Events? e.g. volcanic eruptions in Civ6

[Leyrann]

I've got to comment on this point, since I live next to a number of volcanoes (Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Mount St Helens). Volcanic ash is a fertilizer (in moderation - a foot-thick layer from Thera doesn't help a bit!), so that generally, land around the volcano is more productive. Volcanoes provide access to tephra, which makes cement/concrete, an exclusive building material for structures (Roman harbors, aqueducts, roads) and Wonders (the Pantheon's dome) and obsidian, a substitute for bronze or copper as a tool/weapon material. Just as important, almost all volcanoes have a religious/cultural influence on the people living near them. Look at Fujiyama, or Olympus and Ida in Greece/Crete - for that matter, count up the number of Natural Wonders in Civ V that were volcanoes - no other natural feature was so heavily represented.
In short, there are a number of reasons to settle near a volcano and take your chances with the occasional 'Earth Belch' it also provides

Just wanna point out Olympus and Ida are not volcanoes.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Just wanna point out Olympus and Ida are not volcanoes.

Thank you. I stand corrected. I was remembering an essay I read decades ago on the connection between the volcano of Thera, the modern island of Santorini north of Crete, and its probable connection with several Greek myths, including the Bronze Giant Talos who threw rocks at ships trying to invade Cete - a good description of an eruption by that volcano, but certainly not attributable to the other mountains!

Considering Volcanoes and their Cv-attributes, how about this:

Volcano is a one tile Mountain which has influences extending up to a two-tile radius around the central tile.
If the central Tile is in your territory, it provides +2 Faith to your civilization.
Normally, all the tiles adjacent to the central tile will be hills, mountains or Cliffs if adjacent to water. Any of the hill tiles may be Mined to produce one of two possible Special Resources. (One mine for each, so two Hill tiles required to access both):
Tephra (Volcanic Ash) is a Special Resource which provides bonuses to the construction of Structures and access to a particular Wonder.
1. It provides +1 Production to all Cities in the Civilization in the construction of any Building
2. It provides +1 Housing in all Cities of the Civilization (the Insula Effect - concrete tenements)
3. It allows, with the Technology of Construction (Classical Era) and any Pantheon Belief the construction of the wonder: The Pantheon

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

(&^%$# Finger slipped, didn't mean to stop in the middle!)

Pantheon Wonder
Must be built on any non-Marsh, non-Flood Plains (in other words, solid ground) Tile, adjacent to Either a City Center OR Holy Site District
Cost: 400
Effects:
Provides +1 Culture, +1 Amenity to all City Centers within 6 Tiles
Provides + 2 Religion for Every different Religion present in any City in the Civilization
Provides +1 Great Engineer point per turn

The other Special Resource from Volcano is:
Obsidian (Volcanic Glass) is a Strategic and Bonus Resource:
1. It replaces Iron as a requirement for any Swordsman unit.
2. It provides +1 Gold from any international Trade Route (Obsidian was traded from Mount Etna in Sicily all the way to Babylon)
3. It provides +1 Amenity (shaving, personal hygiene - Obsidian edges are as sharp as modern razor blades) to every City in the Civilization.

Volcano Tiles-Yields.
Up to two tiles from the central Volcano Tile, any non-Mountain, non-Ice tile provides +1 Food in addition to any other yields from the tile or Improvements on the tile.

I think something like this would give enough historically-based 'positives' to make the negatives from having a volcano nearby acceptable, and therefore the Volcano as a playable feature in the game.

 

[Leyrann]

Basically you have a chance that it destroys everything in a 1-tile radius or sometimes a 2-tile radius? Could also make it that the first ring is destroyed and the second pillaged.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Basically you have a chance that it destroys everything in a 1-tile radius or sometimes a 2-tile radius? Could also make it that the first ring is destroyed and the second pillaged.

