I could imagine a system that includes ministries as a form of macromanagement, not instead of Social Engineering but replacing certain aspects of micromanagement.
Ministries could be: Infrastructure
Foreign Affairs (Diplomacy)
Military
Inner Affairs
Science/ Research
Economics and Trade
Ecology (later in the game)
Social Affairs
Religion
Propaganda
( Silly Walks)
First you’d have to set up a general budget. The budget doesn’t necessarily mean “money”, you could also set a certain percentage of total-production to be used for public purposes. Then you distribute your budget on the ministries. The Infrastructure-Ministry needs production but no money, the Foreign Affairs the other way around, some need both. After distributing the resources, you can specify how they shall be used in the ministries.
Certain settings in Social Engineering would be bound to give a certain percentage of the budget to special ministries. Communists e.g. would have to spend at least let’s say 35% of the total-budget on the Social Ministry. A low setting in “Military”=not more than x percent may flow to the Military budget.
To illustrate what I have in mind some examples:
Infrastructure: With a higher budget, the AI would set more “Public Works” around your cities, like roads, mines etc.
You can specify the AI to focus more on “Transport” (roads), Production or Agriculture or concentrate in a certain area.
Foreign Affairs: This would replace units like spies and diplomats. It’s even weird that modern units need years to cross a continent, but the fact that diplomats/spies even after the invention of advanced flight still need years to get to a certain city is simply pathetic.
You may set priorities: Scouting (City Information)
Industrial Espionage (to steal plans=Techs and Maps)
Sabotage (sabotage like in Civ2 + sabotage of research
facilities=enemy invents slower)
a checkbox for: “Allow Atrocities” like poisoning a well
I never liked the “bribe city”-thing. It’s too simple to buy off a city. I’d include it somehow to the “Propaganda” Ministry.
Maybe you could even order your spies more specifically like “Set Action x in city y”.
Military: This is a good example for the difference between Social Engineering and Ministries I have in mind.
In Social Engineering a high degree on Military could mean the “Police Function” your Military has in you civ (like in many Latin American where the police is even part of the military) to lower Unhappiness and reduce crime. It could also mean how many units you can have at a certain population (using the “National Recruitment Pool” system).
The Ministry provides the upkeep for units (I’d suggest resources AND money to upkeep units, especially modern units) and the funds for drilling units
The Ministry system could also be used to change the Research-Paradigm of Civ, the “Listen everybody: Tomorrow we will invent the wheel”-paradigm how I like to call it.
In my version a high Military budget would then, if you already met the prerequisites, increase the chance of a military advance to be the next breakthrough.
In a more radical consequence, the Ministries could also serve to automatically build city improvements, although this would eliminate maybe even too much of micromanagement.
I won’t write more now (it’s long enough) and wait for your reactions. If it’s “boo” or “what’s your point anyway?” or “Too complicated” I safe time, if it’s “go on” I’ll do that soon.
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The only good thing about Haider is, that we Americans don't confuse Austria with Australia anymore.
Ministries could be: Infrastructure
Foreign Affairs (Diplomacy)
Military
Inner Affairs
Science/ Research
Economics and Trade
Ecology (later in the game)
Social Affairs
Religion
Propaganda
( Silly Walks)
First you’d have to set up a general budget. The budget doesn’t necessarily mean “money”, you could also set a certain percentage of total-production to be used for public purposes. Then you distribute your budget on the ministries. The Infrastructure-Ministry needs production but no money, the Foreign Affairs the other way around, some need both. After distributing the resources, you can specify how they shall be used in the ministries.
Certain settings in Social Engineering would be bound to give a certain percentage of the budget to special ministries. Communists e.g. would have to spend at least let’s say 35% of the total-budget on the Social Ministry. A low setting in “Military”=not more than x percent may flow to the Military budget.
To illustrate what I have in mind some examples:
Infrastructure: With a higher budget, the AI would set more “Public Works” around your cities, like roads, mines etc.
You can specify the AI to focus more on “Transport” (roads), Production or Agriculture or concentrate in a certain area.
Foreign Affairs: This would replace units like spies and diplomats. It’s even weird that modern units need years to cross a continent, but the fact that diplomats/spies even after the invention of advanced flight still need years to get to a certain city is simply pathetic.
You may set priorities: Scouting (City Information)
Industrial Espionage (to steal plans=Techs and Maps)
Sabotage (sabotage like in Civ2 + sabotage of research
facilities=enemy invents slower)
a checkbox for: “Allow Atrocities” like poisoning a well
I never liked the “bribe city”-thing. It’s too simple to buy off a city. I’d include it somehow to the “Propaganda” Ministry.
Maybe you could even order your spies more specifically like “Set Action x in city y”.
Military: This is a good example for the difference between Social Engineering and Ministries I have in mind.
In Social Engineering a high degree on Military could mean the “Police Function” your Military has in you civ (like in many Latin American where the police is even part of the military) to lower Unhappiness and reduce crime. It could also mean how many units you can have at a certain population (using the “National Recruitment Pool” system).
The Ministry provides the upkeep for units (I’d suggest resources AND money to upkeep units, especially modern units) and the funds for drilling units
The Ministry system could also be used to change the Research-Paradigm of Civ, the “Listen everybody: Tomorrow we will invent the wheel”-paradigm how I like to call it.
In my version a high Military budget would then, if you already met the prerequisites, increase the chance of a military advance to be the next breakthrough.
In a more radical consequence, the Ministries could also serve to automatically build city improvements, although this would eliminate maybe even too much of micromanagement.
I won’t write more now (it’s long enough) and wait for your reactions. If it’s “boo” or “what’s your point anyway?” or “Too complicated” I safe time, if it’s “go on” I’ll do that soon.
------------------
The only good thing about Haider is, that we Americans don't confuse Austria with Australia anymore.
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