I just have a weird idea lately that I want to share. It's a mechanics to handle civilization management. Most game offer players a certain amount of actions that they can do every turn. Players chose what they want to do according to their strategy.
The idea I had just to the opposite. The players are allowed to do everything they want, but the game adds restrictions to tell them what they cannot do.
The system works like this: At the beginning of the turn, players draw X event cards. These events represent the problems that you need to manage in your civilisation. Players will then have to make a decision to solve the problem on the card.
An event cards is composed of various section (inspired on the TI3 political cards)
Immediate effect: If the player chose this option, an immediate effect occur on the game. Player lose stuff or move stuff on the board.
Permanent effect: If the player use that solution, the card will stay in front of him and the effect will take effect every turn. This could be represented by some changes or laws to control certain things.
Discard Conditions: The things that can be done by the player in later turns to get rid of this card in front of him.
It's possible that some cards affect other players. Or each cards has icons, and if more than X icons are in play, something happen to everybody (the problem is so large that it affect all civilizations)
The idea is that with unique event cards, it will make the civ management looks more alive. It also makes the game more flexible.
What do think?
Yes, that is exactly what it is. Or something very close.