount). cuz it's almost no brainer 1st pick if you want your office to stay long.
3)dedication to fighting crime is ok(if you really need it) but I've noticed that sometimes AI is overdoing it. even when there are no criminal syndicates in the game.
ps: maybe I misunderstood and doing something wrong. then I'll gladly hear the way to properly play criminal megachurch. but right now I see it only as a criminal empire with a benefits of great trade power at the start (I usually have more trade score then 2nd and 3rd place combined. on admiral). and I can see no way to build a temple. especially after the midgame, where everyone has social tech and harmony perk that gives more then enough ethic attraction to counter it.
