Civ 4 ideas - Straits and Canals

[Optimizer]

I have some simple suggestions that would hopefully make the game more interesting and realistic, without too much complexity.

* There should be a "strait" terrain type, like Öresund (between Sweden and Denmark), the Bosporous (at Istanbul) and the Strait of Gibraltar. Naval units should be slowed down at Straits. Ground units should be able to cross the strait without ships, but that would take several turns. In the late game you should be able to build bridges across straits. This terrain type could also be used to simulate great rivers. Straits would give a good food and commerce output.

* A ship that enters a city with access to more than one body of water should have to return to the same body of water that it came from. But - as technology advances you would learn to build Canals. They would allow ships to pass through them to inland cities or bodies of water. Canals would also give a commerce and shield bonus, like Railroads.

[MrBaggins]

Your poll needs... bananas.

[asleepathewheel]

I think something like you describe would be great for a modder or for scnearios. It seems pretty complicated to me to get a map generator to do such things, IMHO, though I really have no idea what it requires.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by MrBaggins
Your poll needs... bananas.

This terrain type would be helpful for scenarios, but is it really needed for game purposes?

[lajzar]

Just have straits a la civ2. Simpler to implement. Forcing the computer to remember which side of a city tile a ship is on is like orcing it to remember which side of a river tile a land unit is on. Lots of work for little gain.

I am in favour of a canal as a terrain improvement, which allows ships to enter.

[Optimizer]

The point of forbidding a ship to cross an isthmus through a city is to prevent the player from creating a Panama or Suez canal in the early game. Human players are usually better at using this technique to their advantage.

It wouldn't be too hard for a map editor to include straits - just make a map the usual way and add straits at random places where two landmasses are just one water tile from each other.

[Flinx]

Two aspects I have always found missing: Bridges and Canals

[alva]

Sure, why not.

Bridges would indeed be nice.

[H Tower]

What kind of bridges are we talking about here though? A road over a river or a bridge over the English Channel? Yeah to the first, nay to the second.

You know, Civ2 has enough events language in it to have bridge units for scenarios

[alva]

Before the tunnel was build, there was a plan to make it a bridge instead of a tunnel.

How long is the bridge connecting Denmark to Holland...

[H Tower]

Leonardo Divinci dreamed of airplanes back in the middle ages, that doesn't mean there should be an airplane unit when you discover invention. You can plan lots of stuff but it isn't always feasible.

Bridges of this size would only be realistically available in the late game, so who really cares?

[Optimizer]

There's no bridge between Denmark and Holland, as Germany is between them...

[Panag]

hi ,

maybe it could become a small wonder , ....

canals , bridges , etc , .... should be included into the terrain editor !

have a nice day

[grap1705]

I think Canals are definitely a good idea as terrain improvement. And if we take the Panama example, not only through flat terrain. But then, if through hills, much more costly to build of course.

The strait thing, I am more reserved about. First because land units in real world can only cross them by building boats. So why should it be different here?

But building underwater tunnels or bridges over straits should definitely be possible. This could be limited to shallow water of course, and would mean workers can go over shallow water, if only when ordered to build a bridge or tunnel. Making this a terrain improvement reserved for shallow waters, I don't think any other limit should be put. Being a costly imrpovement, it's then our problem to decide to invest in a 20 square long bridge or tunnel or rather have a ferry.

But as roads, they could vehicle power supply (see thread on energy: a strategic national issue).

[Panag]

Originally posted by grap1705
I think Canals are definitely a good idea as terrain improvement. And if we take the Panama example, not only through flat terrain. But then, if through hills, much more costly to build of course.

The strait thing, I am more reserved about. First because land units in real world can only cross them by building boats. So why should it be different here?

But building underwater tunnels or bridges over straits should definitely be possible. This could be limited to shallow water of course, and would mean workers can go over shallow water, if only when ordered to build a bridge or tunnel. Making this a terrain improvement reserved for shallow waters, I don't think any other limit should be put. Being a costly imrpovement, it's then our problem to decide to invest in a 20 square long bridge or tunnel or rather have a ferry.

But as roads, they could vehicle power supply (see thread on energy: a strategic national issue).

hi ,

, as long as tunnels and bridges comes with a tech , and there should be risks with it , a tunnel can flood due to an volcano erruption , etc , .... there should be a max of tiles to be set true the editor and we should be able to decide to have them ingame or not , ....

have a nice day