Disease is too harsh in the beginning

[Frostyboy]

Several times my first city has been struck by Disease before I can even get out the first settler. To be cut down from 3 to 1 that early is simply too harsh. You can't choose where to begin, and you don't want to move your settler away from the fertile flood plains either.

In a competiotion, this can be a major drawback I think.

I have now turned diease off.

 

[Eetu Pellonpää]

I think it's OK. If the game is ruined in the start, it doesn't annoy as much when it happens later...

"Suddenly, you feel the icy hand of death upon you!"

 

[Frostyboy]

Civ has never been a very realistic game, and to include disease which is only bad isn't good I think.

For a medieval scenario starting 1347 on the other hand,where ALL terrains give disease could be interesting. I think there is a Black Death version somewhere.

 

[wilbill]

to include disease which is only bad isn't good I think

Maybe they should include some good disease?

I don't see the problem, really. The possibility of disease is the price you pay for Flood Plains increased food. Sure, it's bad if it hits you early and often. But if the RNG is kind and you don't suffer any disease outbreaks, your early expansion can be tremendous.

 

[Mordack]

Civ has never been a very realistic game, and to include disease which is only bad isn't good I think.

I think maybe what he meant was that there should be some random events in the game that give the player a bonus - SMAC style.

 

[tR1cKy]

What about GOTMs? If you enact a certain sequence of moves (that have nothing to do with the disease thing) nothing happens. If you do differently a city may drop from size 3 to 1 several times, slowing down the initial growth quite a bit. It's too much random IMHO. A drop of only 1 citizen could be more reasonable, but 2 in a row...

 

[namliaM]

I think maybe what he meant was that there should be some random events in the game that give the player a bonus - SMAC style.

What about SGL? Pretty random, pretty good

Tho maybe to random and to good ?

 

[Hyronymus]

It's good the way it is now. Disease was very striking in the early days, it didn't take until the end of 19th century to have a ready battleplan to fight diseases common at that time. When you build a city near flooded plains or in the jungle you just know that there is a risk of citizens dieing of disease. If you think that risk is too big you shouldn't build your cities near flooded plains or jungle squares.

 

[tR1cKy]

It's the randomness that's annoying, not the event in itself. In GOTM 41 some people were hit 3 times by disease, resulting in a net loss of 6 pop units, where others were never affected by the plague, and the founding sites were the same. Such a thing in the very early turn may hamper permanently a game. Disease should not be eliminated, only managed differently.

 

[budweiser]

Just be glad they didnt include the Black Death. How would you like to lose half the population in all your cities during the middles ages? That sure would make medicine more important wouldn't it?

 

[Frostyboy]

Its just in the very beginning it sucks - and really!

 

[Renata]

I think maybe what he meant was that there should be some random events in the game that give the player a bonus - SMAC style.

Which random events in SMAC gave bonuses? It's been a while; all I remember now is the one and only time I got hit by an asteroid. Now, that was cooool.

Edit: I agree that the randomness is annoying in a competition setting, but for just a normal game, I don't mind.

Renata

 

[vmxa]

It does not seem to be a big problem.

BTW the no response should not mention being realistic. Who knows what that would be anyway. Are you next to one of those gas filled ponds that kills anything near it. Does it have Tse fly about? Or is it your every day ague?

 

[Mordack]

Which random events in SMAC gave bonuses? It's been a while; all I remember now is the one and only time I got hit by an asteroid. Now, that was cooool.

Most were negative (hailstorms, ateroids, sunspot activity), but I can remember certain cities getting +1 energy or nutrient for 10 turns - just can't remember the reason cited, been a while since I played SMAC