HOW do I build rivers?

[Akim]

Ok, I tried to make rivers, but somehow the flow always revertts or even opposses?

First try: build a hole in the South, pull a channel north, put a water source into the hole, voila, water flows North. BUT: Suddenly I reach the top N of the map, and water flows in FROM the North, agains the current! Both currents oppose, flood the map and I have a river where the water doesn't "flow out", but two currents from N and S meet in the middle.

Second Try: I make a large beach, starting to lower the earth of the West... and a GIANT WAVE floods all over. I wait, drink a coffee and 30 minutes later the wave has finally vanished. Phew. Ok, this time I pull the rivers from the Ocean into the land, not the other way as in the first try, but lo and behold, in the map, now I have rivers flowing inwards and all the dirty polluted water doesn't flow away, but inside the land.

So... how can I make a proper river, where the water just flows in one direction, away into the ocean??

[Cybermaid]

I've been working on making my banks more stable but so far i got it working roughly.
I tend to make the map slanted a little, raising land on one side, lowering on other.
Then use right click so sweep with the smooth tool(large brush) Making the landscape not so flat/sandboxy and less prone from massive flooding.

Then i lower the land where the river flows, and smoothing it. Make sure the floor is not at ocean level. Else the ocean will flow into the river instead. Also be sure to make the river walls high enough. From this point i add the water source on low water intencity and speed the game up. Check if everything flows allright. And if need be place the higher output sources.

It's a bit of a puzzle for sure. But just take it slowly and steadily.
At least, that is my poor explenation...

[desertrose0601]

I haven't actually tried this, but in real life rivers tend to flow from high up in the mountains down to the ocean (in other words, with the flow of gravity). So... not sure if this game follows gravity rules, but I would assume so. Try making the source of your river quite a bit higher than where you want it to flow and making a pretty deep riverbed so it doesn't flood too much.

[Prisoner 76561197992841073]

Honey, we don't build rivers. God made them :)

[Cybermaid]

Originally posted by Biggie Smalls:

Honey, we don't build rivers. God made them :)

Just recently local authorities created a new river near my town, bring some of that old charm back.... so by your logic.... my mayor is god? O.O

[Fat Bird]

Well we actually do "build" rivers and waterways. Us humans mess with the Earth all the time. You know, that whole Panama Canal, Gatun Lake thing ...

Anyways, make sure you also set the time to the max speed, certainly helps with the waiting game while the water settles down.

[Killbot_2000]

I also had some trouble building my rivers. I discovered a few things last night with some trial and error.
Be sure to check the wikia as well. there is a lil info there. for example. setting a water source below the rivers current waterline makes a drain.
tips
- dont make your river on a gradient of more then 10-20. by this i mean. using the slope tool. dont make the difference greater than 20. ie - start terrain height 0 end terrain height 20.
if the slope is too steep the water will become "choppy" and cause it to go all over the place.
- placing a water source in a flat river bed with the sea level at the same height will produce no river flow. meaning ur sewerage flows into your water supply a lot. slopes in the river bed are needed.

(u need clever design to make a river > sea. River to lake seams easier)
my design for a waterfall>river>sea went like this.
made the terrain height 100. made the waterfall side of the map height 150. dropped a river down to 0 terrain height where i wanted the river to be. use slope tool set to 20. starting from sea area and dragging thru river all the way to waterfall. clean up sides and add banks to river and more heights to map. my river succesfuly flowed down the to the sea with no backwash. yay!

You must set time to 3x speed and wait a long time for your water to relax and your tidal waves to go away. be patient.