[Freeciv] Re: RFE: terrain improvement: canal

[Per Inge Mathisen <per@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 17 Jan 2006, Fishpark wrote:
> --- Jason Dorje Short <jdorje@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > There would have to be good justification for a change like this. What
> > gameplay benefit would having canals provide?
...
> I think the point that Sam Steingold makes is this:
> FreeCiv allows you to change one type of terrain into
> another (provided you have the required tech.), so why
> noy allow the creation / removal of rivers?
>
> Creating or damming a river would have to be very
> expensive, or have negative sight-effects, for
> gameplay's sake.
>
> I don't think canals should have any other gameplay
> effect.

We want a _gameplay_ reason for adding something like this. As in "what
does this add to the game" in terms of plausibility, fun or game balance.
"Why not" is not a reason we will consider.

There are lots of problems with adding artificial rivers, riverboats and
canals. It exposes more cities and tiles to attacks from ships, and the
plausibility of being able to add rivers whereever you wish is quite
questionable (adding a western outlet for the Amazon? hah!). Rivers are
also quite powerful, both in terms of terrain bonus and defense bonus -
this also needs to be considered.

This has been discussed many times and has not been included for good
reasons.

> ON a side note, does global warming affect rivers?

No. Rivers in Freeciv are huge and would not dry up, not even from global
warming.

  - Per

PS It is spelled "Freeciv".