Is it possible to make ships from land-locked cities using forts?

[thecommonnate]

Do we know if its possible to make ships from land-locked cities using the new forst as canals? Any help appreciated.

 

[kingkasai]

I'm not sure, but if so I also have a question. Can the AI use your forts as canals because if not than you can have port cities without the threat of naval attacks!

 

[Ammar]

Good question! Here's what I found with the Worldbuilder.
Look at my screenshot for detials.

A) You can't built ships in a land-locked city (Madrid). Even if it's next to a fort next to a sea.

B) You can't move ships through forts outside of your cultural borders. Don't know whether you can use your allies ports, but I think so.

C) As in the manual forts only work as a port if they are next to the sea. That means I can't use the chain of four forts in the screenshot to move my ships. The ships cannot move on forts not next to the sea.

D) You can make a cannal three tiles wide, though. If you have a CITY between two forts you can move your ship from the forts next to the sea to the city. That means I can move ships through Madrid to the two forts next to Madrid and the sea.

 

[Gyathaar]

D) You can make a cannal three tiles wide, though. If you have a CITY between two forts you can move your ship from the forts next to the sea to the city. That means I can move ships through Madrid to the two forts next to Madrid and the sea.

This is only because Madrid is next to a fresh water lake

 

[Ammar]

This is only because Madrid is next to a fresh water lake

Good point. Still useful if a bit more situational. Are you sure it doesn't work else?

 

[Henrik]

Is it possible to make ships from land-locked cities using forts?

You can't.

 

[Willowmound]

Does a lake side fort counts as costal?

Yes.

In my so far only BtS game, I was able to sail ships straight through my home peninsula. Thus:

Ocean
City
Lake
Fort
Lake
Fort
City
Ocean

Man that was a time saver.

 

[Danielos]

I wish that Firaxis had changed the graphics for a coastal fort to some kind of fortified canal. It looks odd having ships move into and through those land fortifications.

 

[MarkM]

This is only because Madrid is next to a fresh water lake

Good point. Thanks Ammar & Gyathaar for all the good info!

I agree about the graphics, it's a shame they don't have an alternate rendering for forts & canals, it would be more intuitive (instead of trivia that you might have to stumble on in a forum ) the rest of the game is so gorgeously realistic.

 

[PieceOfMind]

I wish that Firaxis had changed the graphics for a coastal fort to some kind of fortified canal. It looks odd having ships move into and through those land fortifications.

Yes. In fact someone posted a bug report that a ship had moved onto land!

 

[fegguk]

Is is possible to build ships in a lake side city and access to sea by a fort or forts.

A land locked country could have a navy by this means with enough forts and friendly neighbours or vassels.

It could enable you to engage in a naval bombardment against a close neighbour if you have a fort on your territory next to his city. What happens when his borders expand, you could end up with a huge navy on a one tile pond not able to access the sea. Oops

 

[Willowmound]

Yup. All that could be done and can happen.

 

[Lord Shadow]

I wish that Firaxis had changed the graphics for a coastal fort to some kind of fortified canal. It looks odd having ships move into and through those land fortifications.

It'd be better if we got a proper canal improvement instead. This fort-canal thing looks awfully exploit-ish.

 

[eric_]

Yeah, it seems like it wouldn't even need to be an additional improvement. Just make a graphic for coastal forts that's kind of like an aqueduct, but wider and with fort walls on either side. It would also be cool if a city that had a canal coming in to it had its graphic changed to include a water way coming in to it or, in the case of a O>F>C>F>O, through it.

Also, is it certain that you can't do O>F>C>F>O if the city isn't on a lake?

 

[fegguk]

I have to agree it looks like an exploit.

Canals would be a good idea but they would need to be more expensive to build than a fort. Think how much the Panama canal costs to build and then there is maintainance. Cost would need to be dependent on terain and perhap separate types for early middle and late ships. All a bit too complex.

 

[Lord Shadow]

I have to agree it looks like an exploit.

Canals would be a good idea but they would need to be more expensive to build than a fort. Think how much the Panama canal costs to build and then there is maintainance. Cost would need to be dependent on terain and perhap separate types for early middle and late ships. All a bit too complex.

I'd just make it really expensive, personally. It's also something automated workers shouldn't do on their own. Imagine a continent carpeted in canals like they're currently carpeted in roads and/or railroads.

Also, the canal shouldn't give any fort bonuses. It's just a canal, not a fortified position. No bonuses at all, in fact, except the ability of working as coastal water for ships to sail on.

 

[MarkM]

The idea of separate fort & canal structures may have merit, but odds are low of getting a total gameplay change like that into a patch. At this point I'll live with just forts, but -- change the graphic please if a ship is allowed to enter the fort! Obviously the logic is already there to determine that (for movement purposes), they'd just need to reuse it in the rendering engien to show an alternate graphic.

 

[Innawerkz]

With the number of skilled modders in our community, it won't be long before one or more of those ambitious souls collaborate on a mini-project like this.

With enough polish and playtesting it may make it into a patch.