Questions to the Developers

[gja102]

Hi Developers

After seeing several forum threads descend into squabbling over the allocation of cultures to provinces, my question is - will the MMtG loading screen have a disclaimer stating quite clearly “The allocation of province cultures has been balanced between historical immersion and game playability, and is in no way intended to offend you personally.”

Because otherwise, my easily-offended Scottish soul will be forced to complain that Edinburgh and Glasgow share the same in-game culture (whereas in reality of course, they have slightly differing accents, which definitely require separate tags).

[Sir Iain]

Does Magna Mundi have something similar to the Colony-Name-Change-Mod in EUIII? (http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...ame-Change-Mod)
If not, how are the names of colonial areas handled?

[Arbus]

Does Magna Mundi have something similar to the Colony-Name-Change-Mod in EUIII? (http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...ame-Change-Mod)
If not, how are the names of colonial areas handled?

I suggested that, but there is no time... and why limit the system to colonies? I'm thinking culture-based names for all provinces, like Racibórz-Ratibor-Ratiboř, but that's something that can be worked in the future. Right now colony names are as they were in the mod.

[LoK-y-Yo]

Because otherwise, my easily-offended Scottish soul will be forced to complain that Edinburgh and Glasgow share the same in-game culture (whereas in reality of course, they have slightly differing accents, which definitely require separate tags).

How do they dare? You have all the rights to sue them!

I've been reading the manual and haven't found anything relating tech breakthrough and traders. Maybe it's just my opinion, and I can be wrong, but I think that trading was also a via to knowledge spreading, and that whenever two countries are trading between them, they must be considered as neighbourgs, and add the effect. This can cause countries with COTs to be tech powerhouses, unless their policies towards foreigns are very closed.

Think about it. Early in the game, trading is only possible with the nearest countries. That means when a world region develops better technologies, it can gain a big advantage. Later in the game, when countries can trade worldwide, technologies spread everywere (if the target countries are opened enough), but the tech gap is so big that even so, the first region to develop will maintain its advantage. Even in our time, technologies are avalaible to every country, but the empovered countries (countries that learnt the technology later) cannot profit from them: they cannot afford to build because they lack the money and human capital needed to invest. Say, you can get the technology to build churchs, but you also need the money and the experts to build them.

Japan didn't have europeans neighbours, but received portuguese traders, and they learnt how to make guns. With them, came also catholic missionaires, trying to convert japaneses to their religion. Then they closed their frontiers to foreigns, trying to protect their culture. They only left one port open to foreigns, to keep their trade working, but then their tech progress slowered.

Again, there are modifiers that answer your idea. Also, the "Openess" means the contact with other countries of the world, and that includes the merchants.

[thrashing mad]

I suggested that, but there is no time... and why limit the system to colonies? I'm thinking culture-based names for all provinces, like Racibórz-Ratibor-Ratiboř, but that's something that can be worked in the future.

That would be awesome.

[tu_79]

Of course, the game can abstract the idea of openess, and the game will run faster.

I am not complaining, it was just a wish list. And I though that traders would explain why undeveloped countries that are not sharing borders with a colonial power have access to better technologies later in the game. That way, the diffusion of ideas would be more regional in the renaissance, and worlwide in the napoleonic era, because the traders get the same distribution. And remember, maybe Korea can have the technology to craft modern battleships, but she has to have yet the money to invest, so it is not so bad if underdeveloped countries acquires techs very fast later in the game, it won't change things.

[LoK-y-Yo]

Of course, the game can abstract the idea of openess, and the game will run faster.

I am not complaining, it was just a wish list. And I though that traders would explain why undeveloped countries that are not sharing borders with a colonial power have access to better technologies later in the game. That way, the diffusion of ideas would be more regional in the renaissance, and worlwide in the napoleonic era, because the traders get the same distribution. And remember, maybe Korea can have the technology to craft modern battleships, but she has to have yet the money to invest, so it is not so bad if underdeveloped countries acquires techs very fast later in the game, it won't change things.

Modernization is a long process. You need an awesome ruler, but also a little of luck. So perhaps a country will end its modernization at 1550. That's around 5-10 levels of difference. Now I won't say you the country is going to rush it's research levels, but certainly it's going to be faster, and the "behind the tech" modifier is going to be a big factor, since it is compared with the rest of countries who are at the same level of openess.

[Sir Iain]

I suggested that, but there is no time... and why limit the system to colonies? I'm thinking culture-based names for all provinces, like Racibórz-Ratibor-Ratiboř, but that's something that can be worked in the future. Right now colony names are as they were in the mod.

Even if iet won't be in the game soon, I'd be very willing to help the team for culture-specific names in Dutch or German.

[Ivashanko]

Modernization is a long process. You need an awesome ruler, but also a little of luck. So perhaps a country will end its modernization at 1550. That's around 5-10 levels of difference. Now I won't say you the country is going to rush it's research levels, but certainly it's going to be faster, and the "behind the tech" modifier is going to be a big factor, since it is compared with the rest of countries who are at the same level of openess.

Yeah, I'm slightly worried that this new system of modernization will see ridiculous situations appear too often (every once in a while is welcome, however). I haven't played the game yet, though, so maybe I'm worrying over nothing.

