Terrain, Elevation & Climate
I believe we are in a good place to introduce more complicated terrain configuration. Allowing for terrain combinations instead of our current EU4 simplified terrain. Mountains and hills do not mean there is an absence of forest (mountain peaks and extreme high mountain ranges are generally more barren). All farmland denotes is fertility and that land had been cleared, not the type of elevation.
The combination of these four factors will determine the overall fertility of a region of territory, which in turn influences attractiveness. This will be touched on later.
Cultivating/Terraforming
I will not take credit for this idea. It was suggested on this forum that terraforming should be added to the game. We know that elevation like hills and plateaus do not mean farmland is not present or could not be cultivated. The simplicity of the terrain system acts as if it is either or. Either way for a large amount of cash and a heavy investment of time 20 years minimum (these type of projects were always long), both player and ai can clear forest or jungle, drain marsh, or irrigate grassland. The cash and amount of time is to act as limiter on ai and players cultivating all potential territories. Once completed the resource for the territory will have a chance to change similar to when cities are built.
Terraforming cannot happen anywhere; it must have favorable factors in three of the four. So if a territory is arid plain grassland but has no basin, it cannot be terraformed. While certain factors are a no go. For example, a canyon cannot be terraformed, nor a mountain or beach.
Attraction
The idea of attractiveness is an idea influenced by Total War: Attila. As an ice age progresses in Attila, fertile regions increasing become prized possessions and are marked out for conquest.
In Imperator, attractiveness would be a factor of fertility, trade value and resource goods. As a feature, attractiveness would be a helpfully tool to give ai direction in their expansion and goals.
Barricade Dam
Barricade is a military cohort ability to cut off the benefit that river banks (should) give to food production. By maintaining a cohort on a section of a small river and selecting the ability, the cohort begins constructing a dam. The cohort must remain in place and not engage in combat. Once completed, the territories downstream get a food debuff.
Thus, by combining barricade damming and trade blockading, one can cause starvation and use it as a weapon.
I believe we are in a good place to introduce more complicated terrain configuration. Allowing for terrain combinations instead of our current EU4 simplified terrain. Mountains and hills do not mean there is an absence of forest (mountain peaks and extreme high mountain ranges are generally more barren). All farmland denotes is fertility and that land had been cleared, not the type of elevation.
Four Factors
Climate: Tropical, Temperate, Arid, Subartic
Elevation: Mountain, Hill, Cliff*, Plateau, Plain, Below Sea-Level, Canyon
*if a cliff is on the coast you cannot disembark troops from sea
Landform: Forest, Jungle, Marsh, Beach/Coastline, Desert, Grassland, Barren
Elevation: Mountain, Hill, Cliff*, Plateau, Plain, Below Sea-Level, Canyon
*if a cliff is on the coast you cannot disembark troops from sea
Landform: Forest, Jungle, Marsh, Beach/Coastline, Desert, Grassland, Barren
Man-made Landform: Farmland
Basin: River Basin, Lake Basin, Oasis, NoneThe combination of these four factors will determine the overall fertility of a region of territory, which in turn influences attractiveness. This will be touched on later.
Cultivating/Terraforming
I will not take credit for this idea. It was suggested on this forum that terraforming should be added to the game. We know that elevation like hills and plateaus do not mean farmland is not present or could not be cultivated. The simplicity of the terrain system acts as if it is either or. Either way for a large amount of cash and a heavy investment of time 20 years minimum (these type of projects were always long), both player and ai can clear forest or jungle, drain marsh, or irrigate grassland. The cash and amount of time is to act as limiter on ai and players cultivating all potential territories. Once completed the resource for the territory will have a chance to change similar to when cities are built.
Terraforming cannot happen anywhere; it must have favorable factors in three of the four. So if a territory is arid plain grassland but has no basin, it cannot be terraformed. While certain factors are a no go. For example, a canyon cannot be terraformed, nor a mountain or beach.
Attraction
The idea of attractiveness is an idea influenced by Total War: Attila. As an ice age progresses in Attila, fertile regions increasing become prized possessions and are marked out for conquest.
In Imperator, attractiveness would be a factor of fertility, trade value and resource goods. As a feature, attractiveness would be a helpfully tool to give ai direction in their expansion and goals.
Barricade Dam
Barricade is a military cohort ability to cut off the benefit that river banks (should) give to food production. By maintaining a cohort on a section of a small river and selecting the ability, the cohort begins constructing a dam. The cohort must remain in place and not engage in combat. Once completed, the territories downstream get a food debuff.
Thus, by combining barricade damming and trade blockading, one can cause starvation and use it as a weapon.
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