Point of Dams

[Frimelda]

So I have been playing the demo a few times and I was wondering what exact the point of dams are?

[EpicSeanWin]

Specifically: In the full game, you'll be combating dry seasons and trying to make sure your citizens don't run out of water. And in the canyon map, having it elevated gets it to the top of the canyons.

[Miami_Mechanistry]

Dams allow you to prepare better for dry seasons. A dammed part of the river takes longer to dry up, and you can maintain higher water levels so that water wheels keep spinning etc. Also, in Early Access, we'll have more water-related things to do. :)

[Harpoon]

did you survive 2nd dry season without dams?

[bensmaster18]

Bruh, I did a two high dam and got all the way through the 2nd season without having more than 3 small water tanks. If you do it right you can keep a MASSIVE area under natural water irrigation.

[Frimelda]

Originally posted by bensmaster18:

Bruh, I did a two high dam and got all the way through the 2nd season without having more than 3 small water tanks. If you do it right you can keep a MASSIVE area under natural water irrigation.

I only did it 1 high and everything dried up, I might just not understand dams.

[SilentScholar]

Originally posted by Frimelda:

Originally posted by bensmaster18:

Bruh, I did a two high dam and got all the way through the 2nd season without having more than 3 small water tanks. If you do it right you can keep a MASSIVE area under natural water irrigation.

I only did it 1 high and everything dried up, I might just not understand dams.

Or not understand water. The water, I think, has to be at the same level as the land you wish to irrigate. If the dam is too low, and the water doesn't touch the regions you want, then the land will dry up.

[OlRusty]

so the dams just redirect water then? i only played demo but i didnt try the dams out either. i was actually afraid of flooding my colony

[redhongkong]

the dam is a dam XD. it keeps all the water tiles from the same level during dry season. without a dam. all water tiles will run dry.

[Druppi]

Originally posted by Miami_Mechanistry:

Dams allow you to prepare better for dry seasons. A dammed part of the river takes longer to dry up, and you can maintain higher water levels so that water wheels keep spinning etc. Also, in Early Access, we'll have more water-related things to do. :)

For me in the demo the water tanks worked better than the dams. I already wrote it in the feedback form... I think it would help if dams hat manual valves so you can control if water can flow through a dam element or not. And pumps that can pump the water from the river into a natural basin. My problem was that the wate "evaporated" to quickly from the natural basin so I used the tanks. I am excited to see the new stuff.

[redhongkong]

using water tank to irrigate all the farm lands are costly . dam will keep farmlands forest industry running for many cycles. and the dam only cost 20 woods and usually 4-5 tiles to block the water at the same level.

[endernine]

I went for a simple dam even before understanding the water system because we're leading a colony of beavers. saved my playthrough by compete accident.

what i'm disappointed with is that my second play-through were i tried to be more ambitious by doing a second larger dam resulted in it not finishing till in the middle of the second dry season .

[Brawlbsaur]

Originally posted by endernine:

what i'm disappointed with is that my second play-through were i tried to be more ambitious by doing a second larger dam resulted in it not finishing till in the middle of the second dry season .

It is possible to build a larger dam; although, I also don't know how large you are going for. I manage to build two dams, one that is two high (sitting on levees) and one that is one high before the second dry season. To do this, I did have to pause (not low priority) every other build at the start of the second wet season. This makes sure all wood 100% goes into the dams until they are complete.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2559553232

I also recommend playing around with the explosives. While it doesn't seem to be possible to build an explosives factory in time to create more explosives before the second dry season, they do start you with 15. Explosives are also great for changing how water behaves. I use them to survive the first dry season with ease, dam free. They also keep things going, even at the end of the second dry season.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2559543258

[maximustrajan23]

Originally posted by SilentScholar:

Originally posted by Frimelda:

I only did it 1 high and everything dried up, I might just not understand dams.

Or not understand water. The water, I think, has to be at the same level as the land you wish to irrigate. If the dam is too low, and the water doesn't touch the regions you want, then the land will dry up.

How does water work