Dig a canal

[Hamsun]

Hi civ'ers!

One thing I really miss in the game, is to order setler units to dig a canal. That would be a strategical advantage in many cases.

Does anyone know of a mod-pack or upgrading that makes it possible to do that?

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Hamsun

 

[Graeme the mad]

YOu can do it by making terrains change to water when transformed - however you lose the transform for anything else and your settler dies

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You can also set ocean to transform to land and make a ship with engineer charachteristics to use on it

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people

 

[Hamsun]

I have tried to follow your directions, although it doesn't seem to work. When moved to a grass land square, my engineer get the option of transforming it into hills. When that has been done, it get the option of transforming the hill into plains and then to grass land. Then I can begin all over again.


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Hamsun

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

There maybe a way to get boats across land, but it's not very practical (I never tested this, but I have heard about it from several people, so it may work).

You build a city on the coast (size 1). Move the ship into the city (be sure the city is not the support city for the ship or any other units). Disband the city by building a settler before it gets to size 2. The boat will then stay in the old city spot. Move the settler one square over and build a new city, move the boat in the new city. Repeat as desired.

If no body else confirms that this works, I will test it when I get home tonight and let you know.

Being a canal is one of the main factors I consider when placing my cities. If I can put a city where it will allow ships to go through a narrow part of a big continent, I make that a priority spot.

 

[Hamsun]

Thanks duke. I am not able to test it myself for the moment, but I look forward to hear your results.

I agree with you in the importance of canal cities.


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Hamsun

 

[Graeme the mad]

I meant by using the editor to change terrain characheteristics: if you dont have the editor you can do it by editing the rules.txt file in your main civ directory - it makes fun scenarios when u can claim land from the sea and make oceans

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

Ok. The trick works. You the whole thing of buidlign the city, moving in the boat, disbanding the city, rebuiliding a new city, moving the boat, etc....

Here's a screenshot with a trireme in the middle of the land.
<IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/image_uploads/Untitled.jpg" border=0>

And in case you are having the same thought I was, no you can't use this to get ships close enough to attack landlocked cities. You can get the ship one square away, but since you can't build a city next to another one, you can't attack. The only way it would work is if the city is next to an inland lake. Oh well... <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/wink.gif" border=0>

Edit: fixed picture. (And no, I didn't just place the ship there by using cheat mode.)

[This message has been edited by Duke of Marlbrough (edited August 14, 2001).]

 

[Hamsun]

Thanks Duke and Graeme. I will remember your tips.

However, I would still like to hear from people, who know of any mod-pack or upgrading that makes it possible for setlers to dig canals.



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Hamsun

 

[Graeme the mad]

I dont know of one but using the method I said I could easily create u one - but you wouldnt be able to transform a specific type of terrain (i suggest grassland because you can forest these)

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people

 

[Leowind]

Duke, your city building/disbanding trick might work, but seems it would be faster, and certainly much easier, to just sail around the landmass in most instances. I can't imagine myself ever being desperate enough to resort to such a technique.

Some sort of a mod-pack or something that would allow canals to be built would be fantastic.

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

It isn't meant to be practical, just feasable. If time is short, you have plenty of extra cash, and maybe only have to do it two or three times, then doing this can be somewhat practical.

Most of the tricks or cheats I talk about are just to let other people know of them so they don't have to spend the time finding it out themselves. Why reinvent the wheel?

I like to know what the limitations of the game are, but it doesn't mean I use them.

 

[History_Buff]

One good way to do it, though by sheer chance, find "rivers" of existing oceans/lakes, and simply build cities. You can set this up easy on map editor or by cheating if you really need it.

 

[Graeme the mad]

I dont kno how to make a modpack that updates your files and stuff but I know how to edit my rules.txt to make canals and to make a unit which reclaims land from the sea (is this the same thing as making a mod-pack)

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people

 

[Hamsun]

By the way, I will send an E-mail to the Firaxis team (who are producing CivIII) suggesting that they will add a "Dig canal" function in the settlers orders menu.


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Hamsun

 

[willemvanoranje]

This might be a nice idea for Civ 3 or 4.

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<IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/willemvanoranje/NET.gif" border=0> CFC Official Reviewer <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/willemvanoranje/GER.gif" border=0>

 

[SvenSlayer]

I think the build canal function is a good idea. I think, though, that only ships that lie shallow in the water (if there's one word for this other than shallow-lying, someone tell me) should be able to use them.

 

[duke o' york]

I think that to offset the fact that they can sink if they leave the shoreline, you should be allowed to sail triremes up rivers. They would of course be attacked by any other ground troops while on the rivers but would definitely aid exploration. Does anyone think this would be unfair? I don't know how you could amend the rules.txt to include this without just allowing boats to sail all over other land squares but it would be a pleasant change.

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in vino veritas

 

[Morten Blaabjerg]

To my knowledge Firaxis is including the "great canal" in Civ3. I think it is a small wonder, which can be built once by all tribes.

I'd like to see the option of sailing trireme type units up rivers. I hope they include this. It would open so many doors for interesting scenarios, with something like this.

 

[Cunobelin Of Hippo]

LOL hey, I had an idea. If there was a key bit of terrain that you needed to keep watch over and keep the enemies out, you could move a couple of Battleships into the middle of a continent and kick the crap out of passing armies

 

[jc011]

how do you disband a city