Need for an ocean going canoe

[Jperkinson]

Just wondering if anyone else has been frustrated by this:

I've been playing 'waterworld' maps now to try and force myself to expand overseas (which I hated doing in the past). One thing I have noticed is that triremes and galleys can not enter oceans spaces...

Well, in my latest start, this limitation keeps me isolated to one section of the map (this is fine by me), however, my galley can move to one coastal square, see a gap of exactly one ocean square, and then see a coast and (presumably) the outline of another island. But it can't get there!

I think in civ 3 you used to be able to 'risk' it, however now I have to sit and wait until caravels to even see the island, and wait even further for galleons to arrive to colonize it. This is a gap of thousands of years! Sailing -> Astronomy.

It seems to me that there should be some kind of early age ocean transport unit... Didn't the Polynesians colonize all those islands using big 'ol canoes tied together?

All I'm saying is that we should be able to cross little hops of ocean sometime before astronomy... Or have a UU that could?

Thoughts?

 

[Sephlock]

Someones been reading "Kon Tiki"...

While we're at it, how about Viking Longboats that can traverse river tiles?


Really, IMHO the best way to handle this would be to take the next step with regards to map generation- have currents (wind and water), so you can get caught up in the current and get carried places you probably wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise.

 

[Ambiorix]

galleys can cross ocean tiles if they're within your cultural border.
Build a city and wait for the borders to expand.

And by the way : it only works within your own cultural borders. But that goes for rival civs too...

 

[modzso]

Yeah, in earlier civs (I, II, and III) you could sail through ocean, however you risked losing your tireme/galley. (In civ3 it were pretty sure that your ship sink.)

Maybe a great merchant/ great general applied to the galley/tireme would allow it.

 

[Bibor]

galleys can cross ocean tiles if they're within your cultural border.
Build a city and wait for the borders to expand.

And by the way : it only works within your own cultural borders. But that goes for rival civs too...

OMG this information ROCKS. I suspected it (fishing boats can enter ocean squares to grab fish), but never thought Galleys fall under the same rule.

 

[gusi]

Maybe we need a polynesian civ with ocean going galleys. You could get to the other side of an ocean, but there would be a significant cost in corruption to overseas cities early on.

 

[Swedishguy]

Maybe we need a polynesian civ with ocean going galleys. You could get to the other side of an ocean, but there would be a significant cost in corruption to overseas cities early on.

Or maybe a barbarian city named "easter island" that randomly plops up one-tile islands farway from land. Or maybe a UFO UU?

 

[Jperkinson]

Someones been reading "Kon Tiki"...

Funny-

I've actually been reading 'Collapse'... which suggests that the opposite was true... (Colonization W -> E, as opposed to E -> W)...

Either way- i do like your idea of ocean currents... Even if you have to form colonies, or independent states when built (due to lack of communications)... if they assimilate once astrology is discovered...

Although maybe this is getting too complicated...


Also- Thanks for the information about cultural boundaries... I wasn't aware of that!

 

[Sephlock]

Swedish: How about a random event stating that a massive volcanic eruption has destroyed a distant, highly advanced civilization. Survivors from this sunken continent provide +10 hammer bonus for any ancient world wonder.

?

 

[Rusty Edge]

Someones been reading "Kon Tiki"...

While we're at it, how about Viking Longboats that can traverse river tiles?


Really, IMHO the best way to handle this would be to take the next step with regards to map generation- have currents (wind and water), so you can get caught up in the current and get carried places you probably wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise.

Hear him!

I hope that the next version of civ will include some of the features of Pirates!, such as winds, and sea traffic. While we're at it, throw in some Railroads-type train traffic on the land trade routes.

Not only river-going longboats, but some sea- going viking vessels , also , to carry a scout or explorer or something to represent the peaceful Scandanavians. [/DREAM]