Bridges/canals/dams

They could take dozens or scores of turns to build, but absolutely change the world when they were completed. cases in point? panama canal, chunnel, hoover dam, etc. I think they are vital to earth, and should be vital to a civilization game as well. Canals and bridges could be crossable to both naval and land units. Dams could create water tiles upriver, and provide better ground (such as turning plains into grassland upriver, or swamp/jungle into grassland/forest downriver). these units' owners could charge a fee for them to be used by other nations. there could even be collaborative efforts and neutral ownership. comments?

There are numerous threads out on this topic especially, Cannals.

My opinion-Cannals-Definately
Bridges/Tunnels-No way.
Dams-I ll have to see.

However, I would like to see the terrain piece back from Civ 2, where a ship could cross through a land square, which had a straight blue line through it, representating a canal.

I definiely like dams as an idea. It could change the direction of a river, maybe produce electricity for that country, and dams could definitely be another cause for war.

Bridges and tunnels I am not sure. Depends on what? The way it works! Everybody knows if it is free, the sea will be a huge tunel.

Generally I am in favor of anything to increase realism, however I do put an important caveat on the end of that statement: as long as it is practical. In this case bridges, tunnels and dams just don't make the cut. There are too many problems and exploits which would result (not to mention they are unnecessary in many ways to my way of thinking). In the case of canals I totally agree, they are completely necessary to a game which by this name. They play a vital role in how humanity has reshaped and "shrunk" the world. Furthermore they play a huge role in international, national, and regional tactics. In fact in before Panama was built in the last century various countries threatened war if any one of the others undertook the project. Towards the end of the century the US committed itself to a full scale engagement in that area due to the canal's importance to the American Navy (or probably more aptly named, Empire). Compared to the Suez, Panama is just an inexperienced tyke in the world of politics and warfare. That canal has been fought over and has been central to various country's policy's for even long and has had more wars fought over its possession than anyone cares to contemplate I think. In conclusion, Canals are in, the rest, no.

Bridges canals and dams should be in civ, i concur!

Ok for canals!!

Ok for bridges. As things are now, they are automatically built-in road once you have engineer tech. Would be nice to have bridge built by workers, as roads are, for they could be destroyed to slow down enemy's army.

But some could view it as too small sclae to be relevant.

I would do with bridges and no-bridge.

i think all three would be good, but dams may be a bit tricky to implement

Napo981 said:

Ok for canals!!

Ok for bridges. As things are now, they are automatically built-in road once you have engineer tech. Would be nice to have bridge built by workers, as roads are, for they could be destroyed to slow down enemy's army.

But some could view it as too small sclae to be relevant.

I would do with bridges and no-bridge.

Click to expand...

I am not sure you understood bridges. He talks about brigdes across the sea. Like the chanel, but a bridge.

yeah....one square bridges...thats in...i can think of a thousand times that option would have been usefull...maybe canals only as deep as costal tiles...and dams...hmmm...i dunno what they would do as far as practice...but it would be cool to destroy enemy dams and flood there territory

I think someone should be able to make bridges and canals as long as they want them to be, but they should be immensely expensive and take a long time to construct, so as to limit the amount that people would feasably build

mastertyguy said:

I am not sure you understood bridges. He talks about brigdes across the sea. Like the chanel, but a bridge.

Click to expand...

You're right, I read to fast!!!!

This way bridges are a no no . A tile represent a lot of miles. No bridges can cross that length.

A Bridge across a full tile? I find that absurd considering the scale of civ. I could maybe see it in a scenario context but a bridge across a tile is rediculous in civ terms.

the more i think about it..the more im begining to doubt my own ideas...bridges would be cool..but yeah...were talking about the scale of at least 50 miles in a sqare....whats the longest bridge now...just under 10(?)...hmph...that sucks...i do like canals though...even not including major canals...man made canals or re routes around impassible structure has made the great lakes economy what it is(except all those pesky non native species that hurt my fishing)

the longest bridge is actually 27 miles, and i forget whether its the florida keys bridge, or if its the chesapeake bay bridge. one of the two. They are in the design phase of building a bering strait bridge, but that could be 20 years away or more.

Damn, I like That Dam Idea!!!


Flood some land
Make some Power
Bomb some Dam
Make him Sour


Gooooooo DaaM!

i forgot about those bridges ..but there built in realitivly timid seas and shallow areas..but your right..there long....but i still dont think any where near the scale that has been discussed. the ideas sound...but...hmph..we are all kinda a lil flustered about the absence of realism..i dont think another ? should be added

what about a land bridge? it could take immensely long to make, and that would make it realistic. Then one could build a canal through it, bada-bing bada-boom, problem solved.

i don't think that canals or bridges are very practical in the context of civ because each tile is really, really, immensely big. If you want a canal across a one tile piece of land just plop a city down a put a harbor in it, it works just as well. as for dams, that may be a great idea, especially in changing desert into flood plains and creating small lakes. and perhaps wealth/sheilds (i don't kno which one would be more appropriate) could be generated with dams as well.

I suppose bridges wouldn't be realistic, but canals would be. The suez is about 60 miles long, the eerie canal is over 100, and the Grand Canal of China is roughly 250 miles long. That's 5 squares.

Dams would probably generate shields, I would think.