Addictive resources

[jvttlus]

I don't know if this has been brought up, but as a student of history it seems as through a few resources have dominated relations in western history for the last several hundred years, and are conspicuously absent from civ: tobacco, coffee, tea, and opium.

It would be interesting to have these in Civ V, with 'withdrawal' penalties if you are unable to provide them. And you could also have civics or religions which prohibit their use. I think alcohol should also be present in a more important way in the game.

What do you think?

 

[Hail]

it strange indeed, that coffee and tea are absent from civ4 resource set

as to tobacco, opium, alcohol [and coca leaves]: they are absent because firaxis wants civ to have a E ESRB rating. however adding them would introduce the concepts you described and can very well become interesting gameplay-wise.

 

[Camikaze]

Yeah, what Hail said. And there can only be a finite number of resources within the game...so tobacco, opium, etc. probably aren't high priorities (although a good case could be made for them). Although I would think that some withdrawal penalty should result from the withdrawal of any resource, given that people would realistically be upset if their access to a resource was suddenly cut.

 

[rysmiel]

it strange indeed, that coffee and tea are absent from civ4 resource set

as to tobacco, opium, alcohol [and coca leaves]: they are absent because firaxis wants civ to have a E ESRB rating. however adding them would introduce the concepts you described and can very well become interesting gameplay-wise.

Tobacco's a resource in Civ 3; I don't recall any suggestion of there being a problem with that.

 

[Panzeh]

I don't think it's the addictiveness per se that's the problem, but it seems like a rule just to be bloat there, that the effect of the addictiveness of these items was just not that significant in a grand historical context.

 

[CivMyWay]

What if certain luxuries also have a health negative --- and you can legalise it (gaining the happy faces, but incurring some unhealthiness) or make it illegal (less effect). The happiness would obviously have to be stronger than unhealthiness (assuming you have a reasonable health care infrastructure).

 

[Gamemaster77]

Tobacco was in civ3 so they obviously didn't care AT SOME POINT

 

[Camikaze]

What if certain luxuries also have a health negative --- and you can legalise it (gaining the happy faces, but incurring some unhealthiness) or make it illegal (less effect). The happiness would obviously have to be stronger than unhealthiness (assuming you have a reasonable health care infrastructure).

This is a good idea, although perhaps it is giving too much importance to some types of resource (i.e. the addictive, or unhealthy ones), by introducing a new game mechanism to deal with them. But I wouldn't be opposed to such a thing. It could add some fun and more interest to the resource system.

 

[Gamemaster77]

Yes would if it had a more negative effect until you built a certain improvement then happiness would outweigh that fact.

 

[Theryman]

Tobacco's a resource in Civ 3; I don't recall any suggestion of there being a problem with that.

I thought of that, too, but it did not give you any happiness or let you build anything- just an extra food and two gold on that tile (I think).

 

[CivMyWay]

This is a good idea, although perhaps it is giving too much importance to some types of resource (i.e. the addictive, or unhealthy ones), by introducing a new game mechanism to deal with them. But I wouldn't be opposed to such a thing. It could add some fun and more interest to the resource system.

Perhaps you could also "smuggle" in these goods to foreign countries in order to undermine the government? Though the effect would probably have to be so small, that its not worth coding ...

 

[NZL]

don't forget cacao

 

[Camikaze]

Perhaps you could also "smuggle" in these goods to foreign countries in order to undermine the government? Though the effect would probably have to be so small, that its not worth coding ...

Yeah, novel idea, but not important enough to warrant inclusion. I mean, of all the destabilising factors in history, I'm sure they add in some things more important than addictive resources to undermine governments.