Whoops?

[Chief of Staff]

I just realized something and this may have gone on for several generations of Civ but not sure if this was ever discussed or realized by others before:

After researching Navigation tech in a recent Civ5 game, I was able to build Caravels now. Sometimes later, I got to see the first Caravel in action against some galley or trireme from Barbarians. In closer examination, Caravel appears to be firing cannons..... and this is before I even research Gunpowder tech. Is this an oversight from Civ developer or intentional? Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need to have knowledge of gunpowder in order to have a working cannon on a ship?

Not that I have any problems with this, because I like to project naval power in the face of other rival AI civs who are way behind in terms of naval techs or don't even have gunpowder yet. It's just a slight quirk I noticed and wanted to share.

 

[SomethingWitty]

Historically, caravels came after cannons. So if you're going to create unit art for caravels, cannons would be appropriate. Even if in your particular game you got to navigation before gun powder.

It's one of those gameplay > accuracy things. Like chariots not needing horse resources.

 

[Malkaviel]

I wondered this about civ4 too, or how I could build submarines without steel.

 

[TLF]

It's the same in Civ 4. Caravels don't require gunpowder.
Trimerines use cannons also, I think. They come way before Caravels.

I think it's really that gunpowder comes later than it should in the game.
Cannons predate muskets (the 1st rifles (not really rifles because of the smooth bore) in Civ) by quite a bit.

 

[BlackSpy]

It's the same in Civ 4. Caravels don't require gunpowder.
Trimerines use cannons also, I think. They come way before Caravels.

Triremes were employed from Roman times (and smaller types of the same by the Greeks and Persians) right through to the late middleages, the weaponry changed so they did come with canons at teh end but at the begining of it's life teh Trireme mostly had ballistas I believe.