MrAnon
Chieftain
In reading through this, I'm finding it a marvelous idea! Good on you, RB! You do your namesake proud 
What occured to me, though, is a variation on this theme wherein the game creates a BP as a kind of hidden, AI-controlled free specialist. For example, (just brainstorming here...) for every 2 population points there is a 10% chance of a "criminal" being created. This generic BP would encompass everything from the mugger on the street to the CEO of EnWorldCo. Every X number of turns, there could be an extra roll to see if another BP is created above and beyond the base population roll, perhaps even increasing the success chance for the roll based on the number of existing BPs. This would simulate the spreading of crime/corruption. You could even use the same mechanism used to spread religion to see if the criminal element spreads to neighboring cities (generates an initial BP if not exist, ignores borders).
The BPs would be a drain on the economy of the city along the lines of -1 resource apiece or a % off trade route income, etc. Maybe even have every X # of BP make 1 citizen unproductive (red shirt) that cannot be mollified through conventional means. At certain trigger levels, if the BP # is a high enough % of total population or has existed for a certain # of turns, buildings/plots could be destroyed, production wiped out, population killed - maybe the city could even revolt in favor of the barbs; thus simulating gang wars, rioting in the streets, neglect of responsibilities, dogs and cats living in sin, and so on. The level of criminal activity in a city could be displayed without major UI modifications; anything from a notification in the message log to an icon on the city bar.
The base chances for BPs could be modified by various civics, both higher and lower. Certain buildings/techs could be the general preventative counter (ie: a barracks could decrease % chance of new BP or BP effects, a bank could increase it). Additionally, some techs/buildings could be specific counters that would have a % chance of eliminating existing BPs - like perhaps paper = wanted posters = +20% chance of catching a BP. These law enforcement measures could be cumulative, such as (paper = +20%) + (Monarchy = Shiriff = +10%) + (Code of Laws = Courthouse = judges = +20%) == 50% chance of catching a BP.
There could be a chance, based on total # of BP civ-wide, of a GP being a criminal mastermind (who would disappear from the screen immediately after creation or otherwise be uncontrollable by the player), who would increase the effects of, and decrease the chances of catching, BPs. Certain units, such as a spy, could have a chance of "going rogue" and becoming/creating BPs and certain units, such as a police unit buildable after a courthouse, would help catch BPs. .
Some Wonders could be created that would impact the BP paradigm, such as MI-5 that would increase the chances of mitigating BPs (use the Colliseum funding model to globally decrease BP %s). Or build MI-6 that would allow the player to fund criminal activity in another civ (same model, increasing BP %s in other civs; same effects except for a chance of revolt in favor of funding civ). This model of BPs could be mixed with the Assassin mod - maybe the BPs would function as assassins, ala the CIA and La Cosa Nostra vs Cuba in the 1960s? Likewise the spy could help increase the effectiveness of BPs you're funding in foreign lands (or funded BPs could increase the effectiveness of a spy) and the police unit could function as counter-intel troops against foreign-funded BPs in your cities.
Again, just some off-the-top concepts here. My thought is that by using existing features and mechanisms as templates for the BPs (like treating them as citizens/specialists) the AI would be able to better utilize them. This model also creates some city-management challenges in the vein of the old Civ corruption model without the concommitant micromanagement - if your city is going downhill, build a police station or research a tech or move troops into the town ('martial law'). It provides for Cold War-type actions without requiring a lot of player intervention/micromanagement. It permits a certain level of uncertainty and requires the player to pay more attention to the domestic side of his house (lest a city become Deadwood) without a significant increase in time devoted to it. This model could be implemented at whatever level was desired: strictly domestic; strictly foreign 'fifth column' actions; Mob Rule or petty crime. By keeping the actions relatively generic the balance issue is, for the most part, avoided. Further, it's a highly customizable model and allows for a great amount of creativity, such as Computers or Internet = data mining/electronic surveillance = increased chance of catching/thwarting BPs (foreign and domestic) **OR** Computers/Internet = ID theft/computer crime = increased damage by BPs.