[Clophiroth]

One of my first games will be with Oman, then, I want to ask... There will be exploration routes for arabic and indian countries? Like circunnavigate Africa in the other way, or arrive to Australia? I would like to play as a colonizing Oman... :P

[Arbus]

One of my first games will be with Oman, then, I want to ask... There will be exploration routes for arabic and indian countries? Like circunnavigate Africa in the other way, or arrive to Australia? I would like to play as a colonizing Oman... :P

No... traditions are your only way to colonize. Technicaly nothing stops you from taking the circunaviagtion route, but you need to be modern, a major power, and beat the european countries early in the game. So it's praticaly impossible. But I would say Australia is a very reasonable objective, you'll have enough time to play around in Arabia, East Africa, maybe conquer Ceylon to get closer, and then sail to Australia.

[Clophiroth]

Ok. Then, I will try to colonize Australia, and bring them the civilization! (and with civilization, I mean Islam XD). I have almost 400 years... Enough time to conquer Ceylon and some Indonesian island, and then colonize Australia... Maybe I will even have a colonial revolt at the end. I promise that I will show images of the Arabic (Whose culture is Oman, btw?) and Ibaddi Australia XD

[Arbus]

Culture is bedouin arabic like the entire arabian peninsula, and at the start of the game most of your provinces are shiite, so you have a challenge right there to make them see the true light.

[Clophiroth]

Then, I think than before start colonizing, I must bring the true faith and stability to my own motherland...

Is Australia worth to colonize? Or I should stay in East Africa?

[Yeekim]

I vaguely rememer talk about having some beta-tester AARs written to round off the DDs.
Can we still hope for some?

[k_merse]

Is Australia worth to colonize? Or I should stay in East Africa?

I wouldn't say so. It's distant, without any particularly valuable resources and rough terrain. If you want to butld a relatively small but powerful colonial empire, focus on Indonesia.

I vaguely rememer talk about having some beta-tester AARs written to round off the DDs.
Can we still hope for some?

It's up to the Betas And Zolotaya.

[Clophiroth]

I wouldn't say so. It's distant, without any particularly valuable resources and rough terrain. If you want to butld a relatively small but powerful colonial empire, focus on Indonesia.

Then, I think that I will stay in East Africa, and Indonesia... I wanted Australia because the are colonizable, and didn´t want to fight to many XD But you are right, Indonesia is better to conquer. If I modernize and am powerful, I think that conquer the divided Indonesian sultanates won´t be SO hard...





Other questions. How are truces represented in game? I think that they should give a lot of extra-infamy (you are breaking an international treaty...) but not lower stability. Look Great Britain against Napoleon: sometime, they made peace, and some months later, Great Britain declare war against them again. The stability hit for break a truce would have practically distroyed them... But not. Then, I continue thinking that it should add a GREAT infamy hit, but not a stability one...

[victimizer]

Have you listened to the Turkish intellectual Timur Kuran and his theory on the reason for the underdevelopment of the middle east? His theory, which is fascinating, is that the Islamic inheritance laws were detrimental to business longevity that is necessary for the proper implementation of the economies-of-scale in an industrial economy. I think his theory is pretty good: it was something that the Ottoman Sultans tried to fix by basically transplanting western corporate law into the Empire.

Anyway, this would definitely make the tech gap between the Muslim powers and Europe more tangible: you'd need to implement some painful religious legal reforms as Muslim power if you want to have an industrial revolution happen before or concurrently with the European countries.

Or perhaps include "inheritence laws" as a small subset in the "national ideas" or "country traditions" (or whatever have you, I havent finished the manual yet). You'd have "primogeniture" and "Ultimogeniture" as options. The first would be better for productivity and the second would be better for stability (and etc). Changing from one to the other would be extremely hard, especially for muslim countries (since their inheritance laws are in the Koran).

[Zolotaya]

Have you listened to the Turkish intellectual Timur Kuran and his theory on the reason for the underdevelopment of the middle east? His theory, which is fascinating, is that the Islamic inheritance laws were detrimental to business longevity that is necessary for the proper implementation of the economies-of-scale in an industrial economy. I think his theory is pretty good: it was something that the Ottoman Sultans tried to fix by basically transplanting western corporate law into the Empire.

Anyway, this would definitely make the tech gap between the Muslim powers and Europe more tangible: you'd need to implement some painful religious legal reforms as Muslim power if you want to have an industrial revolution happen before or concurrently with the European countries.

Or perhaps include "inheritence laws" as a small subset in the "national ideas" or "country traditions" (or whatever have you, I havent finished the manual yet). You'd have "primogeniture" and "Ultimogeniture" as options. The first would be better for productivity and the second would be better for stability (and etc). Changing from one to the other would be extremely hard, especially for muslim countries (since their inheritance laws are in the Koran).

Many of the unique "quirks" of the Ottoman Empire are not going to make it into final release. Like the PLC, I hope to be able to work on improvements in the future to make the Ottoman experience that much greater.

[ubik]

Many of the unique "quirks" of the Ottoman Empire are not going to make it into final release. Like the PLC, I hope to be able to work on improvements in the future to make the Ottoman experience that much greater.

...even if it is as added content included in a free patch.