Major and minor rivers

[Aserjiek]

I think things like rubber rafts are already included as equipment in units such as infantry, which would allow them to cross a river and attack units on the other side; marines are just specially trained to do this, and therefore do not suffer the 25% penalty. In addition, engineers, even when under fire have been able to create makeshift bridges or repair existing ones in order for tanks to cross. Due to the size of the tiles, the tanks wouldn't be fighting units while crossing, but from a beachhead established by marines and infantry.

 

[Gangor]

If very large rivers are repesented by coast tiles you should not be able to bridge them just have ferries to cross them

Agreed.

Also a long very big river such as the Amazon which is a few km wide a thousand km inland would look stange if shown as a coast tile

Well maybe there could be different graphics. But for game purposes, a very wide river is not so much different to a narrow strait and so should be treated the same. According to Wikipedia there are no bridges across the Amazon.

 

[Silurian]

I was thinking the other way round.
Narrow straits such as Messina between Sicily and the Italian mainland is only 3km wide and could be repesented by a very large river. The longest single span bridge is just under 2km.

Wider straits such as the Cook Strait, North South NZ, about 25km maybe to wide ever for bridge and could be represented by coast tile

The Misissippi is a very large river when it reaches the Gulf of Mexico and it has bridges on it.

Infantry carring out assults across very large rivers in rubber boats would suffer a very high death rate. Marines as well as being trained to attack across water have the equipment to do it.
Infantry would require a transport to get them accross a very large river.

Smaller rivers that are navigable to river/ coastal craft only could be crossed by infantry to secure a bridge head to allow other units to follow eg tanks, mech infantry, artilery etc. The game should give an advantage for having infantry in an assult across a smaller river. A tank force would have to find a lightly defended bridge to cross.

 

[Takhisis]

Navigable rivers have a current. How would you simulate that?
Maybe ships should drift one tile downriver at the end of every turn.

Also, rivers have rapids and cataracts. Those should be simulated too. They'd go hand in hand with Elevations and terrain features, because waterfalls should accompany dips in terrain level. Waterfalls and other changes in the river level would require the building of locks. Maybe rapids could take additional movement/action points.

 

[Ramesses]

Navigable rivers have a current. How would you simulate that?
Maybe ships should drift one tile downriver at the end of every turn.

No. Give a movement bonus for moving downstream, and no bonus for moving upstream.

 

[Takhisis]

That's more like... the easier way. Duh.

 

[Gangor]

No. Give a movement bonus for moving downstream, and no bonus for moving upstream.

Or an increased movement cost for travelling upstream

 

[Takhisis]

Or both

 

[Gangor]

Or both

I think the navigational difficulties of travelling down a river without steerage way (at least for sailing ships) would at least make up for any benefit that the current would provide.

 

[Silurian]

I assume that rapids would be modelled by fordable river.
If you allowed cannal construction workers could then upgrade to navigable.
Expensive in plains, forest or grassland
Very expensive in hills

Waterfalls would require another type of river!