Thoughts? Comments? Flames?
MrAnon
What occured to me, though, is a variation on this theme wherein the game creates a BP as a kind of hidden, AI-controlled free specialist. For example, (just brainstorming here...) for every 2 population points there is a 10% chance of a "criminal" being created. This generic BP would encompass everything from the mugger on the street to the CEO of EnWorldCo. Every X number of turns, there could be an extra roll to see if another BP is created above and beyond the base population roll, perhaps even increasing the success chance for the roll based on the number of existing BPs. This would simulate the spreading of crime/corruption. You could even use the same mechanism used to spread religion to see if the criminal element spreads to neighboring cities (generates an initial BP if not exist, ignores borders).
The BPs would be a drain on the economy of the city along the lines of -1 resource apiece or a % off trade route income, etc. Maybe even have every X # of BP make 1 citizen unproductive (red shirt) that cannot be mollified through conventional means. At certain trigger levels, if the BP # is a high enough % of total population or has existed for a certain # of turns, buildings/plots could be destroyed, production wiped out, population killed - maybe the city could even revolt in favor of the barbs; thus simulating gang wars, rioting in the streets, neglect of responsibilities, dogs and cats living in sin, and so on. The level of criminal activity in a city could be displayed without major UI modifications; anything from a notification in the message log to an icon on the city bar.
The base chances for BPs could be modified by various civics, both higher and lower. Certain buildings/techs could be the general preventative counter (ie: a barracks could decrease % chance of new BP or BP effects, a bank could increase it). Additionally, some techs/buildings could be specific counters that would have a % chance of eliminating existing BPs - like perhaps paper = wanted posters = +20% chance of catching a BP. These law enforcement measures could be cumulative, such as (paper = +20%) + (Monarchy = Shiriff = +10%) + (Code of Laws = Courthouse = judges = +20%) == 50% chance of catching a BP.
There could be a chance, based on total # of BP civ-wide, of a GP being a criminal mastermind (who would disappear from the screen immediately after creation or otherwise be uncontrollable by the player), who would increase the effects of, and decrease the chances of catching, BPs. Certain units, such as a spy, could have a chance of "going rogue" and becoming/creating BPs and certain units, such as a police unit buildable after a courthouse, would help catch BPs. .
Some Wonders could be created that would impact the BP paradigm, such as MI-5 that would increase the chances of mitigating BPs (use the Colliseum funding model to globally decrease BP %s). Or build MI-6 that would allow the player to fund criminal activity in another civ (same model, increasing BP %s in other civs; same effects except for a chance of revolt in favor of funding civ). This model of BPs could be mixed with the Assassin mod - maybe the BPs would function as assassins, ala the CIA and La Cosa Nostra vs Cuba in the 1960s? Likewise the spy could help increase the effectiveness of BPs you're funding in foreign lands (or funded BPs could increase the effectiveness of a spy) and the police unit could function as counter-intel troops against foreign-funded BPs in your cities.
Again, just some off-the-top concepts here. My thought is that by using existing features and mechanisms as templates for the BPs (like treating them as citizens/specialists) the AI would be able to better utilize them. This model also creates some city-management challenges in the vein of the old Civ corruption model without the concommitant micromanagement - if your city is going downhill, build a police station or research a tech or move troops into the town ('martial law'). It provides for Cold War-type actions without requiring a lot of player intervention/micromanagement. It permits a certain level of uncertainty and requires the player to pay more attention to the domestic side of his house (lest a city become Deadwood) without a significant increase in time devoted to it. This model could be implemented at whatever level was desired: strictly domestic; strictly foreign 'fifth column' actions; Mob Rule or petty crime. By keeping the actions relatively generic the balance issue is, for the most part, avoided. Further, it's a highly customizable model and allows for a great amount of creativity, such as Computers or Internet = data mining/electronic surveillance = increased chance of catching/thwarting BPs (foreign and domestic) **OR** Computers/Internet = ID theft/computer crime = increased damage by BPs.
Thoughts? Comments? Flames?
MrAnon