Since volcanic eruptions' effects are as random as their timing, I think it would be better to have a range of Possible Effects from an eruption, ranging from Earthshaking ( 1 - 2 tiles Pillaged, possibly a building in any city/district within the radius Damaged requiring Production to repair) to Wrath of the Gods (Thera-like) where the top of the mountain blows off, every tile adjacent turns into 'Fallout' and a further set of tiles are Pillaged or damaged in some other way. -But the latter would be an Extreme Case, since it could include the complete destruction of a District or City Center! Most Eruptions should do catastrophic damage to only those tiles right next to the 'caldera' of the mountain, or possibly in a single line of tiles (representing a lava flow) stretching for 2 - 3 tiles, with other tiles suffering no or minor damage or effects.

 

[Leyrann]

Since volcanic eruptions' effects are as random as their timing, I think it would be better to have a range of Possible Effects from an eruption, ranging from Earthshaking ( 1 - 2 tiles Pillaged, possibly a building in any city/district within the radius Damaged requiring Production to repair) to Wrath of the Gods (Thera-like) where the top of the mountain blows off, every tile adjacent turns into 'Fallout' and a further set of tiles are Pillaged or damaged in some other way. -But the latter would be an Extreme Case, since it could include the complete destruction of a District or City Center! Most Eruptions should do catastrophic damage to only those tiles right next to the 'caldera' of the mountain, or possibly in a single line of tiles (representing a lava flow) stretching for 2 - 3 tiles, with other tiles suffering no or minor damage or effects.

Imo the biggest of the biggest eruptions (2-3 per game max) should cause a minor volcanic winter that causes minor population loss in every city on the world (1-3 pop depending on size).

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Imo the biggest of the biggest eruptions (2-3 per game max) should cause a minor volcanic winter that causes minor population loss in every city on the world (1-3 pop depending on size).

I would love something like this, but I'm concerned about the effect: not on the game, but on the Gamer.

"You get to play a game in which, randomly, you will be penalized by the game." - which is the perception I believe such a mechanism would evoke.

I agree on the frequency, but instead of an automate population increase, I'd rather see a "Volcanic Winter" event lasting 2 - 3 turns which reduces the Food Production per Tile by, say, 1, and a world-wide - 2 Amenities per city (Bad Weather effects on mood, The Gods Are Mad At Us, etc)
This provides a set of Problems to the gamer which, based on how well they have managed their Civilization, may be anything from annoying to catastrophic, but aren't Automatically Catastrophic.

 

[Leyrann]

I would love something like this, but I'm concerned about the effect: not on the game, but on the Gamer.

"You get to play a game in which, randomly, you will be penalized by the game." - which is the perception I believe such a mechanism would evoke.

I agree on the frequency, but instead of an automate population increase, I'd rather see a "Volcanic Winter" event lasting 2 - 3 turns which reduces the Food Production per Tile by, say, 1, and a world-wide - 2 Amenities per city (Bad Weather effects on mood, The Gods Are Mad At Us, etc)
This provides a set of Problems to the gamer which, based on how well they have managed their Civilization, may be anything from annoying to catastrophic, but aren't Automatically Catastrophic.

That would be a good solution too. However, I think that most of the frustration from players with random events comes from them feeling like they are the targets. With a volcanic winter, everyone would be the target which makes it feel a lot more fair; it's just something you have to weather for a few turns. Additionally, it's something you know will be over soon, contrary to, say, global warming (ugh).

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

That would be a good solution too. However, I think that most of the frustration from players with random events comes from them feeling like they are the targets. With a volcanic winter, everyone would be the target which makes it feel a lot more fair; it's just something you have to weather for a few turns. Additionally, it's something you know will be over soon, contrary to, say, global warming (ugh).

Good Point. I still think the Population Loss is an Indirect result of the 'Volcanic Winter', and it would be better to show the Direct Loss, which is to productivity and (especially) Food Production caused world-wide by such events. That way, the indirect Population Loss is a result of your own bad planning/reaction, not an automatic Game Event.

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

The events system in Outback Tycoon suggests we have the ability to create mods that allow for random events. Whether we will get them as an official expansion is yet to be seen though. One can only hope.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

The events system in Outback Tycoon suggests we have the ability to create mods that allow for random events. Whether we will get them as an official expansion is yet to be seen though. One can only hope.

