[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#6458) wishlist: refugees

["Morgan Jones" <morgan.jones@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On  9/10/2003, you wrote:

> 
> In warfare, the civilians typically get displaced. Freeciv has a bit
> of that, with enemy units blocking exploitation of a square, and the
> city population falling when a defender dies.
> 
> However, that is very little problem to the attacker. In modern
> warfare, refugees are a real problem to both sides. The attacker has
> loads of civilians coming his way, with possible enemy units inside,
> and he has to feed them -- or shoot them, with concomitant
> international outcry. The defender mostly only has to feed them, but
> this causes economic strain and discontent. Neighbouring countries
> feed them, causing a strain in their relations with both warring
> parties.
> 
> Hence, I propose a unit: refugee. It ignores ZOC, has 1 move, 0
> attack/defense. The closest city pays 1 food per refugee, regardless
> of who own it, and suffers 1 unhappiness for every 2 refugees. The
> 'b'uild command functions like a settler's (build a city or add 1
> pop), but the refugee can't do any of the other settler/engineer
> commands.
> 
> In a republic/democracy, killing a refugee is equivalent to 1
> military unit out of town, in every town in the country, for one
> turn. Also, reputation takes a hit (matters only in games with AI
> players).
> 
> Not sure how to make neighbours unhappy about refugees.
> 
> 
How would refugees come about?  I assume one
wouldn't have the option of building them like normal units.

Perhaps there could be a random chance of a refugee unit forming when
a city is attacked, instead of a loss of population in that city?

And/or maybe refugees could form when an enemy unit blocks access to a
city's workable tiles for a length of time and the city is starving.

When a refugee unit crosses a border, the owner of that nation could
be given the option of claiming the unit, passing upkeep and control
to that player.

Combined with culture this would be quite an interesting game
dynamic:  neighbouring nations of wartorn nations would essentially be
given free settler units (with both food and happiness upkeep) but at the
cost of having their nation's culture dilluted.

Cool idea, but I don't imagine it would be worthwhile implementing at
this stage, but maybe when (if?) Freeciv has some sort of culture
model.

     -Morgan