I like the previously suggested ideas of being able to select a boatload (4-6 adult villagers, 1 child) to start a new game at the end. What about also providing this option earlier in the game, for those who like to have 2-3 games running on their computer? Start game 2 with "colonists" from game 1. And make boat building an activitity / milestone.

I also like the idea of having masters teach at the school and being able to impart knowledge. By taking your master scientist / builder / whatever out of doing their actual work, it's a judgement call but an investment in the future generation, so it's a real-life type choice.

What about adding some sort of "coming of age" ritual when children become 14 and can work? Normal in primitive cultures (and advanced ones too - could be sort of an Isola Bar Mitzvah!)
These could be officiated over by Shamans if LDW decides to implement that idea -- which is a good one as it's also common in primitive cultures and makes those sprituality tech levels a lot more useful. If the village has a master Shaman, the kid gets a boost starting out in his career in the skill of his choice. If only an adept or trainee Shaman, the villagers just "celebrate" like they do when a puzzle gets solved.

I also like the idea of adding some form of hunting. Maybe not really cute animals though, if that would disturb children. Maybe have wild boars who can bring good or bad luck like the monkeys. The could randomly roam around and dig up truffles for the villagers which have a lot of food points, OR they can go on the rampage and eat some of the food or mess up one of the huts which then has to be recuilt. We'll all probably end up really liking these boars, no matter how ugly you make them, so maybe add a feature where they can kill a boar and get a lot of food points, but the trade off is losing some tech points.

Yeah, probably need to add cooking, don't want them to eat raw pork!

-- Kathryn C
aka "Makalapa" (newbie)