I'm wondering about how to best include 2 historical things: 1) Plagues, like what terrans experienced during the dreaded 14th Century. 2) Columbian Exchange diseases.
Regarding the Plague idea, there could be either an automatically generated plague at a set time period or randomly at some point during the game, or perhaps it could be in direct relation to city health. If a city gets too low with health, maybe there would be a chance to start a plague, which would then spread to every city and unit it can reach ~ if you are isolated from it, you shouldn't get effected. The latter idea seems more logical to me, but not sure how it would play out in the game. Would that make plagues very common in some games, or non-existent in others, depending on how people play? It might be better that way anyway, as then you are not randomly hit by a plague no matter how healthy you make your people. Which seems better to you?
Regarding the Columbian Exchange, it could mean that when landing units onto a water-locked continent that is at least a certain distance away from where your continent is, then the first civ you get in contact with might automatically get hit with a plague that will not affect you or anyone else from your continent...Not sure how difficult that would be to implement, but it's one idea. But how damaging would this plague be for them? Would it be too unfair? Would the colonials get some negative too? This could open the door to deliberate biological warfare when players attempt to take on a New World style continent, which again would be realistic, but is it fair to players who are New World civs? Real history would dictate that these plagues would be extremely devastating, so we would need to toned down for fairness sake in this game.
Another factor that should be important is whether or not the cities are healthy. If someone has put a lot of work into making their cities healthy, the plague should have a lesser effect on them. On the other hand, if someone's cities are of poor health, obviously the plague would then be more damaging to them.
The importance of these historical events is huge, as it really did forever change history for humankind. Therefore, it makes sense to include these into a game that is based on our history.
Regarding the Plague idea, there could be either an automatically generated plague at a set time period or randomly at some point during the game, or perhaps it could be in direct relation to city health. If a city gets too low with health, maybe there would be a chance to start a plague, which would then spread to every city and unit it can reach ~ if you are isolated from it, you shouldn't get effected. The latter idea seems more logical to me, but not sure how it would play out in the game. Would that make plagues very common in some games, or non-existent in others, depending on how people play? It might be better that way anyway, as then you are not randomly hit by a plague no matter how healthy you make your people. Which seems better to you?
Regarding the Columbian Exchange, it could mean that when landing units onto a water-locked continent that is at least a certain distance away from where your continent is, then the first civ you get in contact with might automatically get hit with a plague that will not affect you or anyone else from your continent...Not sure how difficult that would be to implement, but it's one idea. But how damaging would this plague be for them? Would it be too unfair? Would the colonials get some negative too? This could open the door to deliberate biological warfare when players attempt to take on a New World style continent, which again would be realistic, but is it fair to players who are New World civs? Real history would dictate that these plagues would be extremely devastating, so we would need to toned down for fairness sake in this game.
Another factor that should be important is whether or not the cities are healthy. If someone has put a lot of work into making their cities healthy, the plague should have a lesser effect on them. On the other hand, if someone's cities are of poor health, obviously the plague would then be more damaging to them.
The importance of these historical events is huge, as it really did forever change history for humankind. Therefore, it makes sense to include these into a game that is based on our history.