Or harass the Modding Community to provide, as they do so often, what Firaxis won't or can't.

 

[Leyrann]

The events system in Outback Tycoon suggests we have the ability to create mods that allow for random events. Whether we will get them as an official expansion is yet to be seen though. One can only hope.

Yup. The Real Disasters mod (which was inspired by this thread by the way) features this random event system.

 

[Manifold]

Yup. The Real Disasters mod (which was inspired by this thread by the way) features this random event system.

I have edited the first post.
EDIT:
By the way I only can recommend the mod of Infixo just everyone to try it out.
Infixo said: ↑
I have published the first playable version in "Unreleased Mods" section here.

Imo the biggest of the biggest eruptions (2-3 per game max) should cause a minor volcanic winter that causes minor population loss in every city on the world (1-3 pop depending on size).

A volcanic winter event would be great. The ash cloud and ash rain could be a cool graphic effect on the map.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

A volcanic winter event would be great. The ash cloud and ash rain could be a cool graphic effect on the map.

And you can make a case for Volcanic Events triggering a Religious Event, as well. An spot of low land in the path of a Tsunami caused by a major volcanic eruption, the resulting receding water level making it possible to cross before the pursuit gets drowned - Voila! Monotheism and Commandments!
OR
ash cloud, 'Year Without Summer', Eternal Winter' - Ragnarok cannot be far behind...

 

[Zaarin]

And you can make a case for Volcanic Events triggering a Religious Event, as well. An spot of low land in the path of a Tsunami caused by a major volcanic eruption, the resulting receding water level making it possible to cross before the pursuit gets drowned - Voila! Monotheism and Commandments!
OR
ash cloud, 'Year Without Summer', Eternal Winter' - Ragnarok cannot be far behind...

And how convenient that we already have a leader in game who allegedly used a hurricane to defeat his enemies.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

And how convenient that we already have a leader in game who allegedly used a hurricane to defeat his enemies.

And if we brought in Churchill as an alternate British Leader, one who used both Hurricanes and Spitfires...

 

[Leyrann]

And how convenient that we already have a leader in game who allegedly used a hurricane to defeat his enemies.

Twice over, right?

Poor Genghis...

 

[Manifold]

And you can make a case for Volcanic Events triggering a Religious Event, as well. An spot of low land in the path of a Tsunami caused by a major volcanic eruption, the resulting receding water level making it possible to cross before the pursuit gets drowned - Voila! Monotheism and Commandments!
OR
ash cloud, 'Year Without Summer', Eternal Winter' - Ragnarok cannot be far behind...

And how convenient that we already have a leader in game who allegedly used a hurricane to defeat his enemies.

That too will look fantastic on the map. The oceans should get life

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

That too will look fantastic on the map. The oceans should get life

I've always felt that, at the very least, the Unexplored Areas of the ocean/seas on the map should have an ornate scroll on them saying "Here Be Monsters"

 

[Lazy sweeper]

I really like how this thread turned!!

And don't forget the archeological bonus for the discovery of an ancient city completely destroyed and preserved by an eruption (Pompeii, but most importantly, the original myth.... Atlantis)
An entire civ put to their knees.... well they might have spread well before that happened, anyway, back to vulcanoes.

There could be a three tile vulcano, like kila loa (not sure if I spelled it correctly) that could give different bonus effects, like booming food production, less science, but more safe to settle around, than an explosive Vesuvio type or Mt Rushmore. and then Yellowstone super vulcanoes, Quadruple turism output if national reserve is established, etc etc.

So even before Firaxis figures out if the new map type generation can deal with tectonic plates and a consistent vulcano/earthquakes boundary placement at their borders without breaking their vision that if things gets more tactical, would scare people off, not worth the money in devs, I DON'T KNOW, gives us back the d*** TEMPLARS for christ sake and let's burn down the heretics ones and for ALL!!

Ah ok, sorry, what were we talking about?

Oh yes. Even before that bla bla bla TEMPLARS! bla bla bla etc etc, they could put the vulcanoes on the map without proper terraforming codex...