Doesn`t invalidate the point. The roadblocks in question are not reasonable game features to be overcome, they are logically abrasive situations that reveal the invisible walls of the game. 

+1 strip of bacon for that

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Put it this way, we can't even go through squares with OUR army in it (try filling up a city with your units, and then try to walk something through it), it'll walk all around the world before trying to go through that MASSIVE city. I understand your point regarding non-aggression pacts, and I can see they might change that, along with the silly city behavior. But unil then, use terraforming spells.

However, I completely disagree with your assertion regarding tile blockage. You absolutely should be able to block passage with your army, I don't care how large you want to think a tile is, the gameplay implications of just going through people means fast stacks will just bypass armies and destroy all the cities. That's a problem right now even when you have to go around them, don't make it any easier.

Well that might just be the point, everyone tend to neglect terraforming spells, and here's finally one occasion when they are actually useful for something. Perhaps it's made that way so you might pick them up? I mean, if this is the obvious, and easy solution, then what's the problem?

As for the movement through peaceful nations. I might not want someone peaceful to go through my territory, but don't want to threaten them to leave every time they do, so I post some guards. That seems fine in my book... so I don't have a problem with them doing the same. Maybe we just differ in opinion on this.

I can't believe that the reasoning for this crappy mechanic is that it justifies the existence of terraforming spells.  Besides, those spells have other uses, such as building natural barriers around your territory or finding new ways into territory for enemies you otherwise can't reach.  

I have no problem with the game containing mechanics for fortifying your territory.  Indeed, I hope it does.  You should be able to force the enemy into choke points (or force them to use magic to go around).  But the mechanics as is are half-assed. I can stick a pioneer in any spot that is only 1 passable tile wide and, short of war, can prevent anyone in the world from going through that spot regardless of the circumstances.  Maybe we do just disagree, but I'm not sure how this can be justified as a good mechanic.  

It's like killing a spider with a shotgun.  Sure, it works.  But something a little more subtle would have worked much, much better. 

I am having the same issue and posted about it here https://forums.elementalgame.com/420511/page/1/#3140373

They can be quite useful already if you are creative. You can use mountain ranges and hills to create regions of strategic advantage. You can control enemy invasion routes and improve your own trade and travel routes. They don`t require a poor mechanic to give them use, they have a ton of use already. 

Random nonsense should not cripple gameplay attempts. This kind of nonsense is part of why I left WoW, raid encounters with built in chance elements that are unbeatable don`t make me feel more challenged, they make me me lose interest in the game. I wouldn`t sit down at a game of poker that arbitrarily decided I don`t get any facecards that hand because; the dealer is left handed and the table doesn`t allow left handed dealers to deal face cards on the fourth rotation around the table due the limits of the table design. The hand itself needs to make those decisions for it to be a good game. The same is true of games like this, I need to be challenged to use my skill, not challenged to shrug my shoulders and load a new game. 

If an enemy creates a mountain on that narrow path to stop me, that is cool. If an ally has a solitary little spear buddy standing in the field picking his nose, I should be able to walk past him. 

No offense, but to me that seems to be a problem with world generation than it is one of game mechanics. Everyone knows that the map generator isn't perfect, that's why they have ctrl+N. I suppose you could argue that you might want to pick earth magic just in case of something like that, but I would just restart if that were the case.

The whole issue here isn't the fairness in map generation, but that he wants to be able to walk through everything that isn't hostile, and I don't agree. Now, if he wanted a trait, like stealth, that would let you pass through units, I wouldn't mind so much.

You completely missed the point.

I doubt the pioneers in the OP did not move because of strategy.  I doubt the OP could not walk through friendly territory because of the intended game mechanics.  I know there was little more I could do in my scenario.

The issue, IMO, is indeed in world generation.  After tens of turns, simply saying "oh well" and hitting ctrl+N is not a viable option if you want the customer to not think your game is broken.

I don't see a problem here. I don't want them to allow you to walk into someone's territory unless your given permission. Perhaps like in other games where you can make a treaty to allow passage through the land.

Firstly, you already can walk into someone's territory without permission. Brad has repeatedly mentioned that he likes the mechanic that you can try to sneak through other faction's territory and, if caught and unwelcome, the AI will demand you leave or go to war.  That already exists in game.  

However, that's about half the point.  You CAN ALREADY make a treaty that allows people access to your lands.  Non-Aggression Pact text:  "Both sides agree not to attack the other for 50 seasons and safe passage through each other's territory is granted for the duration of the pack."  But in the circumstances in this thread, it's irrelevant because you STILL can't pass through the other faction's units.  

In the second picture in my OP I had a non-aggression pact with Tarth.  It was irrelevant.  

I don't think this is a problem with world generation.  If we want, as everyone in this thread seems to agree, some mechanics for walling off territory or forcing enemies through choke points, then one tile wide isthmuses and one tile wide valleys are a good thing.  They are strategically valuable pieces of land because they give you a natural point to wall of your lands (that the enemy must use war or magic to get around).  

The point is that if I sign a Non-Aggression Pact (see the definition in my last post) with someone, they should be allowed into my territory EVEN IF I'VE WALLED IT OFF.  That's a major piece of what a Non-Aggression Pact is.  And I don't think anyone in their right mind can argue that sticking a pioneer (or a stuck caravan as Nathan E points out) into a narrow piece of land should be a viable way to wall of your kingdom.  It's gimmicky and immersion breaking.  As a mechanic for walling off your kingdom, it's utter crap.  That's why I listed it as a bug.