[Freeciv-Dev] Sail River: Next Step

[Erik Sigra <freeciv@xxxxxxx>]

Hi,
Now that the sail_river patch by Jerzy approaches completion, I can't
help posting some ideas :-)

Terrain Improvement:Canal
* Built by Settlers.
* Works like rivers.
* Can be upgraded to heavy canals like roads are upgraded to railroads.
* If a player tries to build a canal on a tile with road, and he doesn't
have the tech bridge building, he has to choose between aborting or go
ahead building the the canal, breaking the road.
* No tech requirement (like roads).
* Takes many times longer to build than roads (about 5x, depending on
terrain). This is because players are not supposed to build canals in
every tile, but only at strategic places, just like in the real world.

Terrain Improvement:Heavy canal:
* Canals and rivers can be upgraded to heavy canals by engineers
(possibly with some technology) like roads are upgraded to railroads.
* (Units which correspond to real world units that can pass for example
the Panama Canal, can pass heavy canals in this game.)
* Technology requirement? (I suggest somewhere near railroad in the tech
tree.)
* Takes many times longer to build than railroads (about 5x, depending
on terrain). Same argument as for canal.

Unit:Barge (Combination of Caravan and Trireme. Movement like Trireme.)
* An alternative to Caravans when waterways are accessibe. Benefit is
better movement. Also, when source city and destination city are on
different islands, the need for a special transport unit is eliminated.
* Can sail rivers, canals and along coasts, 50% risk of being lost on
the high seas.
* Can establish trade routes or help build wonders.
* Can be built by a player who has the techs for Triremes and Caravans.

Unit:Container Ship (Combination of Transport and Freight.)
* Can sail oceans and heavy canals.
* Can establish trade routes or help build wonders.
* Can be built by a player who has the techs for Transports and
Freights.

Someone wanna paint the gfx? Code implementation can't be too hard once
sail_river is in place, right?

Erik Sigra