Che Guava
The Juicy Revolutionary
Note: I realize that most of the ideas here have been presented in different threads under many names. I was hoping to integrate these into a unified model to see what suggestions/criticisms people might have. I appologize in advance to those who's ideas I've borrowed...!
I think the idea of smaller states is essential to the development of the civilization series for a number of reasons: (1) there are too many races on earth to simplyfy it to just a few empires (2) it seems unrealistic to land on completely empty continents and just set up shop without a soul around (3) a huge part of diplomacy is influencing smaller, weaker states around you, not just other empires.
So here's what I propose: goody boxes and barbarians are removed in favour of villages. Villages are city units too small to have 1 population point, have no normal city attributes (no production, tax collection, science etc) and each belong to an ethnic group (i.e 1 ethnic group would have anywhere between 1 and 5 villages total, each in the smae area) During the expansion phase on the game (iron/bronze age) you can talk to these villages if you have a military unit adjacent. If they are impressed with your culture and 'civility record', they can offer you scientific advances, tributes, warriors, if they are unipressed, they may attack you a la barbarian goody hut. If they cause problems, you can attack the village, lay waste to it and enslave the population.
As the game proceeds, you being to develop a relationship with these people. If they like you, they may come to aid ina conflict, be less likely to give other civilizations gifts, and alert you to military movements in their territory. If they don't, they may decide to punish you with another civilization, sabotage to trade routes, or give vital info to competing nations.
Finally, as these villages move into your sphere of influence (cultural borders, whatever...) and you build roads to them, other good things start happening (provided they like you). Taxes can be collected from them, cities nearby can spontaneously grow by 'immigration', and if they really like you, turn into a full-fledged city. Should these people join your civilization through immigration /city building, they retain ther 'ethnicity' (but not thier nationality, which is your civilization) meaning that they are simpathetic to the causes of their people in your land and foriegn nations as well. For eg, if you destroy a georgian village, you can count on the georgian citizins in your cities to get upset. If a neighboring civilization slaughters its georgians citizens, they might implore you to go to war with them. The more you mistreat your minorities, they less productive they are, the less happy they are, and the more likely cities with many of them will 'flip' to other civ's, or simply immigrate to another neighboring civ. (note: I also beleive that a city made up of one ethnicity should propogate that in thier own cities i.e a city founded by german poles will give birth to more german poles, not german germans, if you follow..!)
The enthnicity of a citizen will also carry other factors (race, religion, for eg) that can be compatible (or not so) with your own culture. For instance, berbers might feel more comfortable living under Persian rule than under that of the french. Like barbarians, the ethnicity of villages in your surrounding are will likely be closer to your own than those on other continents.
I think this might help give advantages to civ's on thier 'home turf' and give people a reason to treat thier neighbors a little better, as well as adding new dimensions to the game. I appologize once again to the people I have shamelessly ripped off, and invite you to give any suggestions/criticisms of this idea......
I think the idea of smaller states is essential to the development of the civilization series for a number of reasons: (1) there are too many races on earth to simplyfy it to just a few empires (2) it seems unrealistic to land on completely empty continents and just set up shop without a soul around (3) a huge part of diplomacy is influencing smaller, weaker states around you, not just other empires.
So here's what I propose: goody boxes and barbarians are removed in favour of villages. Villages are city units too small to have 1 population point, have no normal city attributes (no production, tax collection, science etc) and each belong to an ethnic group (i.e 1 ethnic group would have anywhere between 1 and 5 villages total, each in the smae area) During the expansion phase on the game (iron/bronze age) you can talk to these villages if you have a military unit adjacent. If they are impressed with your culture and 'civility record', they can offer you scientific advances, tributes, warriors, if they are unipressed, they may attack you a la barbarian goody hut. If they cause problems, you can attack the village, lay waste to it and enslave the population.
As the game proceeds, you being to develop a relationship with these people. If they like you, they may come to aid ina conflict, be less likely to give other civilizations gifts, and alert you to military movements in their territory. If they don't, they may decide to punish you with another civilization, sabotage to trade routes, or give vital info to competing nations.
Finally, as these villages move into your sphere of influence (cultural borders, whatever...) and you build roads to them, other good things start happening (provided they like you). Taxes can be collected from them, cities nearby can spontaneously grow by 'immigration', and if they really like you, turn into a full-fledged city. Should these people join your civilization through immigration /city building, they retain ther 'ethnicity' (but not thier nationality, which is your civilization) meaning that they are simpathetic to the causes of their people in your land and foriegn nations as well. For eg, if you destroy a georgian village, you can count on the georgian citizins in your cities to get upset. If a neighboring civilization slaughters its georgians citizens, they might implore you to go to war with them. The more you mistreat your minorities, they less productive they are, the less happy they are, and the more likely cities with many of them will 'flip' to other civ's, or simply immigrate to another neighboring civ. (note: I also beleive that a city made up of one ethnicity should propogate that in thier own cities i.e a city founded by german poles will give birth to more german poles, not german germans, if you follow..!)
The enthnicity of a citizen will also carry other factors (race, religion, for eg) that can be compatible (or not so) with your own culture. For instance, berbers might feel more comfortable living under Persian rule than under that of the french. Like barbarians, the ethnicity of villages in your surrounding are will likely be closer to your own than those on other continents.
I think this might help give advantages to civ's on thier 'home turf' and give people a reason to treat thier neighbors a little better, as well as adding new dimensions to the game. I appologize once again to the people I have shamelessly ripped off, and invite you to give any suggestions/criticisms of this idea......
