Reformed vs protestant 1.8

[Swami]

Normally I would always go for reformed when I was a colonial / trading empire. However in my last game forming the Nethlands from Utrecht attempt 3 I noticed that reformd doesn't give a trade bonus anymore... So I'm thinking that Protestant is better now, because the reformed ideas are pretty useless now that the trade bonus is gone. Maybe I'm missing something, but going reformed seems to be even worse then staying Catholic atm?

I'm quiting this game anyway, because I didn't notice that I was giving Flanders to France as a vassal, while I was trying to vassalize them for myself and I'm really not in a position or willing to attack France. But for the next game, attempt 4, I would like to know what would be a wise choice.

So what's your opinion? Tolerance of heretics seems useless to me, because I do have a few years while converting my home country, after that I plan on having only the state religion as the religion through the entire country. Also I'm not expanding into Europe anyway and in the colonies converting is relatively easy and most will go to colonial nations anyway so it's their problem to convert it. Maybe when expanding further into Asia it would help, but does it efect heathens as well, because otherwise that won't even help there.

I also never take the religious idea group btw and most people say that that's the best, so perhaps I'm just missing something in the big picture when it comes to religions? XD

 

[Selvas]

There is special fervour mechanic for reformed faith. You can choose between trade/military/stability bonuses. Imo it is in most cases better than protestant.

 

[Camtheman]

Uh, always reformed.

Reformed gives trade bonuses, I dont know what you're talking about, trade gives +10% global trade power and +10% trade steering I think.

Not to mention War gives +15% morale to navies and land, claim defender of the faith and that's as good as Elan!

 

[Dorevai]

Reformed is godmode. Unless you can control the papacy like 70% of the time as a catholic, go reformed. Protestant isn't even a thing. It's been nerfed by omission.

Of course very few AI nations actually become reformed, so its strength helps protect them. As the player, Reformed is very hard to argue against.

 

[Selvas]

Regarding religious ideas. Opener -deus vult is very good cb if you expand outside of your relgion. Additionally tolerance of true faith reduces revoltrisk in your provinces, and religious allow you to stack that real high. It is situational, but I prefer humanist bonuses.

 

[Swami]

Fervour mechanic? Never heard of that, so let's quickly fire up my game to look what's that..

Anyway in my game France became Reformed and by reading this that would make an even bigger problem of the BBB? xD

And can somebody explain me what's so good about tolerance for heretics and the religious idea group? Because I'm searching a bit on google and everybody thinks it's great while I think it's useless, so I'm sure I'm missing something (again )

edit: @Selvas: Thanks, so actually for somebody with no desire to expand outside the low lands religious idea groups aren't that good? Because colonies take your faith and you allready have the colonial CB in most cases. Also after converting the provinces you own, there wouldn't be much problems anyways, only if you keep expanding in europe it seems that religion revolts are a real problem.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Reformed is only better with dlc for fervor. Without that it's much less attractive.

 

[Selvas]

Tolerance of heretics reduces revoltrisk in heretic religion provinces and also helps keep your religious unity at 100%.

 

[Selvas]

Reformed is only better with dlc for fervor. Without that it's much less attractive.

Forgot dlc is needed for that.

 

[Dorevai]

If you don't want to/can't convert the provinces, tolerance is a smart move. France has trouble with the reformation once they unlock their last national idea, as the nation's tolerance affects reformation targets, but that same tolerance softens the blow, and they get the edict de nantes to manage even better. During the reformation the affected provinces get -8% conversion chance for like 20 years after being affected, so tolerance is a wise move if your provinces are flipping.

Historically France actually did actually separate slightly from Rome at the state level in addition to having a very religiously divided population, from peasants to nobles. They called it Gallicanism, and it isn't represented in the game.

Forgot dlc is needed for that.

Oh, yea, lame. Fervor makes reformed top notch.

 

[Selvas]

In case of Netherlands, expanding only in new world /Asia I would ignore religious and humanist. Exploration and expansion would be much better. + Quantity for +1 colonist policy and larger armies and navies.

 

[slv]

I still like protestant a lot.

In 1.8 Money is non-issue late game morale is not as important a discipline. And mind that Protestant still saves you a lot of points because of idea discount.

Converting to Protestant is faster and smoother (no troubles converting religious zeal provinces/centers of reformations)

 

[AurochsAway]

Fervour mechanic? Never heard of that, so let's quickly fire up my game to look what's that..

Anyway in my game France became Reformed and by reading this that would make an even bigger problem of the BBB? xD

And can somebody explain me what's so good about tolerance for heretics and the religious idea group? Because I'm searching a bit on google and everybody thinks it's great while I think it's useless, so I'm sure I'm missing something (again )

edit: @Selvas: Thanks, so actually for somebody with no desire to expand outside the low lands religious idea groups aren't that good? Because colonies take your faith and you allready have the colonial CB in most cases. Also after converting the provinces you own, there wouldn't be much problems anyways, only if you keep expanding in europe it seems that religion revolts are a real problem.

Tolerance for heretics means less unrest in heretic provinces, basically. It's less useful if you convert everything you conquer very quickly, but even then it makes unrest easier to handle during the meantime. Useless if you stick to the lowlands and New World though.

 

[Santoes]

Reformed is good but I don't think protestant is bad at all. I'm not sure if everyone has drawn the same conclusion as I have that +%tax is also a force limit buff. More importantly it actually pays for the upkeep of the troops rather then just getting an idea that adds forcelimit, %more available mercs, or mid/late game buildings that add force limit. The bonus is always there, you don't have to worry about religious unity, prestige, stability. Not to mention your ideas are cheaper, giving you no reason to not be ahead in that department.

The most important aspect of Protestant is that they will have a better pick of allies, and a chance of becoming emperor.

 

[Dorevai]

I'm pretty sure if you unlock the peace of westphalia even a coptic could become emperor.