Unless it had some effect on how windmills are used, like maybe needing 2 survivors to run a windmill or something, chances are we an't gonna be rescuing anyone else. We don't even use the current "get moar spell power" stuff now.
That, though, is BECAUSE that's all they do right now.
Taken from the OP explaining some of the new system: "Then you will be able to use them on dispatch missions where they go do things for you like find a specific resource that has been eluding you, destroy an ice pirate patrol, or weaken the overlord. And on higher citybuilding difficulties the overlord will be stronger so that you
need to use your fellow survivors to do just that."
THAT kinda stuff is the reasoning for it. It's not just gonna be power scrolls and Wind Shelters anymore. This is sounding more like what they were originally headed towards in beta. (not to mention, even the power scrolls depend on certain factors. On the highest difficulty, I find them ESSENTIAL. On lower ones, they're not really needed).
Yet at the same time, it's looking like if you for whatever reason dont want to deal with this part of the game, you can simply drop the "citybuilding" difficulty to the lowest, and ignore it. But it's sounding like, if you're on the HIGHER difficulties of it..... you *have* to do it, and use it well, or you cannot win (and chances are, it's gonna require a decent population size at higher levels in order to work). That kind of thing, I like.
HOPEFULLY though, if they're going with this, the "slowly rescue one survivor at a time" bit might not be the only way to get these guys, so they can be gotten in larger numbers without taking forever.