Feature Suggestion: Rivers act like roads

[MattPilot]

Just had an idea while reading the mountain pass topic.

What if units that move along a river (from a square that has a river to a square that is connected with the same river) get the same movement bonus that roads give.

This would simulate units using ships on the river. Certainly would be quicker than walking along the river.

This would only be helpful in the early stages of the game, because once roads are built, it wouldn't matter anymore.

We already know that rivers connect cities for trade, why not let units move along it as if it were a road.

Opinions please...

[Dis]

Civ2 already did this.

not that I'm saying it's a bad idea. I kind of miss the fast movement on rivers in civ2.

[GeoModder]

Rivers run between the tiles, not on them, so this won't be feasible I think.

[alms66]

Originally posted by GeoModder
Rivers run between the tiles, not on them, so this won't be feasible I think.

This is actually the reason that Firaxis gave for why the feature didn't carry over from civ2 into civ3 - with rivers at the tile borders, they said it wasn't possible.

In reality, it is possible, but it would be weird.

[GeoModder]

I guess something can be programmed that movement alongside riverbanks (in gameterms) is also 1/3 of a movement point, as to simulate transporting over the river.

[alms66]

Originally posted by GeoModder
I guess something can be programmed that movement alongside riverbanks (in gameterms) is also 1/3 of a movement point, as to simulate transporting over the river.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Along the river is 1/3, while crossing the river consumes all movement points (just as in civ3). Like I said though, that's a little weird.

[Aro]

If I understood correctly, every tile adjacent to a river would be 1/3 movement IF the unit moves along the river. If you cross the river, normal penalties applies...
Great idea, I think it’s very interesting. Maybe with some pre-requisite technology?

[Aro]

Originally posted by alms66

....that's a little weird.

Not at all... It seems very logic to me.
As soon as you learn how to chop trees and tie them together, or dig and burn a cavity in a trunk tree to make a canoe, you can do it.

[Atahualpa]

The weird part is, when you are on the boat floating down the river, why does it take you longer to cross, when you could just choose the side you want to land on. Also you'd need to give directions to rivers.

[alms66]

You've got it Aro.

Originally posted by Atahualpa
The weird part is, when you are on the boat floating down the river, why does it take you longer to cross, when you could just choose the side you want to land on. Also you'd need to give directions to rivers.

That's a good point. I guess it's not really necessary to consume all movement points on crossing the river. As for directions, do you mean the flow direction of the river, so that you get 1/3 bonus only going downstream? If so, that's fairly easy to do, one end of the river is labeled 'head' (start point), and the other is labeled 'delta' (end point). I'm sure the map generator already uses that information, it's just a matter of storing it for gameplay use.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Aro
Maybe with some pre-requisite technology?

A Timber Proficiency tech perhaps?

[Dis]

also finding timber in flood plains and desert is no easy task.

Ata's post leads me believe things are fine as they are. it is kind of cheesy being able to move down a river that fast (and not being able to cross the river just as fast).

At the very least it should take a turn to construct the canoes. And then you could move 3 spaces.

[Datajack Franit]

Yeah but CROSSING rivers often blocked one civ from meeting another, so this should be implemented as well