The thread somewhat slid into “Random Global Events” direction. While I remind it’s only one direction of doing a “better storytelling”, there are some ideas:
- Random events can be positive, negative and situational.
A good example here is Endless Legend. There are times of famine when your food stockpiles drop. There are times of strange “money boosts” when your territory gives more money. There’s Winter which makes most things much harder (however, if you are prepared better than your enemy, you can actually use it to your advantage instead of “turtling up” in your cities).
Another example is a typical “natural disaster” from SimSity or Cities: Skylines.
Seasons and natural phenomena are very good examples of that - some are expected, some are random, some, while expected, can bring randomized changes. Water floods. Sudden boosts of land fertility. Rabbit stampedes.
(The more I think of the rabbit stampedes, the more I want them in my city. It’s basically a corrida. With rabbits.)
- Random events can be big and small.
While a tornado is a “big” event, a trader visiting your town is a small one. Both, however, can be interesting - especially if traders have “memory” of previous interactions with you.
Some of my previous ideas:
Do want.