E's 2 cents:
Good and evil in civilization should be defined by those Actions a civilization pursues as well as its Policies. Relativity will always exist of course. Is slavery evil? yes it is, now in the 21st century. Was it evil in the 5th century BC when it meant the alternative to a genocidal conquest? Perhaps not. What about free unregulated trade between nations? Most folks when asked if free trade is a good thing today would say yes, of course! But when you explain to them that it would probably mean their job would then move to another country where labor and resources were cheaper they might change their tune. But when you then explain that by raising tariffs and regulating imports they would then be committing their nation to a slow spiral into isolationary economic/scientific death (as when Japan closed their borders during the industrial age(?)) they might change their mind yet again.
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a pre-emptive strike against the United States of America, slaying thousands of citizens in what was described as 'A day which shall live in infamy'. On August 6 and August 9, 1945, the United States exploded two atomic devices over population centers, eventually slaying hundreds of thousands of citizens. The dire nature of those firestorms was such that they have Never been repeated in 60 years. Both nations detailed valid reasons for their actions. The facts remain, however: the first was a brutal act of treachery. The second and third, horrific destruction of human life. Is it good to defend one's national interests by pre-emptively attacking a neighbor? Is it good to kill 200,000 people to prevent the loss of millions more through a pointless protracted invasion or loss of a potential democracy to totalitarian rule? Do ends ever justify the means? Do I ever get to the point of this post? ha!
What if we were to define the evil and good committed by a cultural group by their overall impact upon the human race instead? Because after all, isn't civilization really the sum total of human progress, not the individual growth of a racial, ethnic, geographic, or religious group? I dont want to start a whole debate about bioethics, euthanasia, etc, things I find abhorrent personally. Rather, what if 'Good' was a way to describe the overall improvement of the human condition? Longer, healthier lives for the individals in a society.. More freedom to govern one's self and to choose a religious faith.. Less fear of violence and tyranny and a feeling of security for one's family.. A rich cultural and artistic heritage.. Strong national pride and tradition.. Feeling that one is important as an individual and needed as a vital member of their community. Most of these things have already been tracked in the 'statistics' screens of the last few Civ games, the screen where you can see your population, land area, literacy, disease rate, family size, etc.
I've read earlier in this topic a reference to reputation being a key factor to diplomatic success. That's been evident in the last few Civ games as well, most countries want a trading partner they can trust. Reputation has very little if anything to do with evil/good I think. An old line about Mussolini used to go, "At least when he was in charge, the trains ran on time." But countries also want allies with common interests. Political structures, religions, economic policies, geography, environmental issues. None of those really pertain to good/evil either, do they? Let's be honest, we can disagree politically or have different views on global warming, but that doesnt mean I am evil and you are good, or vice versa. This all leads to my notion that there should be a disconnect between what is 'evil' and 'good' and what is diplomatically acceptable.
Okay, so what am I getting at, how could this be implemented? Well, for the first aspect.. that of the human condition and overall good or evil of a country... Perhaps a system of migration (which I've also seen mentioned on the forums here) and immigration where citizens of country A, seeing better living in country B would leave their home city, form a settler on their own (controlled by the AI) and begin to physically travel to a better life. Now country A might not be happy with that, after all, there goes their best and brightest! They could choose to capture/enslave the discontents, reeducate them back into their society, but the citizen(s) might remain forever 'drones' as in SMAC. permanently content or unhappy but Never a happy citizen again. They could alternately destroy the settler, creating an 'atrocity' point among other countries (also described in a later post). Or, they could just let the bastards go, hey love it or leave it! Country B is going to have a blessing and a curse when those settlers reach her shores. (assume settler creates it's own sea transport if necessary) The settler will head towards the nearest city in Country B with excess food and automatically joins the population. Country B has the same options A had, in reverse: Let the immigration happen, kill the illegal immigrant (atrocity point), or evict it from the land. (upon eviction, wanderer would look for next best civ). If the immigration is successful, for X turns immigrant will be a drain on the host city's resources and not an effective producer. Now here's the kicker..
New Great Wonder, Statue of Libery (ha, you saw this coming). Requirements: Democracy, at least 3 immigrants to your civilization from another civilization or civilizations. Effects: automatic instant assimilation of further immigrants. Culture + 3 per turn/ + 5 for each immigrant assimilated. *Increases immigration rate* Never expires.
New Great Wonder, Berlin Wall. Requirements: Fascism or Communism, at least 2 emigrants have left your country's borders. Effects: automatic prevention of the emigration process; citizens never leave your cities voluntarily. Culture - 1 per turn, turns one unhappy citizen in every city to content. Increase in worker productivity, and/or decrease in corruption under either fascism or communism but increases war weariness under democracy or republic. Expires with construction of SDI. (couldn't help myself)
Well, that's all for the good/evil idea. I'll cover reputation later.
-E
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
with silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-Emma Lazarus
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
-Ronald Reagan
