When I posted earlier, I had only read the first page of the post, so I did not realize I had practically repeated another's idea. AFter reading somemore, here is a revision. Also I did know Japan never fit eithe rof those traits, but I was trying to show how the engine would still be game-like, instead of uber-realistic.
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The Will of the Player
I understand many of you do not want the ability to choose traits taken away. Others want it adjusted to terrain. Here is a compormise: CivIV gives you both options.
The first option is one where you choose your trait(s)(more on this in a minute) and your starting location favors them.
The second option is where you let it choose one/two for you, and the starting location favors it/them.
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Evolving vs. Pre-Determined
Once agian the argument against Pre-determined is that it makes sometimes for a bad start. Arguments against evolving is the complexity and possible exploitation.
Here is again, another compromise. One trait will be pre-set as detailed above. it will be one of a set of "Terrain" traits. This trait will be unique for each city, but cities with similair terrain traits will have empathy for flipping, civil war purposes.
The other trait is a "society focus" trait. This trait would also be unique, city by city. It would be based on the majority population in a trait. How population affects traits would be defined below. It would be possible that a city would have two of the same trait. In this case, the city has a super-trait, a jacked up bonus from the certain trait. In the real world this would mean that really industrial areas would develop, such as Detroit. It also means that big places of learning might develop.
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Population Trait Theory
Here is a basic on how people in a population would be associated with a culture and the traits. There are two kinds of trait a city has: Terrain Trait, a Social Trait. Checks for trait designation for each city woudl be made every ten generations after its creation, any time it is conquered or flips, and when its cultural borders expand. Ten generations would proabably be 5 turns in the Ancient Era, 100 in the Industiral. The time would be calculate based on average life span, possibly calculated city by city.
AS population grows, citizens identify with one kind of trait. Whenever this growth happens, an upkeep window would ask you to assign the new population into a trait category. This same process would also occur when buliding a settler or worker, who would maintain the chosen trait.
The Terrain trait would be based purely on the terrain in the cities cultural radius. This means that a cities terrain trait might change over time if lots of luxuries are absorbed into the radius, or many forests, or flood plains over a square or two. What kind of terrain would make a trait was roughtly detailed in my earlier post. When prompted to assign a new citizens trait, you can choose to place them as a "peasant" as part of the terrain trait. If the type of trait the terrain produces changes, then any new citizens can be placed as "peasants" of the new trait the terrain would produce. Whenever the number of "peasants" of a certain trait are the most numberous or tie with another, the designation can change whenever that is checked(see above). If its a tie, you choose which you would prefer.
The Social trait would be a little more player action based. In most societies exist the "proletariat" and the "bourgeise sei"(i have no idea how to spell it). Most of the proletariat simply work the terrain and do not spend much time at institutions of theology, libraries, or barracks. There would be a higher circle of citizens who were the academicians, military officers, and priests. Whenever a new building is created, it can house a certain amount of citizens. Whenever a new citizen is born, you can also assign citizens to these buildings, where they will pick up the trait. Whenever a check is made on trait designation, relative numbers of citizens with social traits would be compared. Ties would be handled the same way as above. Early building limits would make most of the city/town proletariat. Technology and new buildings would greatly increase this number over time.
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How does this city-individual system affect civ abilities?
This is hard to say. Making units have a home city would be unnessecarily complicated. My solution is that most of the benefits would only apply to units in the cities cultural radius. Since cultural radi can overlap, its possible to create a super-trait zone, where workers and military units are really powerful
