Oil in the Ocean

[Frank Grimes]

How about placing oil as a strategic resource in the ocean? Offshore drilling exists in the real world today, so why not in Civ III? (kinda like EA Sports, 'If it's in the game, it's in the game'...except in this case I guess it'd be 'If it's in the real world, it's in our simulated world'....anywho, enough rambling)

I guess it would probably appear in sea or coastal squares only, because I believe offshore drilling in the real world typically occurs relatively close to shore.

It could be set up kind of like a colony is on land. Just send a worker out in a transport and build it. They could be destroyed by naval bombardment...or I guess airborne bombers could also do it.

The worker action would become available with the discovery of refining

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

Hey Grimey , I couldn't agree with you more. There should be a form of offshore oil. It seems ridiculous that we can't simulate nations like Australia and Great Britain who, though lacking an inland oil source, do have access to vast amounts of offshore oil (Timor also fits that category) Of course, if it were possible to have either/or unit resource prerequisites, then it might be possible to have "Offshore" oil a distinct form of resource from normal oil-allowing for coastal only improvements which rely on the oil resource!!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

 

[Furius]

Remember when you could build the Offshore platform in Civ II? Maybe one could build that and it could be linked up with an oil anywhere within 10 squares of the city.

 

[Ian Beale]

Yeah couldn't agree more- this would ake Conquests more realistic. Like the idea of a resource being severely damaged, needing repair rather than being destroyed. Do you mean the Oil Rig as that is a good idea- no rig no offshore oil!

 

[sealman]

I have always been an proponent of offshore oil. But you should only be able to get it to your ports for transport if you build some sort of pipeline from the platform to your road network.

 

[Motsart]

All in all, this issue has really lead to Civ III being an acquired taste, IMO. I loved the changes in the combat system from Civ I to Civ II, and was thrilled with the refinements made in SMAC…There was something really satisfying in developing a band of elite units that meant something in combat (other than a couple of more HP).

I have had more than a few games in Civ II and SMAC where the only thing that saved me from being overwhelmed by a numerically superior enemy was a well-timed civ advance or (in SMAC) the strategic placement of elite troops. This kind of excitement is missing from my Civ III sessions, and I have more or less reverted to my Civ I strategy of mass attack.

The other parts of Civ III, (culture, new trading options, etc..) have kept me interested and playing, but I share the frustration expressed here about the combat system.

 

[Motsart]

sorry, wrong thread...oops : (

 

[Sparrow3]

Offshore Platform as a Mobile unit

I'd like to see the offshore platform in Civ3 as a mobile unit. To develope off shore oil it should have to sail out and drill for several turns.

I haven't decided if the player should know in advance where the oil is. You could just pick a square and have a 50% chance of stricking oil. Rigs would be slow and defenseless. So they could be captured or destroyed.

Once oil is found; I like the idea of having to move a production platform onto the site to get the oil to the Civ. We could assume that once the production platform is set up an underwater pipeline connects it to the nearest city. The production platform would be immovable; thus a tempting target for capture in war.


You could also extend this to having cities build mobile land rigs to drill for oil on land. An Oil field would then have to be set up to bring the oil to the city.

 

[Ian Beale]

A 50% chance. Seems a bit high to me. I like the idea of naval units defending the squares around a rig. The idea of drilling for oil on land also sounds good as only a few days ago in the UK a new site was found for onshore oil. It should be very expensive to drill though costing quite a bit of gold or worker time?

 

[Sparrow3]

Originally posted by Ian Beale
A 50% chance. Seems a bit high to me. I like the idea of naval units defending the squares around a rig. The idea of drilling for oil on land also sounds good as only a few days ago in the UK a new site was found for onshore oil. It should be very expensive to drill though costing quite a bit of gold or worker time?

Perhaps 50% is high; but I would not want to make it so high that noone would want to build rigs.

With the offshore platform, you could station land units (infantry) on it for defense also.

I agree drilling should be expensive, I'm thinking in terms of time to complete; but it could be a combination. ex: 10 turns & 2 gold with appropriate extra costs for hurrying production

I also think that things like coal & aluminum should require a mine not just a road.

 

[Ian Beale]

I share your views. If your so desperate for oil though you'll keep trying. Perhaps you could have an advisor suggesting where resources are likely to be found?

 

[Sparrow3]

Originally posted by Ian Beale
Perhaps you could have an advisor suggesting where resources are likely to be found?

The trade advisor? Sounds good to me. sort of like the military advisor saying there are barbarians near whatever city.

I am also wondering if ships should be given a limit maximum travel before refueling. This would make sending tankers with the fleet necessary. Another tempting war target. Sail & nuclear ships the exception; of course.

 

[Mercade]

Originally posted by Sparrow3
I am also wondering if ships should be given a limit maximum travel before refueling. This would make sending tankers with the fleet necessary. Another tempting war target. Sail & nuclear ships the exception; of course.

All in favour of this suggestion!

 

[Furius]

Well, I'm not. I barely manage to use ships as it is. TThis thing would make it quite certain I would never be able to use them.

 

[Brohz]

Oil should be used as a mainenance cost for motorized units and ships, this way one source of oil would maintain a certain number of units, but when the oil is not sufficient, some of the units wouldnt be able to move.

This would make oil more valuable, because in the actual system you can have only one source of oil and keep all the army supplied, but with limited oil, you will need to look for new sources in the sea or in the land.

 

[Metacomet]

I have a little solution, but it only works in the scenarios.

You can change the properties of coast, and allow oil and colonies, then give to one coast title oil and a colony and you have an offsore plataform. It works for me when I needed the scotish oil form the Northen Sea.

 

[Hagbart]

The oil thing you are proposing would change the game from a civ game to a lottery game...

 

[Hagbart]

sry dp

 

[casual_moose]

if they add offshore oil it should only appear on coast

 

[Pirate]

Originally posted by Furius
Remember when you could build the Offshore platform in Civ II? Maybe one could build that and it could be linked up with an oil anywhere within 10 squares of the city.

Great idea, although the oil needs to be within your cultural borders. If it were outside perhaps a worker could build a colony over it, though instead of a special transport or pipeline, the same "offshore platform" improvement can represent the necessary infrastructure.

Of course, you'll need a lot of battleships to keep enemies from blasting the colony to smithereens!