And if that quests fails miserably? Is there a downside, XP wise, or do you just lose those, and the Gold it cost you to send them out?

Why not just go out and fight for experience? Isn't that the point of playing this game?

On a balance level it would make since to use the current system of getting city bonuses while one is in the city and getting experience when fighting outside. Making a choice of opportunity cost: big producitve city, or lots of essence in the bank.

exactly, i just want there to be a way for different play styles to be balanced.  even give a different type of game to those players that want to stay at home.  make them feel like they are staying at home and making IMPORTANT decisions that a king would make.  these decisions would always be things that had an impact on the game world in some way.  played smartly, the game would reward you for good administration skills, and played badly, well there would be consequences. 

If they aren't making meaningful decisions, investments, or contributions for staying at home then they shouldn't get any experience ... lol

We are welcome to suggestions for alternatives of course (and receiving suggestions from those that wish for a game with multiple play-strategies)

What this sounds like to me is like in King Arthur, where you periodically have the opportunity to embark on little text-adventures for fun and profit.  They came with rewards like special generals, artifacts, spells, and the like, and were kind of the only thing keeping me playing the game.

They really helped to breathe life into the game, and make it feel like more of a living world, and helped you to think of your generals and leader as having distinct personalities.  Like "well, diplomacy seems like the right option, but Gawain here hates elves so everyone gets to die" kind of stuff.

Another game it reminds me of is King of Dragon Pass, which is basically nothing but decisions about the running of your clan and diplomacy between tribes (and a lot of cow-theft for good measure), which I'll give a link to an lp of it, seeing as it's incredibly obscure. http://v2.lparchive.org/LetsPlay/KODP/index.html

It's my feeling that events like in King Arthur and King of Dragon Pass could only improve Elemental, if only for providing a more flavorful and unpredictable experience.

Well, yeah, not completely random.  I meant random  as in you can't be sure of every game playing out the same way.  Sure, some events tied to triggers like "YOUR PEOPLE ARE STARVING" or "YOU IGNORE YOUR ADVISERS" or "YOU CAN'T CUT BACK ON FUNDING!  YOU'LL REGRET THIS!!  YOU'LL DOOM US ALL!" kind of stuf, but also some things that you can't predict as much.

Stuff like "holy crap trolls eating my grain" or "a new cult worshiping the fallen has sprung up" or "a brash young mage has challenged you to a duel of magic" kind of things.  Stuff that you wouldn't necessarily be able to see happening on the big map, but still lets you shape how your civilization behaves, and might snag you some neat spells or items on the side.

they had this mechanic in galciv2.  sometimes you would get the morality choices.  in this context you would get experience for your stay at home sovereign.

I was going to link that iconic Henry VIII tossing chicken behind his back image. But then I found this:

And now I pretty much want being sovereign to be like that. Making people eat my chicken. 

As for events, it'd be nice to have a really complain-y electorate, and, honestly, I'd also like it if they stole most of the mechanisms Paradox has been talking about for Victoria 2, which is now my most wanted game ever. 

Blah blah blah it wouldn't fit blah blah blah needs more swords blah blah magic. You know what? I'm bored of swords and sorcery and populations of plebs so inert that they can barely scratch their own ah^h^h^h^cksides.! I'd like to see some gosh darned honest to goodness political do-baddery, with an honest to goodness attempt at capitalism where scripted events aren't necessary because it's already handled by the model.

Well of course. That's what making someone eat your chicken really means when you get right down to it. Setting them on fire. And stuff. 

But us vegetarians think chicken is pretty foul, so you might not interpret it the way I did.

You probably thought a penis was involved! Filthy minded perverts! Just because I wanted to feed them some co... oh.