Anti-Corruption Unit

[Pep]

One of the biggest problems of this game is the killing
corruption. It's very hard when you found a town in
an isle far away from your capital and you are stopped
with 1 shield production. Unless, of course, you decide
to buy a Courthouse...

Another approach to this problem may be the use of a
"Viceroy" unit, for example. It should cost the same
as a Courthouse (in number of shields) and have the
property of convert in a Courthouse in a town which
doesn`t have it. Thus, you can colonize an island with
a caravel filled with a settler, "Viceroy" and a
military unit.

What do you think?

[zulu9812]

Good idea. Not currently doable though. I take it the viceroy is used up in converting this courthouse, so it can move from town to town?

[Pep]

Originally posted by zulu9812
Good idea. Not currently doable though. I take it the viceroy is used up in converting this courthouse, so it can move from town to town?

Yes. The idea is to use a productive city to make this kind of unit and then send it to far (and corrupt) towns. This unit should be like a leader, with no attack or defense values. But with the ability to convert itself into a Courthouse instead of into an Army.

[BillChin]

In my opinion, this sounds too powerful unless the unit costs 200 shields (vs. 80 for a regular courthouse). A player could move the Viceroy from city to city until each city gets their own courthouse built. Think about similar units for other buildings, a mobile temple or library unit, or a mobile barracks. Move the mobile temple from city to city until the cultural border gets to two squares, and then move to the next city. Think how powerful a mobile barracks unit might be during a war.

Good idea, but probably unbalances the game. The AI is unlikely to take advantage of these kind of units.

The alternative is to play a style that generates a lot of gold and use a government that allows the purchase of buildings.

The best way to combat corruption is to limit the number of cities in your empire and aim for a peaceful victory.

[notyoueither]

It's a good idea. Should be expensive though.

[Pep]

Originally posted by BillChin
In my opinion, this sounds too powerful unless the unit costs 200 shields (vs. 80 for a regular courthouse). A player could move the Viceroy from city to city until each city gets their own courthouse built. Think about similar units for other buildings, a mobile temple or library unit, or a mobile barracks. Move the mobile temple from city to city until the cultural border gets to two squares, and then move to the next city. Think how powerful a mobile barracks unit might be during a war.

Good idea, but probably unbalances the game. The AI is unlikely to take advantage of these kind of units.

The alternative is to play a style that generates a lot of gold and use a government that allows the purchase of buildings.

The best way to combat corruption is to limit the number of cities in your empire and aim for a peaceful victory.

The problem is that I like to play as a warmonger rather than peacefully. And I think the fact that a city far from your empire can be productive gives the game more strategic depth. In real world places like Suez, Panama city, Gibraltar (sigh!), far away from their capital, have not died because corruption and have taken a important place in history. Imagine that this cities can not have city walls or barracks because the corruption issues! They will be defenseless...

But I recognize that perhaps the idea should be tweaked to get the AI to use it and not unbalance the game.

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by Pep
In real world places like Suez, Panama city, Gibraltar (sigh!), far away from their capital, have not died because corruption and have taken a important place in history.

That is exactly the point. Panama city does not have the production of Chicago. If you want an improvement, you'll just have to pay for it. So yes, you can have city walls in Gibraltar. Just spend some of the cash London has been collecting.

[Mannamagnus]

Great idea!

[Solver]

Very good idea, but I'm not sure if great, needs some testing. Specifically, I find that it might be a bit to cheap, with 80 shields. As you do conquest on some far away continent, have three good cities produce Viceroys for 5 turns, and you got 15 Viceroys soon thereafter .

Making them more expensive got to be the best solution.

I play with lowered corruption through the editor, solves the problems.

[Stuie]

I like this idea. I would suggest that the "Viceroy" unit not convert into a courthouse, but just reduce corruption while present in a city, thus helping get the city established. And yes, the cost to build one should be large - say as much as an army.

BUT... existing courthouses/police stations should have a small percentage chance (very, very small) of generating a Viceroy each turn.

Thus we have a non-military Great Leader. The same idea could be applied to culture, with Great Artists that can travel to cities and increase the culture generated in the city while they remain there. They could be built (at same cost as an Army) or generated by any culture generating building.

[wrylachlan]

Great idea.

What if it were possible to get rid of the one great leader at a time thing, and make great leader's reduce corruption.

[Capt Dizle]

Yes, I like the idea of multiple GLs. I would like a leader that acts as a minor version of the FP. I would like a leader that acts as an invisible assasin who can kill other great leaders, but who could be exposed through spying and killed. Add lots of versions.

Bugger the AI, we need improvements for multiplayer gameplay depth!

[BillChin]

I misunderstood. I thought the unit sticks around and goes from city to city as needed. If all a player wants is one courthouse in one city, that capability is in the game with disbanding units or hurrying production with gold. It is 320 shields in units to produced an 80 shield courthouse. With bombers, getting them there is not an issue. Pre-flight it is, but there is something to be said for that.

Basically, it boils down to a request for Civ II caravans to shift production from one city to another. It is there, but there is a loss of 75% of the shields when disbanding.

[Coracle]

The idea is fine, but you forget what will occur. . .

The REASON for all this massive corruption (which we can now edit to an extent with the slider and optimal cities) was a cheap quick fix by Soren for too rapid tech development due to poor programming planning.

You will likely have to Edit up costs for techs - unless you want to develop tanks in the 16th century or earlier!

[MiloMilo]

Coracle, your first and third paragraphs were actually fairly constructive comments that furthered this thread. Congratulations, I think that's the first time I've seen that from you. Shame you had to throw in that gratuitous insult in the second...