Rats and Public Health

[Kinaed]

I'd rather see the rats as an output than an input.

[Geras]

Do rats spread disease right now?

[LonelyNeptune]

I'm not 100% sure about that - I've pretty much bathed in rat blood and not gotten sick, but it could have been a lucky break. Staff would have to answer that one.

Interestingly enough, if the Health metric affected rat numbers and rats did spread disease, it would be mostly Southsiders getting sick which fits the theme of class divide.

[Geras]

If they do spread disease or could be made to (though not at too extreme a rate please), how about use the health metric to modify the logistic function.

So it would be something like Ratspawn = Metrix Modifier * Ratfunction. And use the logistic function to get rat function.

IE poor public health metrics could double the rat spawn rate and max number of rats or something like that. And good public health could halve it.

[Taunya]

Rats codedly cause plague as far as I know, but only when the health metric is really in the gutter.

[Voxumo]

However it would be interesting to have it the other way around - for the Health metric to affect rat numbers. If rats then spread disease, it would be a consequence for having a low Health metric.

I'd rather see this than Rats randomly spreading disease regardless of the health metric.

[Temi]

Rats actually do spawn extras now for the whole city when health is low.