Carbon emissions penalty

[Marva]

Why is this a thing? It takes a ridiculously large portion of my diplomatic points every turn without anyone else on the planet necessarily being concerned. The other nations might just be discovering coal, but they'll just instinctively "know" it's the devil? A mechanic that becomes relevant in the Industrial era comes with an automatic punishment because some nations in the real-life information age are trying (and failing) to punish a producer of those emissions?

This seems more like it should be the product of an emergency than an automatic penalty, becoming available as an emergency once a player reaches a certain tech or civic. However, I'd prefer to play without it. IMO, it's just a passive-aggressive way to push values through video games.

[[TE] Kuraudo]

Imagine if it worked like this in real life. China and India would have sanctions to high heaven if not outright war declared against them, haha.

[Early Memphis]

In the game I'm playing, I have coal (most Civs don't), but I purposely have built no power plants - and yet I'm still getting a -3 emissions penalty. God knows what it would be if I had power plants. There seems to be no way to reduce this penalty.

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by Strider:

In the game I'm playing, I have coal (most Civs don't), but I purposely have built no power plants - and yet I'm still getting a -3 emissions penalty. God knows what it would be if I had power plants. There seems to be no way to reduce this penalty.

If you're using units with fossil fuel maintenance those produce emissions, and so does using coal to make railroads.

[tempest.of.emptiness]

Originally posted by Strider:

There seems to be no way to reduce this penalty.

It is possible to reduce the penalty by running the carbon emissions reduction special project (repeatedly). That comes late in the tech tree, however.

While you are on your way to unlocking that project, there are a number of ways to offset the penalty by increasing your diplomacy point income. Each city-state of which you are suzerain will increase your income, as will each alliance you have with another civilization. Scored competitions and emergencies will often award the winner(s) a one-time block of diplomatic points.

If that isn't going to be enough then you can plan to "play green" by avoiding any use of coal, oil or uranium resources. So no railroads, no power plants, and no units that require those resources. This will keep your emissions at zero and prevent you from suffering the emissions penalty at all, but of course you pay a price in the form of the things that you don't get to use.

Generally speaking, diplomatic points are only critical if you are focusing hard on a diplomatic victory, or if another civilization in your game is doing so. If diplomatic victory isn't part of your plan for the game, then you can probably ignore the emissions penalty. You won't have as much influence in the world congress (or maybe no influence, if you generate a lot of pollution), and you might lose some resolutions that you would have preferred to have gone another way, but overall the impact is probably going to be fairly minor.

[Izz]

I'd actually like it if this was a penalty that scaled with 'awareness' of the problem at least. Maybe have it only begin at a certain era or when climate change effects become apparent. Another idea would be if it scaled with how many civs are 'aware' of the problem like the happiness penalty in civ 4 that scaled with how many civs had emancipation when you did not

[Infradig]

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

Originally posted by Strider:

In the game I'm playing, I have coal (most Civs don't), but I purposely have built no power plants - and yet I'm still getting a -3 emissions penalty. God knows what it would be if I had power plants. There seems to be no way to reduce this penalty.

If you're using units with fossil fuel maintenance those produce emissions, and so does using coal to make railroads.

I'm in the Medieval Era and have -14 carbon emissions penalty. Not even close to discovering anything that should be emitting carbon.

What's funny is I'm actually playing a "hippie roleplay" playthrough where I can't build mines, quarries, lumber, or Industrial Zones. Going for all solar, wind, dams, and planning on building the Biodome. So I have ZERO things that should be emitting carbon.

The only thing I can think of is I built the Great Bath and I've been spamming Soothsayers on it causing natural disasters to rack up faith on my floodplains.

[Infradig]

Originally posted by Infradig:

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

If you're using units with fossil fuel maintenance those produce emissions, and so does using coal to make railroads.

I'm in the Medieval Era and have -14 carbon emissions penalty. Not even close to discovering anything that should be emitting carbon.

What's funny is I'm actually playing a "hippie roleplay" playthrough where I can't build mines, quarries, lumber, or Industrial Zones. Going for all solar, wind, dams, and planning on building the Biodome. So I have ZERO things that should be emitting carbon.

The only thing I can think of is I built the Great Bath and I've been spamming Soothsayers on it causing natural disasters to rack up faith on my floodplains.

Yeah, I just entered the Renaissance Era, and it set back to 0. As soon as I caused a natural disaster, it went back to -14. LAME!!!!

[Oaks]

Originally posted by Infradig:

Originally posted by Infradig:

I'm in the Medieval Era and have -14 carbon emissions penalty. Not even close to discovering anything that should be emitting carbon.

What's funny is I'm actually playing a "hippie roleplay" playthrough where I can't build mines, quarries, lumber, or Industrial Zones. Going for all solar, wind, dams, and planning on building the Biodome. So I have ZERO things that should be emitting carbon.

The only thing I can think of is I built the Great Bath and I've been spamming Soothsayers on it causing natural disasters to rack up faith on my floodplains.

Yeah, I just entered the Renaissance Era, and it set back to 0. As soon as I caused a natural disaster, it went back to -14. LAME!!!!

Seems like it's the Soothsayer which causes the emissions.

https://civilization.fandom.com/wiki/Soothsayer_(Civ6)

[Infradig]

Originally posted by Oaks:

Originally posted by Infradig:

Yeah, I just entered the Renaissance Era, and it set back to 0. As soon as I caused a natural disaster, it went back to -14. LAME!!!!

Seems like it's the Soothsayer which causes the emissions.

https://civilization.fandom.com/wiki/Soothsayer_(Civ6)

yeah I tested it out, and it definitely was the soothsayer. -4 every time i used him

[Early Memphis]

Originally posted by Early Memphis:

In the game I'm playing, I have coal (most Civs don't), but I purposely have built no power plants - and yet I'm still getting a -3 emissions penalty. God knows what it would be if I had power plants. There seems to be no way to reduce this penalty.

Thanks, makes sense - but I still think the penalty is BS extravagant given how many other civs are building coal power plants to my zero. All this nitpicky stuff, like like war-like civs denouncing me as a warmonger and the world-governing congress being set against me, has really soured me on civ. It's supposed to be a game, not a warped civics lesson (which the current developers don't seem to get).
Why have conquering the world as an option if you're going to punish someone for going that route? Even Nazi Germany and the Soviets (and current Russia) were/are not as downgraded for being bullies. When you see warmongers fighting neighbors and conquering city-states left & right w/o complaint ... warped ...