Religious & Cultural diversity bonus

[GrounchoVilla]

In EU4 the benefits of religious unity are well represented, but the benefits of religious diversity aren't. The exchange of ideas was a significant force in cultural development in the West, and in other parts of the world. In places like India, religious diversity led to a significant synthesis of artistic and architectural styles. Those styles went on to inform Western notions (for instance, in garden design). Adopting the agricultural practices of other cultures led to new foods, more efficient production and so on.

My idea for it would be as follows: cultural diversity gives a scaling reduction for tech costs, while religious diversity gives a scaling reduction for idea costs. It wouldn't need to be a huge reduction (maybe max 5%/10% respectively), but would be attractive to anyone trying to stack up a lot of bonuses.

It would mean having a big humanist Empire would have more benefits. That's not to say it should be the only option. Clearly, the benefits of having a single culture and religion should be represented through lower unrest. I think it's good to give players the option between different styles of play though, and these choices should be based on trade-offs. The trade-offs represent the kinds of options faced by historical regimes - whether to move towards the stability of religious and cultural unity, or move towards the economic and intellectual dynamism of cosmopolitan societies.

 

[saegoto]

haven't many multicultures/multireligious empires caused a lot of problemes? Habsburgs for example with Austrian, Castilian, Aragonese, Catalon, Dutch cultures.

 

[GrounchoVilla]

haven't many multicultures/multireligious empires caused a lot of problemes? Habsburgs for example with Austrian, Castilian, Aragonese, Catalon, Dutch cultures.

Yes, and they do in the game through things like rebellions, unrest and religious unity. That's why it's a trade-off.

There were also multicultural empires which did quite well, for instance the Muslim Mughals under Akbar. It was only later when his successors endorsed a less tolerant approach to their Islamic religion that their Hindu vassals decided that they had had enough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurangzeb

 

[grommile]

Notably, humanist ideas (which embrace religious diversity) do give you a discount to idea costs.

 

[GrounchoVilla]

Notably, humanist ideas (which embrace religious diversity) do give you a discount to idea costs.

True, but that is independent of any *actual* diversity. It would instead provide a synergy with humanist ideas, much as religious ideas go well with increasing religious unity and reducing unrest.