5. Random Events
5.1 General Concept
- In "Thrive & Prosperity" random events will be local (effecting one civilization only) or global (effecting all nations simultaneously).
- There will be common, uncommon and rare random events.
- Many random events will be era-specific. If those events are global, the average era of all civilizations will be computed.
- The events themselves are purely random and are NOT triggered by any of the player's decisions (SoPos, buildings, city placement,...).
- The random event's outcome, on the other hand, is HIGHLY depended on those decisions made:
5.2 UI representation
Picture: Hastings and York will starve for three turns.
- The event's title and an unique pictogram (CiV-style)
- event description (negative/positive effect)
- Depending on random event: building that cancels negative effect/is necessary for positive effect
- Depending on random event: complete list of possible countermeasures (due to buildings or SoPos); all possible countermeasures are listed. If the appropriate SoPo isn't chosen, the option is grayed out! (The player has to know what he might have done/may do in the future to avoid the negative effect or even change it into a benefit.
- list of affected cities or the reward (if all cities are protected).
5.3 EXAMPELS of random events
Event: High-water (local, not era-specific)
- Targets: cities alongside rivers
- Negative effect: -50%
for 3 turns
- Protection: city wall
- Reward: None
Event: Drought (local or global, not era-specific)
- Targets: all cities
- Negative effect: -100% growth for 3 turns
- Protection: granary
- Reward: "We love the king"-celebration in the capital.
Event: Plague (global, Medieval Era and Renaissance)
- Targets: all cities that reached their health limit
- Negative effect: -2
- Protection: aqueduct
- Reward: +10%
for 3 turns
Event: Crimson Comet (global, ancient to Medieval Era)
- Targets: all civilizations
- Negative effect: negative diplomatic modifier "bad astrological signs!"; DoW possible due to negative modifier
- Option: If "Warrior code" is adopted: +25% fighting bonus for 7 turns
Event: Crimson Comet (global, Renaissance to Modern Era)
- Targets: all civilizations
- Positive effect: +50%
for 3 turns in affected cities
- Relevant building: observatory
- Option: If "Rationalism" is completed: Great Scientist is born near the capital
Event: Slave Uprise (local, Ancient and Classic Era)
- Targets: cities with more than one plantation
- Negative effect: one or two random plantation(s) destroyed
- Protection: barracks
- Reward: +2 in all affected cities for 3 turns
- Option I: If "Honor" is adopted: no plantations are destroyed, but -10% in all cities for 2 turns
- Option II: If "Liberty" is adopted: plantations are destroyed, but +1 in all affected cities
Event: International Culture Festival (global, Industrial to Future Era)
- Targets: all Civilizations
- Positive effect: a 3 turn
- Test: Highest rate of
per turn at this very moment
And so on and so forth. This is just a very small list of examples to demonstrate the general idea.
Feel free to contribute to the list!
Picture: England's cities are well protected! Nevertheless, there is a second valid option.
5.4 Remarks
In Civilization 4, random events appeared to be more or less an afterthought. The graphical representation was sparse and I never had the impression that the events were an integral part of the game.
I know that some events were only triggered, if the player had activated a special civic (e.g. a slave uprise only could happen if the player ran slavery) or special buildings were present in a city (e.g. a great engineer only appeared when a forge (or whatever) was built in a city). Despite this knowledge oft the underlaying game mechanic, I never had the impression that what happend to me actually had something to do with my previous decisions. I just felt like a passive victim of the random generator without the option to change my fate - in most parts, the only way to deal with negative random events was to have enough money on my bank to undo the results.
This concept tries to change this. It will simulate the "Test of Time", throwing random challenges and opportunities against the player. Depending on how well prepared the player is to deal with those challenges, he will be able to chose between multiple options and even turn a potential catastrophe into a benefit!
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5.1 General Concept
- In "Thrive & Prosperity" random events will be local (effecting one civilization only) or global (effecting all nations simultaneously).
- There will be common, uncommon and rare random events.
- Many random events will be era-specific. If those events are global, the average era of all civilizations will be computed.
- The events themselves are purely random and are NOT triggered by any of the player's decisions (SoPos, buildings, city placement,...).
