I know there are multiple terraforming topics, but in this latest update it seems there is still only the flattening tool for everything. I don’t know if this is planned to change in future and exactly how. Anyway i throw here some of my thoughts.
Problems:
- Cannot elevate ground on flat map - this does not make sense. With hard work, it should be possible to dig a canal or small lake and near that would be some elevated pile of ground from the dig out earth. This would be the realistic approach.
- At some terrain angle, nothing can pass through it. While “flattening” your town a defensive hill, it is easy to block up the access with this mass-flattening-madness and discover this later, when people starved there. At least some notice about blocked path and being stuck would be nice.
- Making small hillside flat with the flattening tool requires more work than cutting off the full top of the mountain.
- After 100 years of ultra-flattening. The resulting landscape looks like minecraft square-madness.
- It is rather complicated to estimate the end result of the flattening. Mastering this is like making surgery with an axe.
What i would like to have:
- Terraforming is possible and simple to use with 3 basic tools or something (rise, lower, ramp)
- End result and effects are clear before clicking to start the actual work. If it affects some buildings, closes some area or makes it into water - it need to be seen before decision.
- Actual labor cost would depend on how much ground is moved. Not like if i want the 5 tile corner to be as flat as the town area, it requires to use max size flattening labor with this 5 tiles in there.
- Town that can rather blend in to existing nature and look natural, rather than full-flat or multi-square city. Some square-look results are OK, but it should be easy to make it look natural.
It really requires some hard decisions how to go forward with the game strategy about this.
It is not a simple topic as it combines many different areas:
- Archer attack bonus to lower ground.
- Steep hill path blocking.
- Overall view of the nature and city.
- Game experience - how much time to terraform and for what reasons.
Here is one idea that in my mind would work better:
- No steep hill blocking. People and animals can walk and swim anywhere in nature. If want to block, then build wall. Steep hills should be just harder to climb - movement reduction. Of course the maximum angle of the hillside should be limited to look natural.
- No pre-flattening required for building. If building needs flat surface - the labor work for this flattening should be added so it takes longer to build into rough land.
- While by foot can climb slowly steep hills, it should not be possible with wagon, cart or something else heavy with wheels. That’s why build roads that would have certain angle limit.
- Roads (and buildings?) locked to their elevation and angle so if use terraforming (or certain tools), it changes around the road and keeps the road in place. It makes also sense in real life. You cannot just lift up the road together with earth, but need to destroy old an build new.
- Similarly to buildings, roads also should not be tilted to sides. Roads can move up and down, but not on angle to left-right. While build diagonal road up hill, it should take extra labor for adding the leveling ground beneath downhill side of the road. It is not too important, but it should be possible to easily build two houses uphill and downhill and road between them that looks natural. No need to flat the whole mountain to start building there.