Do you want random events?

[EternalSpark]

I say yes, since I always activate the "reload allows you to change events" flag in my games, so if an Annoying Random Event happens, I can just reload so it doesn't happen.

[VetLegion]

I register my opinion against randomness.

[LordShiva]

Randomness

[Addled Platypus]

YES, optional of course

but what...

earthquakes, floods, disease

[nullspace]

Random events don't make for interesting choices. If an earthquake destroys some of your improvements, you rebuild them. If you get some free gold, you up your science rate for a few turns. Basically, you accept the consequences, and then keep doing what you were doing.

Now, if they were implemented so that there were ways to prevent the bad events or lessen their effect, and ways to take advantage of the good events, where the various options or strategies each have pros and cons, then random events wouldn't be so bad.

[Ari]

Some (though not all) of the SMAC random events were either rewards for having built a particular building, or would have been mitigated/negated had a building existed. In at least one case, the "energy surges," an event that was bad if you didn't have an energy bank (costing you money) became good (adding to your money). As such, these events weren't really random, but rather "random," since they were influenced by your playing style. These kinds of events, I think I'd be in favor of (granaries randomly adding to your population, or wall street making stock market crashes switch to rises). Indeed, if the events were frequent enough to happen in most games, they might change the value of certain buildings (maybe I'd actually want to built hospitals, say).

To be sure, when the *meteor* landed in the middle of my SMAC empire destroying multiple bases and multiple secret projects, I thought that was a little overdone

[Robert]

Originally posted by EternalSpark
I say yes, since I always activate the "reload allows you to change events" flag in my games, so if an Annoying Random Event happens, I can just reload so it doesn't happen.

This is the best reason anybody can give to not include random events.

[Zoid]

I like the randomness of earthquakes, flooding and such. I think this should be included in the expansion.

[Generaldoktor]

Stop whining, random events are the bomb

Why are we playing Civ? To match our wits against the leaders of the real world's greatest empires. Random events are what they have to deal with. Minor? New Orleans wasn't minor. Iran and India's plans for world domination are regularly interrupted by earthquakes. (And without the appearance of whiskey, the Irish would rule the world! ) But overreaching events (tsunami, etc) have their place too. You have them for the same reason you play on Monarch, or Deity. Another test of skill. I live in Florida; almost every year we run the gauntlet and test our mettle against killer hurricanes. It has made us better men (and women.)

They should be optional and truly random. Nothing gets my goat more in Civ4 or Civ3 than to watch a death stack of barbs walk right by a bunch of AI cities and/or vulnerable units to make for me and my poor people. If the AI is equally affected, you can get a break from them besides be held down You don't always have to get gold. How about bumper crops for a few years allowing you to run extra specialists? (Of course they'll all die off when the food rate goes back down, but hey, you got a break for awhile.) Maybe spices or bananas double for a few years, making a better export market. Of course there has to be famine and hurricane and I do miss the volcanoes, but only have them trash one city at time and of course enough will be left so you can rebuild. We already started this when they put in nukes and global warming.

Economic recession, where your gold drops extra for a few turns? That will calm Huyna down a bit. Come on, Georgie has to deal with this stuff every day! What's wrong with you?

[Nikolai]

I'd be in favour of random event in Civ. It worked fine in SMAC after all. But they need to be balanced and an option, as others already has pointed out.

[WolfEyes]

Originally posted by Ari
Some (though not all) of the SMAC random events were either rewards for having built a particular building, or would have been mitigated/negated had a building existed. In at least one case, the "energy surges," an event that was bad if you didn't have an energy bank (costing you money) became good (adding to your money). As such, these events weren't really random, but rather "random," since they were influenced by your playing style. These kinds of events, I think I'd be in favor of (granaries randomly adding to your population, or wall street making stock market crashes switch to rises). Indeed, if the events were frequent enough to happen in most games, they might change the value of certain buildings (maybe I'd actually want to built hospitals, say).

To be sure, when the *meteor* landed in the middle of my SMAC empire destroying multiple bases and multiple secret projects, I thought that was a little overdone

I've never had a meteor hit me in SMAC/X, didn't even know that could happen. The other random events in SMAC for the most part I don't mind, except for one. The energy market crash just plain pisses me off, if I could turn that one off, I'd leave the rest on.

[marvinkosh]

If there is one disaster that I would like to see expanded on (which is already in the game) it's climate change. That is a challenge for nations of today to master as we move into the 21st century. Will our Civs be struck by a new Ice Age, or swelter in a runaway greenhouse world? What can they do against such natural fury? Will the least adaptable Civ fail to survive the coming apocalypse?

[Axxaer]

Re: Stop whining, random events are the bomb

Originally posted by Generaldoktor
Why are we playing Civ? To match our wits against the leaders of the real world's greatest empires.

That's what we do already, IMO random events wouldn't change this.

Originally posted by Generaldoktor
Random events are what they have to deal with. Minor? New Orleans wasn't minor.

It was if you compare it to the size of the 'empire' it was from, and that was an extremely rare occurance AFAIK. (Also interesting that you refer to New Orleans instead of the Tsunami - both recent and one much worse than the other...)

Originally posted by Generaldoktor I live in Florida; almost every year we run the gauntlet and test our mettle against killer hurricanes. It has made us better men (and women.)

In the same way running away from engraged bulls makes you better men and women.

[GeoModder]

Randomrandomrandom! Oh, and did I mention Random?

[JackRudd]

The expansion pack for Tropico added in random events. In one game I got a tropical storm. In every subsequent game, I turned them off.