a few ideas

Hello,

I am just another freeciv enthusiast ;-)
Here are a few suggestions of mine to help non-military progress and
largepox :

1=B0)This to encourage pacific relationships :

- Caravans which link two nations should make money for both of them, and
make a possibility of techno exchange as well (if a nation has every tech=
s
of the other, then it is interesting for the second only).
- Allied nations could as well see a "spontaneous" tech exchange (no need
for a treaty) : probability to gain a tech from friendly nation raises up=
on
frequency of contacts (from 1% to 20% by turn).

2=B0) I would gladly see the notion of "patriotism" in the cities :
- it could be raised/decreased with happyness
- riots decrease patriotism of a point/turn
- patriotism could make military units stronger (ie veterans)
- when a non defended city is attacked, a citizen defends it and its
strength depends upon patriotism.

This to discourage military strategy :

- founded cities should begin with a higher level of patriotism than
conquered ones.
- a settler joining a conquered city should raise patriotism by a fractio=
n
of its native city's level.

This to encourage tech race / road making :

- a city farther than, say 10 turns (for a settler or an engineer depends=
 on
the tech level) away from the closest one of the same nation would see it=
s
patriotism decrease by a point / 5 turns.
-  democracy raises patriotism, despotism decreases it.

This to discourage smallpox :

- the more population in the city, the more patriotism.
- the more patriotism in the city, the less probable riot.
- when a rioted city reaches 0 of patriotism, then it could take its
independance : a new nation borns.

Hoping that you'll find it interesting,
Have fun with freeciv!

GL