Ethical dilemmas a trivial matter?

So I'm one of the only 2 civs left on a huge map in 2232 owning 20 some odd planets and I start getting bombarded with all these ethical dilemmas which I didn't see for the first few years at all, but now getting several a year. I've got over 300,000 billion citizens and getting like 3,000 BC a week in surplus and I get to make decisions on how to deal with say a plague for example that threatens to kill off up to 100 million people if I don't spend like 150 BC to cure it. Alternatively I can sell the fluid in the boils that people develop (which was an incredibly funny choice btw) for a massive 240 BC.

From a utilitarian perspective, I'm not given a reason to care. Basically you just pick the alignment that you want to align yourself with and turn to more pressing matters. The whole thing would be far more interesting if the choices really had some greater impact. The temptation to do something evil or the a great cost of doing the right thing in a situation are completely lost when the events are so insignificant.

I'm sure most people would be upset if they got a random dilemma that forced them to do something evil to save their civilization and that it's hard to choose what a good scale is for a potential disaster simply based on what turn it is into a game, but if they are going to present you with what seems like more and more of these as time passes, couldn't they scale a bit more? Maybe they could be a random percentage (within limits) of your total population / weath / etc instead of just a number (which I assume they are based on consistently low figures like this) In this way you wouldn't be confronted with meaningless choices, well at least not all the time. I mean if I were really in charge of 1/2 the galaxy, I'm not even sure if this event would even be brought to my notice.
4,343 views 4 replies
Reply #1 Top
By now you REALLY should have xeno ethics, and the lovely bonuses it affords. The dilemnas are for begin game.
Reply #2 Top
Somehow I didn't get many random events in the earlier part of the game. I got the choices later on, like Metaphase. I have no idea if it is an anomaly or if it is somehow linked to the way I play or something.
Reply #3 Top
Reply #4 Top
Yup, xeno ethics stops the choices. If you choose evil, allows you to extort money from trade, free evil tourism, free planetary invasions, secret police projects, and VERY powerful weapons only evil may get (but not as good as doom ray, which rocks). Neutral gives a +1 advantage in invasions, neutrality learning centers (the most powerful research center), more trade routes (money) more tourism from neutrals, free terraforming, happier people. While you are good, people like you more, VERY powerful defences, good tourism, more likely to surrender to you, loyal people.

As for weapons techs, just go up laser. You've seen those nice purple beams the DL shoot at you? Doom ray. Great fun.

Oh, and if you give away all planets but one, the planet will be lost in a culture takeover. Game over.