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

["John Wheeler" <jdwheeler42@xxxxxxxxx>]

[bhudson - Thu Oct  9 22:02:46 2003]:
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> 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.

I really like this idea.  It would be much better once nationality is
implemented, but I would enjoy seeing it now.

> 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.

Here I have a HUGE problem.  Refugees should NOT be able to build a
city; getting that for no cost in shields would be a major problem.  (I
could even imagine letting some barbarians attack me just to get the
free refugees in that case.)  If anything, a refugee camp should be more
like a fortification.  (Would giving them a defense of 1 or 2 allow them
to fortify to have a defense of 2 or 3?)  Adding to the city is good, as
long as they have a population cost.

Also, regarding real-life, I don't think refugees were a problem until
the modern era.  Before the mobility industrialized society engendered,
people died without the support of their own tribe or nation.  So, like
partisans, I think there should be a tech requirement (e.g.
Industrialization) for refugees.  Then, to satisfy people who don't want
them, all you need to do is set the tech requirement in the ruleset to
something impossible (like is done in the default ruleset with Fanatics
or Fundamentalism, IIRC).  Would this be acceptable to the maintainers
(assuming someone else were to do the coding)?  (In other words, if
someone got such code working, would it be committed?  If not, there's
not much point in pursuing this.)

-- 

++JohnWheeler