Well, of course this game must have some complication, we wouldn't play civ if we didn't like complicated games, but then again, a full-scalle realistic economic simulation is not feasible and, if it was, it would be damn boring. And once we agree that the game should have a certain level of complication, well, everyone has different tastest on his ideal level of complication. it's pointless to pursue this argument.
Therefore I will advocate pollution mechanics from a different perspective, one not yet addressed. That of roleplaying the game.
There are many ways of playing civ, from hardcore optimization to just doing what feels fun at the moment. One thing civ has that few other game have however is the chance to live history, to pretend/roleplay like you were a real leader of your struggling civilization. you fought off the barbaric hordes in the ancient age, you developed sciences and arts, you built great cities, you developed industry... I like doing that, and while I also put a good deal of emphasis on the optimization side, I just cannot bring myself to attack a leader that was friendly to me, and sometimes I will make a sewer in a city that does not need it because those poor townsfolk should have a decent sewer system, that kind of stuff. I want to produce a civilization that not only can defeat its competitors and accumulate points towards some arbitrary win conditions, but in which I would be proud to live.
And pollution is probably the single biggest threat to human civilization since the end of the cold war, only rivaled by overpopulation (and since this put a strain on resources and ecosystem, it can be considered a part of the pollution problem) and possibly muslim fanaticism (I don't see daesh ideology gaining much following, but then again, hitler won the elections...). And so roleplaying to defeat pollution has the ppotential to be incredibly satisfying for a roleplaying-oriented gamer. I loved to build recycling centers and hydro power in civ4, and seeing those green faces go down. I would rejoice in building
the MOSE project (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOSE_Project) or
the ocean cleanup (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ocean_Cleanup) world wonders. Swapping my coal plants for photovoltaic and wind generators, researching the technologies that would make 100% renewable possible, adopt the "recycling" and "environmental consciousness" policies. Or maybe - this should not be about ideology, and there could be many ways to overcome the polllution problem - research next generation nuclear plants, nuclear fusion, invest production in carbon capture projects, make advanced hospitals that will turn the worst pollution-related diseases into mild annoyances. Or then again, fail to prevent the worst and adapting to it - building dikes on coastal tiles to protect them from flooding, moving northwards where increased heating is turning frozen tundra into potential farmland.
Yes, I agree that the global warming mechanic from civ4 was stupid, and I hated it, but a more general pollution mechanic would be welcome. the "healt" mechanic from civ4, where bad pollution equated to negative food for the city, was good, for example. Pollution should cause reduced food production, negative amenities and negative gold per turn - for increased hospitalization, working days lost to illness, increased corrosion from acidic rain... some may want more complex mechanics, but I think even those who dislike the idea of pollution mechanics wouldn't mind too much getting some food penalty until they build a recycling center.
The game has a cyberpunk/dystopian vibe in the later eras. With ancient techs, the tech quotes will tell you how great that technology is, how many wonderful things you can do with it. Starting around the industrial eras, the quotes will complain on how this technology has made lives miserable. In ancient ages, you unlock universities and theaters. In the modern age, you unlock nothing but military units. And space projects, that are good only for military espionage or science victory. Airports are only good for military aircrafts, all the bonuses of civilian aviation are given passively as you tech flight. There is a distinct lack of stuff to build in the information era that is not military. I want to end the game on a hopeful note. I want to face the biggest threat our society is facing and defeat it, or at least survive it, because that would make for a more satisfying game.
"build a civilization to stand the test of time". That's what civilization is about. Well, "not being buried in your own garbage" is definitely on the checklist for surviving the test of time, so I want it to be in the game. But if you want to see it purely mechanic-wise, pollution is like housing; the only advantage in overcoming it is that you won't be penalized by it anymore. That's unless we give bonus production from recycling, bonus diplomacy from other leaders being happy you are not burying them too in your trash, bonus amenities from your people happy that they get a better life expectation.
P.S. on the "moving resources" topic: of course you can grow corn everywhere. I just assume a spot with corn is one where the land is exceptionally fertile, so your farm there get extra food. If you harvest the resource, you overfarm the land, getting huge profits now but damaging the land in a way that will not recover. Makes perfect sense if you choose to interpret bonus resources that way.
