refrigeration = desert cities

[wolfblue]

Does anyone else think refrigeration should allow the use of deserts?

in todays world some of the biggest and most important cities exist in desert locations that were impossible 100 years ago. the middle east and the south western united states contain some of the most successfull cities in the world but CIV seems to ignore this.

I know that civ does not really model city growth and development well but do you think that some modern technology like electricity and/or refridgeration should allow the building of hamlets in deserts. maybe with stipulations like only within 1 square of a water source or a city with aquaducts.

would be really nice to be able to build on oasis.

 

[Kid R]

Maybe a "desalination" technology would be the most useful thing (in real life say future tech 10 or thereabouts )

 

[elz17]

I think Arabia should have well building technology where +1 food on desert tiles. They have based entire cities on their network of desert wells (modern Saudia Arabia)

 

[Skallagrimson]

Maybe (in a mod) Ecology could open up a "desert greening" capability on the part of workers: n number of turns to turn a desert to a plain; n more number of turns to turn a plain into grassland.

Civ2 had that capability and "engineers" could also turn mountains into hills and hills into flat land. That might be a bit much balance-wise, maybe instead give them abilities to create roads and railroads through mountains after the discovery of Industrialization?