[Freeciv] Re: Cannons attacking ships?

["Per I. Mathisen" <per@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 2 May 2003, Raimar Falke wrote:
> > This reminds me of Colonization. There you had stockade, fort or fortress.
> > Cities with fort or fortress got a free cannon attack in the begining of
> > each new turn. Game engine took automatically care of this attack choosing
> > by random enemy ship next to city square and performed an attack (no any
> > units in the city were needed). Fort or fortress could attack only once
> > but only enemy ship could lose here. If they missed the ship you no prob,
> > but if they hit the ship was damaged or destroyed. I think similar thing
> > could be added to Freeciv too.
>
> While this may not change the ironclad problem completely I think it
> is realistic and should be implemented.

Please don't. This breaks down the clean separation of units and
buildings. That coastal fortress' ability depends on the defending unit
isn't so dumb - an attack by boat is not just about having big guns, it is
rather an abstraction over several means of attack of which bombardment is
just one part (in the current code - this could change if we added
explicit bombardment). How else could a chariot defeat a trireme, let
alone an ironclad - even without the aid of a coastal fortress?

  - Per