Epidemics?

[Optimizer]

Are there any ideas for inclusion of epidemics in Civ 4?

One starting idea:
Epidemics origin from Horses, Cattle, Pigs, Sheep, Ivory and Deer. When a city gets access to any of these resources the first time, the health in the city will be extremely low for a few turns. Large cities suffer more than small ones.

[Tiberius]

I was also playing with the idea of epidemics, but in a different way.

My idea would be that in cities where diseases are not removed after a couple of turns (unhealthy city), there should be a probability to have epidemics (cholera, plague, whatever).
This would be handled as a random event, the probability being influenced by the following factors:
- number of sick people ("green faces")
- number of turns the city is unhealthy
- surrounding terrain and resources (jungle or the resources mentioned by Optimizer would increase the risk)
- technology - medicine would reduce the risk of epidemics

The effects of epidemics:
- the population of the city itself would be reduced dramatically (50% ?)
- the population of the surrounding cities would become very sick (something like +2 or +3 unhealthy people) for several turns (5 or 10 ?), and the risk for a local epidemic would be increased with 25-50 %. I am not sure how the religion spreading mechanism works, but it should be applicable for diseases as well, or not?
- the population of every connected city or trade partner would get a health penalty for a number of turns
- affected cities should get some unhappy faces as well: "we fear the global pandemic, we demand a hospital!"
- certain technologies (biology, medicine) and city improvements (like hospitals, red cross) should reduce drastically the effects of a pandemic; reducing the number of sick people and also the number of turns it lasts

Hmm, that would be it for now.

[Optimizer]

I want as little randomness as possible.

[Tufturk]

I wouldn't mind some randomness with regard to the spreading of epidemics, one shouldn't be able to predict one, IMHO.

Two ideas for a "disease mod", though I don't know how practical they are:

* A chance of vermin turning up as a "resource" on city squares where the city is approaching unhealthiness. Vermin gives -2 health and could tip the scales, sending the city into an unhealthy state. Of course, it should be possible for the vermin to disappear again.

* New specialist: Doctor. Giving +1 Health (more with certain techs and/or buildings) and +1 Research.

* A chance of cottages, hamlets, villages and towns of turning into slums in unhealthy cities. Slums contribute +1 commerce and -1 health and must be removed by workers to disappear.