[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Sail River: Next Step

[Jules Bean <jules@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Aug 24, 2000 at 06:48:28PM +0200, Erik Sigra wrote:
> Hi,
> Now that the sail_river patch by Jerzy approaches completion, I can't
> help posting some ideas :-)

I like these ideas.

However, generally, I think all of the below should predicate on their
own tech tree.  It is good to make the tech tree richer, it makes for
more interesting trade-offs and possible different styles of play.

> 
> 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.

ISTR Civ I did have a tech for roads (e.g. the Roman civ started with
it, but some others didn't). Any, I'd definitely give this one a tech
called 'canal' or some such, it's very important.

(Incidentally a map of britain, france or holland on 'freeciv scale'
would revel canals on every square, I suspect, so they were quite
widespread...)


> 
> 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.)

Something like engineering.  Maybe a separate 'hydro engineering'.

> Unit:Barge (Combination of Caravan and Trireme. Movement like Trireme.)

> * Can be built by a player who has the techs for Triremes and Caravans.

That's probably fair enough --- not much tech involved in a barge ;-)

Jules