Great Persons

Since Humankind is all about the people. There should be a great person themed mechanic. But instead of them being a unit which you move to a city and do some action, they should work in conjunction with some other stuff and be generally off map.

How to get them:

- Each era they will be some important known people

- Each is part of a category: Military, Economy, Religion, Culture, Diplomacy, etc. as example, 

- The abilities they offer should affect your whole empire

- The effects could stay during the era or the whole game depending on severity

What they do:

- they could offer a stronger base district, which replace henceforth the common ones (Makers Quarter, Research Quarter, Harbour, etc.; one specific type)

- New infrastructures which are exclusive for that empire, they could replace "normal" infrastructures or offer a new upgrade line with a different path (like a mix of two which requires some certain placements or something along the lines)

- Offer bonus effect to a variety of properties (like FIMS, Pop Growth, Combat Strength, etc.)

- Some active abilities to use during your turn which could do a plethora of things (could be added to the left of the screen)

- New Units (for example: Francis Drake -> Privateer Naval Ships)

- New Religion Tenets which are exclusive

- New Civics which are exclusive

Costs & Limitations:

The cost can be a buyout cost or upkeep or free. The cost does not need to be the same for all Great Persons but can be different to each for example per category.

But I think they all should have some select limitations. This limitation could be tied to for example to your ideological axis position or chosen affinity for that era (or even the culture group). Or their effect can only be used while in certain segments of your ideological axis position or chose civics.

The other questions is, should they be unique? Which means only one empire can have a certain person? (I do not know..., though I prefer unique).

I think they should offer at most buffs to two different things (new infrastructure + a bonus to a resource for example).

I got this Idea from remembering the old founding fathers from the game Colonization, which sprouted this small idea. I liked them because they also moved you in a certain direction or made you stronger there.