Some questions about gameplay systems/features

[Snite]

Bumped for answers about culture. Why does it seem that absolutely nothing impacts culture?

[bisthebis]

About culture : (Cf EBD)
-Hellenistic kingdoms (not KH, but Epeiros, Macedonia, Selucids, Pergamon, Ptolemaoi, Baktria and I think Bosphore. Ponyos can build them but with some limitations and is not of greek cullture) can build hellenistic colonies provided they have a metropolis (At the start, there's 4 metropoleis : Athenai, Corinthos, Alexandira and Pergamon : Far from bactria !)
These colonies increse greek culture by 1% every 2 turns (The bonus is only shown in building description one turn but not next etc)
First level colony caps greek culture at 30%n 2nd level at 50%, 3rd at 70%.
-Many factions can build eastern colony that work the same way but increase Eastern imperial culture instead. For Baktria, it allow to get native administration, a government that allows more civic buiildings than allied governments but less than hellenic administration. These colonies don't need to have colonists.
-IIRC, Bosphoran governments increase greek culture too (1% for 2 turns)

[WinsingtonIII]

Thank you, Shadowwalker, for posting this thread. I too have been fairly confused by how the new government and culture systems.

If I am understanding correctly from the posts here, if you are a Hellenistic faction, you will never be able to increase your culture unless you start with a Metropolis, or conquer one. Is that really true?

For non-Hellenistic factions, how does the culture mechanic work? Do you build certain buildings? Is it tied to the government you build?

Sorry for all of the questions, I am still quite confused about how these features work.

As for converting camps into cities, I think it's simply that some factions can convert camps into cities (the option was there for me as Massylia), but others cannot convert them. Which makes sense to me.

[Thoras]

If I am understanding correctly from the posts here, if you are a Hellenistic faction, you will never be able to increase your culture unless you start with a Metropolis, or conquer one. Is that really true?

Nope Bosporos main governments increase hellenistic culture.

[Antigonos Karchedonios]

If I am understanding correctly from the posts here, if you are a Hellenistic faction, you will never be able to increase your culture unless you start with a Metropolis, or conquer one. Is that really true?

No, it's just easier because a metropolis (level 3 building of "polis-building" (not the city with 24k inhabitants) generates a colonist every 16 turns which can be used to build colonies . BUT minor polis and polis (level 1 and 2 building) can be upgraded when hellenisitc culture is high enough. There is also a conversion rate (rather slow) by just owning the province (slowly increasing the owners culture), neighbouring provinces have an effect and i'm not sure if governors have one too.

For non-Hellenistic factions, how does the culture mechanic work? Do you build certain buildings? Is it tied to the government you build?

I've not had great experience here yet, but I think most factions have certain buildings that have a conversion bonus. i think for example for the celts it's the highest level of their farms (?).
Romanii and Karthadasht get colonist generated by a sript every 16(?) turns which enable them to build their own colonies and spreading their culture (not sure here as i haven't played either of them yet).