- The random event's outcome, on the other hand, is HIGHLY depended on those decisions made:
- City placement will affect, if a city is swayed by the random event at all. (EXAMPLE: Only cities placed along a river will be threatened by high-water.)
- Buildings in a city may cancel the random event's effect in this city. (EXAMPLE: A bad harvest will not affect cities with a granary.)
- If the random event's negative effect is avoided altogether (by having all relevant cities protected by the appropriate building), a reward is granted. (EXAMPLE: If all cities are protected by a granary during a bad harvest, there will be a "We love the king"-celebration in the capital.
- SoPos adopted (and/or SoPo-trees finished) and national wonders built may grant additional choices to handle a random event and may very well turn an destructive outcome into something helpful.
- Some random events will reward particular strategic decisions made: A positive effect will occur, if the player's science/faith/food/hammer per turn output exceeds a certain threshold. Global effects of this kind will reward the civilization with the highest output.
5.2 UI representation
Picture: Hastings and York will starve for three turns.
- The event's title and an unique pictogram (CiV-style)
- event description (negative/positive effect)
- Depending on random event: building that cancels negative effect/is necessary for positive effect
- Depending on random event: complete list of possible countermeasures (due to buildings or SoPos); all possible countermeasures are listed. If the appropriate SoPo isn't chosen, the option is grayed out! (The player has to know what he might have done/may do in the future to avoid the negative effect or even change it into a benefit.
- list of affected cities or the reward (if all cities are protected).
5.3 EXAMPELS of random events
Event: High-water (local, not era-specific)
- Targets: cities alongside rivers
- Negative effect: -50%
for 3 turns- Protection: city wall
- Reward: None
Event: Drought (local or global, not era-specific)
- Targets: all cities
- Negative effect: -100% growth for 3 turns
- Protection: granary
- Reward: "We love the king"-celebration in the capital.
Event: Plague (global, Medieval Era and Renaissance)
- Targets: all cities that reached their health limit
- Negative effect: -2
- Protection: aqueduct
- Reward: +10%
for 3 turnsEvent: Crimson Comet (global, ancient to Medieval Era)
- Targets: all civilizations
- Negative effect: negative diplomatic modifier "bad astrological signs!"; DoW possible due to negative modifier
- Option: If "Warrior code" is adopted: +25% fighting bonus for 7 turns
Event: Crimson Comet (global, Renaissance to Modern Era)
- Targets: all civilizations
- Positive effect: +50%
for 3 turns in affected cities- Relevant building: observatory
- Option: If "Rationalism" is completed: Great Scientist is born near the capital
Event: Slave Uprise (local, Ancient and Classic Era)
- Targets: cities with more than one plantation
- Negative effect: one or two random plantation(s) destroyed
- Protection: barracks
- Reward: +2
in all affected cities for 3 turns- Option I: If "Honor" is adopted: no plantations are destroyed, but -10%
in all cities for 2 turns- Option II: If "Liberty" is adopted: plantations are destroyed, but +1
in all affected cities Event: International Culture Festival (global, Industrial to Future Era)
- Targets: all Civilizations
- Positive effect: a 3 turn
- Test: Highest rate of
per turn at this very momentAnd so on and so forth. This is just a very small list of examples to demonstrate the general idea.
Feel free to contribute to the list!
Picture: England's cities are well protected! Nevertheless, there is a second valid option.
5.4 Remarks
In Civilization 4, random events appeared to be more or less an afterthought. The graphical representation was sparse and I never had the impression that the events were an integral part of the game.
I know that some events were only triggered, if the player had activated a special civic (e.g. a slave uprise only could happen if the player ran slavery) or special buildings were present in a city (e.g. a great engineer only appeared when a forge (or whatever) was built in a city). Despite this knowledge oft the underlaying game mechanic, I never had the impression that what happend to me actually had something to do with my previous decisions. I just felt like a passive victim of the random generator without the option to change my fate - in most parts, the only way to deal with negative random events was to have enough money on my bank to undo the results.
This concept tries to change this. It will simulate the "Test of Time", throwing random challenges and opportunities against the player. Depending on how well prepared the player is to deal with those challenges, he will be able to chose between multiple options and even turn a potential catastrophe into a benefit!
BACK to main page
for nearby range units
(Guess what: I am a strict 1upt-asserter 
. But this discussion doesn't belong here.)
