Capturing Great People

[Armed_Maniac]

When I capture a city that has a great person in it, or catch one of those merchants trekking across my lands, it would be nice to capture them instead of murdering them. It would seem to make sense that one would keep captured great people alive and use them, plenty of historical examples and all that to boot.

A captured hero could become a 'princess' that you have to save... That would be cool indeed.

 

[Craziivan]

I don't think you should be able to capture them for yourself, but you should be able to capture them and demand a ransom for their return. They could be exhangeable for anything except technology. Cash, diplomatic agreements.. etc.

I had the exact same idea when I read the topic

 

[Armed_Maniac]

I had the exact same idea when I read the topic

But it's important to be able to capture them back. Also, a new spy mission to bring 'em back?

 

[Naokaukodem]

Well... capturing great people should be possible... no obvious objection here...

But the AI should be well stupid to let a great person being captured! Better to kill it before, don't you think?

Same for us, what a mistake to let a great person to be captured by the AI or another player! Nearly a nonsense, don't you think?

So while great persons could be kidnapped in the reality, it would not be that interesting to allow them to be captured in Civ4, because it would profit only to the lucky player against the stupid AI. Unfun perspective.

Unless the great person to be linked to a city in some way. Then it would become a strategic objective.

 

[Armed_Maniac]

Well... capturing great people should be possible... no obvious objection here...

But the AI should be well stupid to let a great person being captured! Better to kill it before, don't you think?

Same for us, what a mistake to let a great person to be captured by the AI or another player! Nearly a nonsense, don't you think?

So while great persons could be kidnapped in the reality, it would not be that interesting to allow them to be captured in Civ4, because it would profit only to the lucky player against the stupid AI. Unfun perspective.

Unless the great person to be linked to a city in some way. Then it would become a strategic objective.

Yeah, that's a good point. The AI does tend to do really stupid stuff. Tied to a city would be a good idea, though people probably like to be able to send em to a remote place from time to time.

And talking of spy missions, what about kidnapping? Capturing enemy heroes and asking a ransom for them (such as becoming a vassal state in the expansion, if you are really beating the crap outta them) would also be fun. Or simply an assassination mission...