I'm playing my first game as the Ottomans and have received the Men of Science event several times. To summarize, our ministers want to offer gold to foreign scientists to entice them to move here so we don't fall behind in technology. You are presented with two options:
- Yes, bring them here: lose 25 Piety.
- No, we don't need them: gain 25 Piety.
It lists no other effects. Does accepting their help give you a boost to technology that isn't listed here? I see no reason to take a 25 point hit to Piety without a payoff. What is the point of this event?
Best Answer
Having negative piety gives you a bonus to technology rate and taxes, which is how you get the tech rate. There is no unmentioned bonus. Ideally you want to keep piety at one end of the spectrum or the other, both have advantages. Piety is not like Piety in crusader kings, where it is all good. Instead it represents the advantages of secularism (tech, church taxes) versus theocracy (morale and stability).
You can see your current modifiers by hovering over the Current Piety label or percentage slider on the Religion tab. Hover over the flag icons on either end of the slider to see the maximum available modifiers.