Do hospitals actually do anything?

[Aedenn]

I recently played a game as modena during the Black Plague. I had fully upgraded hospitals in all provinces, but still got the plague. Heres how it went down.

The plague starts to infect Europe, getting really deep into Italy, although, im basically unharmed except for one province in the southeast that gets infected. Then, about 1 or 2 years into the plague, im the only country in Europe besides the areas in Poland without the plague. Then, one other province, in the southwest, gets infected. Again, it was a fully upgraded hospital with all the disease preventions. Then, in the next month, ALL of my provinces is infected. All fully with fully upgraded hospitals too! Then, when the disease finally started to go away, I was the last country in Europe to remove the plague.

I dont really understand why this happened. If you have a possible explanation, please post below.

 

[henzington]

The plague is special but for an other disease hospitals help quite a bit

 

[Serenity84]

For normal epidemics they can completely stop a disease

Then, about 1 or 2 years into the plague, im the only country in Europe besides the areas in Poland without the plague

Northern Italy and Poland are part of the Historical Plague Exclusion Zone. Those areas weren't affected as much and they modeled it in the game. Though for Italy the reason was because some cities followed very strict quarantine policies

 

[Castimirr]

There are several possible patterns for the initial plague outbreak, some follow the historic route and some don't.

I had wondered about hospitals too at one point. After some digging into the mechanics, they do work and at higher levels work well, especially if they aren't being offset by high Prosperity in the province.

The problem is the black death is just that much more lethal. Its chance of spreading is astronomically high compared to the others. A hospital may delay it for a few rolls (checked once a month) but it will probably still spread before it dies out in the other province.

Once it spreads to you it, the hospital doesn't seem to change how long it lasts. So you hold it off for a few months, but then recover a few months later as well.

It has the same effect on depopulation. The hospitals do help, it's just that it has such a powerful effect it is still going to get overwhelmed.

Despite the marketing, they aren't great for dealing with the black death, though the extra delay can potentially give you time to move people out of the way.

Their real value (in terms of epidemics) is against all the other disease outbreaks. They are very effective against those and can often either stop a disease from spreading into a county or at least keep it from resetting the prosperity/depopulating it.

Also their other benefits are really nice, including tech gain.

It fits well that there is one event that overpowers them. It's just confusing and a bit disappointing at first because it's the most obvious event you would want the protection for. The other disease outbreaks are a different issue, and not having your court dying of consumption and small pox is quite helpful. You just might not notice it since the outbreak never hits you.

 

[junassa]

There are several possible patterns for the initial plague outbreak, some follow the historic route and some don't.

I had wondered about hospitals too at one point. After some digging into the mechanics, they do work and at higher levels work well, especially if they aren't being offset by high Prosperity in the province.

The problem is the black death is just that much more lethal. Its chance of spreading is astronomically high compared to the others. A hospital may delay it for a few rolls (checked once a month) but it will probably still spread before it dies out in the other province.

Once it spreads to you it, the hospital doesn't seem to change how long it lasts. So you hold it off for a few months, but then recover a few months later as well.

It has the same effect on depopulation. The hospitals do help, it's just that it has such a powerful effect it is still going to get overwhelmed.

Despite the marketing, they aren't great for dealing with the black death, though the extra delay can potentially give you time to move people out of the way.

Their real value (in terms of epidemics) is against all the other disease outbreaks. They are very effective against those and can often either stop a disease from spreading into a county or at least keep it from resetting the prosperity/depopulating it.

Also their other benefits are really nice, including tech gain.

It fits well that there is one event that overpowers them. It's just confusing and a bit disappointing at first because it's the most obvious event you would want the protection for. The other disease outbreaks are a different issue, and not having your court dying of consumption and small pox is quite helpful. You just might not notice it since the outbreak never hits you.

Is there a relationship between level of hospitals and the closed gate events (e.g. running out of food)? I can never get to max hospitals but I haven't had those events for the past 15 or so games.

 

[Castimirr]

Is there a relationship between level of hospitals and the closed gate events (e.g. running out of food)? I can never get to max hospitals but I haven't had those events for the past 15 or so games.

That I do not know. I haven't looked into it. I almost never use that option though. If possible I prefer to be off leading an army with my heirs somewhere safe, at least for the plague. Otherwise the diseases don't seem to hit me much (which is probably the hospitals, but I am sure the RNG will take that comment as a personal insult and pay me back soon).

 

[henzington]

As far as I know, the closed gate events are totally separate from diseases but the plague tends to last much longer then other diseases

 

[Crangiopharengoma]

There are several possible patterns for the initial plague outbreak, some follow the historic route and some don't.

I had wondered about hospitals too at one point. After some digging into the mechanics, they do work and at higher levels work well, especially if they aren't being offset by high Prosperity in the province.

The problem is the black death is just that much more lethal. Its chance of spreading is astronomically high compared to the others. A hospital may delay it for a few rolls (checked once a month) but it will probably still spread before it dies out in the other province.

Once it spreads to you it, the hospital doesn't seem to change how long it lasts. So you hold it off for a few months, but then recover a few months later as well.

It has the same effect on depopulation. The hospitals do help, it's just that it has such a powerful effect it is still going to get overwhelmed.

Despite the marketing, they aren't great for dealing with the black death, though the extra delay can potentially give you time to move people out of the way.

Their real value (in terms of epidemics) is against all the other disease outbreaks. They are very effective against those and can often either stop a disease from spreading into a county or at least keep it from resetting the prosperity/depopulating it.

Also their other benefits are really nice, including tech gain.

It fits well that there is one event that overpowers them. It's just confusing and a bit disappointing at first because it's the most obvious event you would want the protection for. The other disease outbreaks are a different issue, and not having your court dying of consumption and small pox is quite helpful. You just might not notice it since the outbreak never hits you.

But that would mean that layers of hospitals might be an effective way to slow the plague? If you have three or four rings then the innermost ring might be safe.

 

[Yeekim]

But that would mean that layers of hospitals might be an effective way to slow the plague? If you have three or four rings then the innermost ring might be safe.

No, it only means this innermost province will be the last to get infected - and also last to get rid of the infection.