Expansion Pack idea: Pandemics.

[Sleestax]

We all know about the "Black Death". It would be interesting if they included such city depopulating pandemics into the game. Instead of the Civ III Jungle method (which sucked). Have a some sort of probability that health of a city can cause illness. Then, if that city is connected with trade routes and open borders, have the opportunity for the pandemic to spread along the trade routes and open borders.

This could bring an interesting new twist into the game around population and also around diplomacy. Having the AI's cut trade routes and close borders if a pandemic breaks out in your civ (to protect theirs).

Anyway, just a thought I had as I listened to yet another story about bird flu.

[Hobelhouse]

Sounds like a good idea... maybe even a 'start pandemic' spy mission.

[fypo13]

-- "anthrax" spread spy mission...

[TheHateMale]

Did Civ1 have disasters? I have a vague memory of panicking every time it asked for disk three to be inserted. I could be confused with a different game though.

[TheArsenal]

This is something I really like in theory but would probably make me punch my monitor in practice.

[petermarkab]

Originally posted by TheHateMale
Did Civ1 have disasters?

I remember never building city walls where the city was next to a mountain. It was a mantra! (could never figure out why those mountains caused earthquakes)

[Shogun Gunner]

you had to have a temple in your city to avoid earthquakes in your city

can you just imagine if such a thing was implemented like that in cIV? People would flip out...yet civ1 was a groundbreaking, fun game -- of course, for its time.

[John-SJ]

Imagine every few hours, or every couple of games, I come by, take your seat at the computer, go into debug mode (I have no idea if these features actually exist), sell off a few improvemtns in each city, reduce the combined population of your top 5 cities from 75 to 20, and and wreak other major and minor havoc as I see fit. Then I leave debug mode, give you your seat back, and leave with the wish, "Have fun!".

Some may consider this a fun idea, I however, do not.

Things like pandemics make a game into more of a simulation, which Civ is not.

IMO, leave the pandemics out, please.

[petermarkab]

yeah that would be pretty soul destroying, but pandemics where there was fore-warning. Ie the player had plenty of opportunity to prevent or minimise the effects.

But is that a pandemic?

[John-SJ]

Is that a pandemic?

In modern times at least, it may be. Look at current events regarding bird flu. That's pretty much what we are doing now, I think.

But we have had that ability for only a few years, relatively.

But from a gameplay perspective it could have some value, the player could look at the coming pandemic similarly to the way he now views the worsening diplomatic relations with Genghis Khan, he knows eventually he will have to fight, better prepare for it now.

Yes, that could work.

[Son of David]

*cough*

This was actually included in Call to Power II. If a disease broke out in one of your cities it had a chance to spread to cities connected to that city via trade routes.

CTP2 also had religious missionaries. You would move them to a city and you can set up an Evangelical base there and earn gold. CTP2 had lots of 'unconventional warfare' units that made things a bit more interesting, for example lawyers who could delay city production by bommbarding an enemy city with law suits.

Oh and CTP2 also had rebellious cities breaking away to form their own civilizations.


So yes - Firaxis should revisit CTP2 and take away a few more good ideas for the expansion: pandemics, civil wars, and more unconventional warfare units.

[Bill3000]

Technically, isn't the televangalist already in through the combination of a Missionary and a Shrine?

[Son of David]

Originally posted by Bill3000
Technically, isn't the televangalist already in through the combination of a Missionary and a Shrine?

Definitely - I'm delighted Firaxis showed an open mind (I think they will secretly admit they took an idea or two from CTP) - I just think they should adopt a few more things from CTP, and refine them and make them excellent additions in the expansion. (All CTP lacked to make these features really good was a competitive AI!)

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by John-SJ
Imagine every few hours, or every couple of games, I come by, take your seat at the computer, go into debug mode (I have no idea if these features actually exist), sell off a few improvemtns in each city, reduce the combined population of your top 5 cities from 75 to 20, and and wreak other major and minor havoc as I see fit. Then I leave debug mode, give you your seat back, and leave with the wish, "Have fun!".

Some may consider this a fun idea, I however, do not.

Things like pandemics make a game into more of a simulation, which Civ is not.

IMO, leave the pandemics out, please.

Spot on!

I wanted to say the same thing when I read the OP but was so wound-up at the very thought of it that I could think of no way to express it politely or eloquently. You just did both, so thanks!

And there was Soren patiently explaining how they wanted to take the 'unfun' elements out of the game.

[Provost Harrison]

And please, no bloody lawyers suing cities I'm sure if a lawyer walked into 16th century Tenochtitlan threatening lawsuits, his heart would end up on a steaming pile of them so quick...