Random Events

[Azeem]

In CotN, we had the failed floods and the sudden Pharaoh deaths occurring at random. Three failed floods in a row and three Pharaoh deaths in a row sent my Los Angeles sized city straight to the pits of hell.

Will we be graced with randomized events in Caesar IV as well? The one thing that was a bit disappointing about the event system in CotN was that there wasn't a variety of randomized events that can throw the city into turmoil. Here are some suggestions on what we could have in C4:

1) Scandalous!: Sleazy bureaucrats have been around since the time governments first formed. How about a random event ocurring in which a bureaucrat is caught "borrowing" money from the treasury? The rammifications would be a loss in city funds and also temporarily reduced respect for the city's leadership (sort of like a "prestige hit" in CotN).

2) Plague: Plagues didn't do much in CotN, which was quite disappointing. I want to see mayhem. When plagues occur, people should not only mob health care facilities and temples, they should also drop by the dozens.

3) VESUVIUS!!!!: OK. Maybe a bit extreme (especially considering that BOTH Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried in volcanic ash from the AD 79 eruption ). But how about volcanic events? Building farms near volcanoes can give a bonus to food production, but there would be a very slight chance of eruptions. Eruptions could cause some substantial damage to anywhere near the volcano. Earthquakes could occur sometimes as well.

4) I am Spartacus: The occasional Gladiator revolt can be a nice added risk to building and maintaining Colisseums and Arenas in the city.

[EmperorJay]

I agree with everything you say Azeem . However, come to think of it, C3 had gladiator revolts, earthquakes and other (semi)random events, why wouldn't Caesar IV have similar (and new) ones?

[Azeem]

Caesar III had scripted events. I'd like to have randomized events (or perhaps the ability to trigger them like in "Stronghold" ).

[EmperorJay]

Yes, of course, revolts and earthquakes were scripted . But the collapse of clay pits, iron mines and the contamination of water was random .

[Azeem]

Really? I've never had Contamination of Water or Collapsed Claypits.

What we need are randomized major disasters.

[EmperorJay]

Those events were scripted to be random . Anyway, like I said, I completely agree . Although I would like the option to turn them off in sandbox games.

[Kiya]

Originally Posted by Azeem

Really? I've never had Contamination of Water or Collapsed Claypits.

What we need are randomized major disasters.

I'm presently trying to sort out my Londinium which is a mess. There is nothing but collapsed claypits ALL the time. Lucky you, Azeem!
(PS it is not a mess because of collapsing claypits though. )

Major disasters randomly, yes if not too often.

[Azeem]

Any more ideas for possible random events?

[prof786]

hostile natives sabotaging trade routes.
when animals attack.
pirates...arrghhh!!!
indecent exposure in public (flashing and mooning).

[sitearm]

Ditto ......

Originally Posted by prof786

... when animals attack...

[Khopesh Sidearm]

The destruction or disappearance for whatever reason of trade partners or nearbye cities. I can't remember that happening in C3, but it did occasionally in Emperor...not too big a deal, but it could throw you for a loop if you did big buisiness with them...

[Thucydides]

religious friction when one group attacks anothers Temples/Churches/places of worship (Druids stones and shrines etc).

[Thucydides]

floods, locust swarms, severe storms (with lightning that sparks fires in your city and forests, and waves at sea that drive ships upon the land), drought, earthquakes depending on the location of the city (i.e. severe in Anatolia, mild in Italy, none in most of Northern Europe), sandstorms burying buildings and farms in parts of Egypt and Northern Africa (recognising that Northern Africa was wetter than it is today), and destructive local tsunami.

and even more...

Avalanches in the Alps, hail (bad for crops), sink holes (goodbye warehouse ), and dam failure (having dams are suggested in another thread).

[Thucydides]

Another random disaster could be a personal one, if the player is struck by a disfiguing disease, thus impacting negatively on morale and the willingness of people to migrate to your new city. Crusader Knights had this impact and it was quite a good random factor.

Sorry i should have made one post rather than three, but random ideas kept on popping into my head...