Why can't you dig canals?

[redstoner]

...Dig canals to connnect two bodies of water so you don't have to sail all the way around the continent? Seems like something a worker could do. Also, why can't you navigate rivers? Inland cities could then build harbors and naval units.

Moderator Action: I edited your thread title. Titles are supposed to be descriptive. --Padma
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[YNCS]

Because you can't. The game mechanics don't let you.

 

[redstoner]

Yes, I know the game doesn't let you. If it did, I wouldn't be asking. I was thinking more along the lines of why something like that isn't in the game.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Well, you can still push for it for the new Conquest expansion. Head on down to the C3C subforum!

In fact, I think someone already suggested for it.

BTW, welcome to CFC.

 

[mazzz]

Well, lets if you build a city on on world map where the Suez Canal is, you can go through, I could see maybe them making a worker job for bould canal so you dont need a city, but maybe for only if it needs one tile, no nation has canals going through their entire nation, so it should not be unlimited if they ever put it in.

 

[YNCS]

The Grand Canal in China, linking the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, is 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long.

 

[mazzz]

China is alot larger than 1000 miles, and thats just one case, i mean, if it were unlimted then player would just build a canal around there entire nation so no one could attack them unless the landed troops by sea/air, and then they would put a unit on every sqaure of the canal, and sea/ocean if they have any, so then they could not be attacked unit marrines.

 

[Quasar1011]

Originally posted by mazzz
... no nation has canals going through their entire nation...

There is one nation with canals going through their entire nation: the Netherlands. Look at a map, you'll see canals in all sections of the country, linking all its major cities!

 

[mazzz]

ok fine, you got me, there is ONE nation with canals through there entire nation .

But really think about what I said before...

if it were unlimted then player would just build a canal around there entire nation so no one could attack them unless the landed troops by sea/air, and then they would put a unit on every sqaure of the canal, and sea/ocean if they have any, so then they could not be attacked unit marrines.

 

[Lenvik]

If rivers were navigable I presume ground units would still be able to cross them, and then the "build canal" worker operation could basically be "build river". Sounds rather cool actually, but the operation should take a long time, say four times the time it takes to clear a jungle. IMHO, such an operation should only be allowed between two tiles of flat terrain and should give no trade bonus, but could be used to provide new shipping lanes.

 

[mazzz]

I would agree with that,only beging able to build them on flat terrian,and enemy units still being able to cross. But if they put this in they may put in the AI knowing you have a useful canal and then paying you for a ROP, but the player could yet put any old ship in the middle of the canal blocking the AI way,

 

[Mack]

Sounds like a very good idea..

And yes lenvik, agreed.. that was pretty much the same i was thinking of posting until i read your post.

 

[amirsan]

I was thinking of that idea, but I guess it would make the game a little tooo easy.

 

[RegentMan]

I would like to see canals, but I wouldn't like boats going on rivers. It'd be weird to see a battleship coming up on the Columbia.

 

[Quasar1011]

For gameplay purposes, you'd probably need to limit canals to the scale of the Suez or Panama canal. Why build an Erie canal, which isn't big enough to handle warships? You wouldn't need to transport land units along such a canal, just build roads there. So a canal might be limited to being a small wonder, available to each civ but only in one place in its territory. This might still be pretty hard to program though!

 

[Civrules]

Originally posted by Quasar1011


There is one nation with canals going through their entire nation: the Netherlands. Look at a map, you'll see canals in all sections of the country, linking all its major cities!

Panama?

 

[Ant509y]

Ah, here's a suggestion, but it may have to wait until Civ 4 to be implemented. ^^;

Using rivers would again be done, while they are still outside of the squares. Also, you could buold new eivers [canals] so that more trade could o through areas, and also, dams would end rivers, make lakes, etc.

 

[Quasar1011]

Watch out if Civ4 included dams! If you share a river with an enemy, whomever is upstream can build a dam, and cut off the flow of the river! Then later they could blow it up and flood the valley downstream! Egads, the possibilities!

 

[Moonsinger]

Well, I think digging canal isn't as important as building under-water tunnel like the one to connect England and France.

 

[barron of ideas]

Yes, invade through the chunnel.

I'd also like to make aircraft carriers out of icebergs, they thought about doing that in WW2.

Could we get desalination plants and convert desert to plains? Lets develop some real terraforming technologies, mirrors in orbit, beam down solar power (take that, Hoover Dam), develop transporters (beam me up scottie, there is not intelligent life here) so we can invade other continents without airfields, ships or chunnels. (Is there a theme here afterall? Invasion is so much more fun than pacification)

Lets all think of more things the programmers will have to tear their (limited, based on Sid's picture) hair out trying to add to the game.