Has the team ever considered including some more ways to boost public order through the building tree?
The question came to me the other day in a Sweboz campaign I am playing. I just recently conquered Italy and then Greece (after the obligatory halftime conquest of Gaul), with a great character who really smacked of the 'civilizing' type who would take a particular interest in accommodating himself to the sophisticated governance of urban polities. However I think that the idea is more universal. Initially I tried to set out and create a number of new Germanic provinces in Northern Italy as well as Attica and Thessalia, and only chose client rulers for the remainder. Of course, that didn't go so easily and I wound up having to return their privileges and make all of them client states when I came back from Gaul. I liked that a lot, as it had a great touch of realism balanced with gameplay. Now I am dismayed however. Despite my pragmatic move, the unrest is growing again as the population grows. I am aware of the granary building tree, which represents a type of grain dole to the populace. And I know that, in Italy at least, I can use the Games for a number of eligible cities. However, would the team ever consider adding any additional buildings or other trees, which represent additional types of privileges, indulgences, or ploys a ruler could try in a city to conciliate the people?
Some ideas off the top of my head:
- Government-manipulated crime inquisition and trial (show trials basically to wipe out dissidents and enemies under the aegis of morals and taste)
- Special mercantile and traffic rights (removing duties and taxes on certain commercial activities)
- Government-sponsored victory festival (claim supremacy over your rivals and advertise your power)
The notion being that these types of buildings could be quick and maybe even cheap to build, but inflict steep penalties to settlement income until the player deletes them. I am aware of at least one issue with this idea (the potential for gross misuse by the AI)...what do you all think?