New Natural Wonders?

[dagriggstar]

Black Hills if we get the Sioux or similar in
Could the "true source of the Nile" be a NW ?

They might be able to do a waterfall animation if there are hills/mountains nearby, anyway that's the only way it'd make sense

 

[True_Candyman]

Also, no no no no no NEIN NEIN NEIN NEIN fantasy ones (El Dorado is slightly tolerable; though it doesn't exist, at least it is plausible. Fountain of Youth is downright magical).

Actually, the Fountain of Youth is more plausible than El Dorado. El Dorado was a person, he was the man covered in man, supposedly the leader of the Muisca.

At least the Fountain of Youth MAY have existed, albeit just a regular fountain that people got far too excited about.

I'm all for crazy ones if they are rare though. It spices things up, especially in multiplayer.

 

[Kimuyama]

The Island of Socotra will make a nice NW, Madagascar, Lake Victoria is too big.

It would be like a small sized continent where every tile gives a NW-bonus

 

[Tinker]

Some not-mountainous Natural Wonders to fit the theme:

- Okavango Delta (Botswana)
- Vatnajökull (Iceland)
- Victoria Falls (Zambia)
- Cocos Island (Costa Rica)
- Białowieża Forest (Poland)
- Angel Falls (Venezuela)

I'd really like there to be far more Natural Wonders than there are currently, as seeing the Barringer Crater again gets pretty boring.

 

[Cyon]

African NW: Sergengeti could be a two tile plains wonder (the could add a savannah tile replacment instead of plains) serengeti should yield turism or food.

A more obscure NW woukd be the Oklo natural nuclear fisson in Gabon, a nuckesr driven hit spring, could yield science and uranium.

 

[MisterBoomBoom]

How cool would it be to have a Great Engineer...construct ...say Mount Rushmore...out of a nearby mountain and adding culture to the civ!? Great peoples doing more great things in cross over fashion is a fantastic mechanic! Fingers crossed.

 

[damnyankees]

Grand Canyon is the most obvious non-mountain NW I think. I'm surprised it isn't in the game already.

 

[DonStamos]

For natural wonders I could really see some african ones, Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls and the Cape of Good Hope (or the Tafelberg) comes to mind, one alternative could possibly be the "source of the Nile", (possibly) spawning at the source of a current game's longest river, not to mention, like, the entire island of Madagascar and Socotra; Also the Khyber Pass, as mentioned above.
But I disagree with the Aurora, as it is phenomenon, like rain, snow or thunder, and not a Monolith stuck in the ground.

New line of thought here: Re: thunder as I wrote just now, the continuous Catatumbo Lightning would be a kick ass natural wonder.

omfg yes yes yes yes yes yes Catatumbo Lightning needs to be a Natural Wonder. I've wanted it since I found out it existed.

But the Aurora Borealis is a fairly dependable phenomenon, just like the Catatumbo Lightning, which is why those two would work as Natural Wonders.

 

[Gucumatz]

Catatumbo Lightning would be another brilliant Natural Wonder and would look amazing on a landscape... problem is I bet it would be hard to design and is fairly unknown.

Eternal lightning fields sounds like almost out of the Matrix, but its responsible for 10% of our Ozone alone and is a brilliant sight to see. Sir Francis Drake used it as a lighthouse basically to launch attacks at night

 

[Bandersnatching]

I want to third the Catatumbo Lightning. Hadn't heard of it before now, but it sure does look freaking awesome.
As a side note: does anybody know if it is still impossible to code new Natural Wonders? Because having the ability to add ones that should be in game but aren't would be very nice as well.

 

[Pouakai]

What? But surely we need Solomon's Mines, Opar, a Lost Valley and an Elephant Graveyard when we go "searching for the great natural wonders of the heart of Africa"?

Plot twist: Shangri-La is actually in Africa

I'd agree with the Okavango Delta, Serengeti etc., although I'd also suggest the Tsingy de Bemaraha, Richat Structure (aka. Eye of Africa), Ngorongoro Crater and maybe the Makgadikgadi Pan

 

[Gucumatz]

A random side thought - The SFA scenario mentions that it will heavily feature archaeologists. I bet there will be an easter egg "Ark of the Covenant" achievement in East Africa

 

[Gucumatz]

The Eye of Africa looks really cool.

The Great Barrier Reef is a 2 tile long wonder. I wonder if we could see some multi tile nat wonders this go around too, say the Great Rift Valley/Nile/Aurora?

 

[DonStamos]

Second for Eye of Africa/Eye of the Sahara.

Catatumbo Lightning should be on a Jungle/Hill adjacent to a river. That can't be too hard to accomplish, I wouldn't think

I'd love to see the Burgess Shale as a "minor" Natural Wonder that gives science (many of the oldest fossils on Earth are found there), as well as Pitch Lake. Plus there's always the Great Blue Hole or Bimini Road for water Natural Wonders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgess_shale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_lake
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blue_Hole
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimini_road

 

[Kimuyama]

But the Aurora Borealis is a fairly dependable phenomenon, just like the Catatumbo Lightning, which is why those two would work as Natural Wonders.

Nah, I disagree, catatumbo is after all in just one place, Auroras happens everywhere on the poles.

 

[mitsho]

Agree on more natural wonders. All of the suggestions in here sound really good so I don't think it actually matters which ones make it into the game... I would like them to make this decision based on gameplay. I could see a few more coastal wonders to spice up those regions and tundra or jungle wonders as those areas are underpowered. I don't think we need more desert wonders since those tiles can be buffed ad absurdum already with wonders and beliefs...

Unfortunately, I fear we will have more "fake" ones in Africa. I do hope these Natural Wonders feature into the new Tourism concept.

 

[Akinaba]

What do you, guys, say about the deepest lake in a world that contains 19% of all world's fresh water -- Lake Baikal, for example?
(Sorry, guys could not help to post before I've read that actual discussion was focused around Afrtica )

 

[Gucumatz]

Well it would be interesting - But I don't suspect Baikal. We don't have any lake Natural wonders and if we get one I suspect it will come out of Africa with this expansion's scenario focus.

 

[DonStamos]

Well, the Africa scenario will likely have a good seven or eight, if they want to "fill it."

I could see

Serengeti - Plains
Lake Victoria - Lake
Angel Falls - Hill/Mountain with a River
Eye of the Sahara - Desert
Mt. Kilimanjaro - Mountain
Ngorongoro Crater - Hill/Plains?
Cape of Good Hope - Coast

Others that could be added:

Catatumbo Lightning - Jungle/Hill
Burgess Shale - Tundra/Hill
Lake Baikal - Tundra/Lake (I think this should be one as well)
Pitch Lake - could actually appear on any open terrain
Amazon Rainforest - 2 or 3 tile jungle wonder
Bermuda Triangle - Ocean (even if it is mythical)
Bimini Road - Coast
Great Blue Hole - Coast
Sundarban - Marsh
Challenger Deep - Ocean

I'd love all these, and more. The maps currently feel.... empty of Natural Wonders compared to real Earth.

 

[anandus]

Although I don't like fictional NW's personally, it wouldn't suprise me if King Solomon's Mines would be in there (like Eldorado), although Cerro de Potosi fills that role neatly.