Natural Disasters

[Windukicks]

Hey everyone,

I was thinking that in the next Civ. expansion they should put Natural Disasters in it. Like earthquakes that destroy city and tile improvements and foods that temporaraly deactivate tiles. What do you think?

 

[LucyDuke]

I've always loved the idea, but the consensus seems to be that they should be able to be turned off. A lot of people don't like that random events would be so influential in their games. Volcanoes and earthquakes forming new landmasses while destroying others is one of my favorites.

 

[anglosaxon]

I think it's a great idea, but as always, choice is key and one should be able to toggle the disasters on/off.

Mini Ice ages coming and going would be good.

 

[Upstart1]

I like the idea. What would have happened in Europe without the Black Plague? During a war, when there is conflict within a country's boundaries, there should be a higher opportunity for disease and pestilence. Destroying assets can lead to starvation, but battles themselves lend themselves to further disease. Some historians feel that Rome's death knell came not from barbarians, but from contageous immigrants and traders from Africa who brought plague to Constantinople. Maybe trade routes should pose a small threat to civilizations that have low health standards. Just a thought.

 

[KMadCandy]

eep, the mind worms are coming, the mind worms are coming! sorry, SMAC flashback.

i'm definitely of the "have it an optional checkbox" mindset on this one. even global warming annoys me. last night, 1 vs. 1 with asoka future start, he had no coal. i gifted him one of my 2, in the hopes that he'd not make nuke plants.

 

[LucyDuke]

What would have happened in Europe without the Black Plague?

I was thinking about this recently, and it seems to be even more pressing than natural disasters. Disease is much more far-reaching in effect than most natural disasters (volcanoes excepted). Its impact on history is frequently understated.

Like you said, trade routes should be a vulnerability. Isolated civs alone on islands should be susceptible to plagues, and to a lesser extent, Tokugawa-style civs that don't open their borders should be vulnerable either when they eventually sign open borders or when being invaded or invading. Missionary units that travel far may fall ill and die, or may carry along disease to their target cities. Effects could include damage to units or loss of movement points, death of units, loss of population, or decrease in farm yields. Of course, counters should also be available, such as an earlier hospital-type building or doctor specialists. The disease factor would be related to, but separate from the standard health situation.

Another possibility that this would open up would be biological warfare. In the real world, yes, it's a terrible proposition, but it's a fascinating aspect to add to the game.

 

[Bushface]

New unit - the Plague Carrier. Dies when he enters an enemy city, but causes a huge health penalty there. Nasty.

 

[dazman92]

what about, in modern age, a weather-control device, so you could rain lightning on your enemy?

 

[Rusty Edge]

As long as you can check it on & off, I figure it'd be an interesting addition.

Interesting ideas, LucyDuke.


Of course, I'd like for a volcano to smoke a time or two before it blows, for
"Atlantis" to suffer from earthquakes before it fractures or sinks, for the sea to boil before a new island is born...and while we're at it, how about a couple of large islands that undergo climatic transformation over time,( like Greenland being suitable farmland in Leif the Lucky's time, or the sahara changing from grassland to desert).

 

[Mowque]

you guys should all play Rhye's and fall...

 

[binhthuy71]

LucyDuke makes some excellent points about plague. Although the Black Plague gets all of the headlines there were waves of lesser diseases that nonetheless laid low large segments of the population throughout history.

I would add Famines. I know that the food supply is already sorta' modeled but crop failures had huge (Documented in the 15th-18th centuries) effects on Europe.

 

[Stylesrj]

I don't play cIV so I can have my citites die out from this "black plague". My modern nations are armed with the best of medical treatments and cares. This "black plague" offens me and my army of Modern Armours.

Seriously, I like how the game is (although volcanoes, like in SMAC) would be nice, but no, not plagues, because it puts a big harm on people who don't know what the heck trade routes are (I sure as heck don't!). Besides, some disasters would be nice, but a blanket No Disasters option is not a good idea (What if you wanted no plagues, but volcanoes and Earthquakes are ok? You can't create disasters like in Sim City or it'd be unfair for the AIs)

 

[Ankh-f-n-Khonsu]

Lots of good ideas here. I'd only add that if disasters and disease are introduced as an option, I'd like to see Godzilla.

 

[LucyDuke]

Lots of good ideas here. I'd only add that if disasters and disease are introduced as an option, I'd like to see Godzilla.

Godzilla should not be optional, Godzilla must be mandatory!

 

[Danielos]

Global warming should be optional too. I hate it when the AI environmental gangsters destroy my ecological civilization.

I want events and disasters back as well. Even Civ 1 had them, so I don´t know why they got lost in the process. Make them so certain wonders, building and improvements lessen their effect.

What about alien invasions? Next expansion could include an (optional) techologically advanced alien civ that is invading the planet. The probability should be very low, perhaps in like 1 out of 100 games or something.

 

[Mehmed100]

I would like the idea of natural disasters. I would like it to be an option and not a mandatory function. Maybe it would discourage settling by mountains even more. The whole function could be difficult to create and may unbalance the game though.

 

[SwordofStriker]

Yeah I'd like the natural disasters too, but also as an option.

 

[WilliamOfOrange]

Some good stuff here. I like the ability to turn those random event on or off. But they are inevitably part of any civs growth throughout the ages. Think of how some cultures have had to adapt to living in areas prone to earthquakes, hurricanes/cyclones/typhoons, tsunamis, volcanoes, etc.

Perhaps this game doesn't get into this too deep, but the way you build your city will make recovery either quicker or slower: ie. organized civs or religious.

Does it make sense to give various traits something related to a disaster? Although, not in the game, the Dutch would be excellent at preventing flooding, while the Japanese are familiar with earthquakes and the odd volcano.

I also like the idea of disease or plagues, look at earth history: the First Peoples being decimated by small pox or famines in Africa. Having something like this in the game might make the whole idea of health in the civilization a much more important consideration.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

You guys are forgetting comet and meteorite impacts. I recently watched Episode 4 of Carl Sagan's Cosmos, and that gave me some ideas to this end. Comets would appear every 500 (or so) years with a 5% chance of impacting with the world. And your citizens would panic when seeing comets, but certain techs would lessen the panic effect. The same will happen with meteorites.

And don't forget about the floods and monsoons. Maybe workers can build dikes and windmills to reclaim flooded land.

 

[goony]

I like this idea. I mean wasn't the colossus destroyed by an earthquake? However, as a game idea i don't know, i don't think we should go as far as assigning specific traits/buildings/wonders/leaders for it.

Although...maybe you could get a hit movie or or something if godzilla struck