[Drake]

Whether or not religious is a good pick depends on the other special tech areas you might take. Religious overlaps in a number of areas.

While the nature shrine is a cheap way to get a nice early boost, since planetary engineering facilities stack, you can compensate by building more per planet.

I used religious tech for the TG contest, but think that ended up being a mistake. I'll have to try some games against other players and reevaluate it then.

-Drake