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What the hell are u talking about? There is NO much higher boost later after westernization. A positive return on research investment doesn't exist in the current system(The research cost reduction for tech doesn't count since u will be so stagnate when westernized).
Unciv states have to have max tariff, max taxes on all classes, and no military spending at all so they can afford a max education output.

"and techs that dont have are cheaper the longer you wait to research..." Are u insane s123456789m? Would u let your GB/Prussia/Russia/anyone u usually play with rot in hell so you can spend less at the end of the game? Be realistic.

Why are you assuming that a poor, backwards nation should be able to max out educational spending in the first place?
 
Conservatives support military reform, and passing a reform gives conservatives in the upper house, so its best to save all your RPs up and pass lots of military techs in one year. Also, you should put conservatives in power - reactionaries in power makes your aristocrats, and thus your upper house, tend to be reactionaries also.

As Japan, I passed one economic reform to stabilize my economy, then saved up my RPs until January 1862 - just after the upper house election. Then I passed 7 military reforms, one after another, and westernised in July, 1862.

I wasn't sphered by anyone, but I got a bunch of techs anyway. I researched Iron Steamers and built a few ironclads, then beat up China and in two wars took Korea, Port Arthur and Taiwan. I also took Sakhalin from the Russians and colonized the Pacific.

I then spent 40 years beating up China. I made a bunch of colonies into states (none in Korea or China, alas) and was tech leader by 1900. I just stopped in 1917 - I'm rank two GP and have China down to 4 states, so I can annex it with my next war. The war in China has been a bit boring though - its annoying that it costs 11 infamy to take a region from a substate. I wish there was a way to break these substates off from China, or else they should have a 5 infamy cost, the same as taking regular concessions. I wanted to take Manchuria as this is historical, but ended up having to take a big slice of the east coast instead.

Anyway, Japan is a very easy country to westernise as so long as you can deal with Russia. I agree with some others in this thread that national focuses don't do enough though - it takes a very long time to get clergy, and I think westernising as any other nation would be very tedious (perhaps Hawaii would be ok).

One change I would make would be to the 'imported arms' and 'foreign built ships' military reforms. Imported Arms gives you flintlock muskets at the moment - I would make this improve with time, so that it gives you the tech in this line equivalent to what your sphere master has, or to the worst of the great powers if you aren't in a sphere. The Foreign Ships reform should give you access to tech along the 'Clippers/Steamers' line.
 
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Conservatives support military reform, and passing a reform gives conservatives in the upper house, so its best to save all your RPs up and pass lots of military techs in one year. As Japan, I passed one economic reform to stabilize my economy, then saved up my RPs until January 1962 - just after the upper house election. Then I passed 7 military reforms, one after another, and westernised in July, 1962.

I wasn't sphered by anyone, but I got a bunch of techs anyway. I researched Iron Steamers and built a few ironclads, then beat up China and in two wars took Korea, Port Arthur and Taiwan. I also took Sakhalin from the Russians and colonized the Pacific.

I then spent 40 years beating up China. I made a bunch of colonies into states (none in Korea or China, alas) and was tech leader by 1900. I just stopped in 1917 - I'm rank two GP and have China down to 4 states, so I can annex it with my next war. The war in China has been a bit boring though - its annoying that it costs 11 infamy to take a region from a substate. I wish there was a way to break these substates off from China, or else they should have a 5 infamy cost, the same as taking regular concessions. I wanted to take Manchuria as this is historical, but ended up having to take a big slice of the east coast instead.

Anyway, Japan is a very easy country to westernise as so long as you can deal with Russia. I agree with some others in this thread that national focuses don't do enough though - it takes a very long time to get clergy, and I think westernising as any other nation would be very tedious (perhaps Hawaii would be ok).

One change I would make would be to the effect of taking the 'imported arms' and 'foreign built ships' military reforms. Imported Arms gives your flintlock muskets at the moment - I would make this improve with time, so that it gives you the tech in this line equivalent to what your sphere master has, or to the worst of the great powers if you aren't in a sphere. The Foreign Ships reform should give you access to tech along the 'Clippers/Steamers' line.

Yeah, that's the best strategy, but 1662 means you did pretty damn good. How much did you expand? I got jumped by The UK the moment I expanded.

I also agree with those changes. Japan was not using flint lock rifles or old sailing ships during Meji. They had gatling guns and steam ships.
 
Actually Japan was very much like Zulu at that time...
 
I didn't expand at all! I only like to go to war when I have the tech advantage (I hate letting my primary culture pops die).

Russia attacked in the 1840s (they tried to steal Hokkaido) but I managed to fight them off.
 
Actually Japan was very much like Zulu at that time...
Eh?

Maybe you saw a picture of Cetswayo and was reminded of sumo wrestlers, but otherwise they were radically different in the mid-late 19th century. The Zulus were using assegais and shields in the 1870s and 80s while the Japanese had artillery and modern firearms.
 
Actually Japan was very much like Zulu at that time...

Are you kidding me? Maybe you have absolutely no idea what the world was like back then, but Japan was more similar to 1700th century Europe at the time. Zulu was still at a level of pre-civilization. This might be the stupidest comment I've heard all year. Good job!

I didn't expand at all! I only like to go to war when I have the tech advantage (I hate letting my primary culture pops die).

Russia attacked in the 1840s (they tried to steal Hokkaido) but I managed to fight them off.

Oh, I love war. Without war I don't feel like I'm doing anything. However, when I do go to war, I always have a large advantage, so I don't lose a lot of people.
 
Eh?

Maybe you saw a picture of Cetswayo and was reminded of sumo wrestlers, but otherwise they were radically different in the mid-late 19th century. The Zulus were using assegais and shields in the 1870s and 80s while the Japanese had artillery and modern firearms.

Im pretty sure delra is refering to '36, not after the japs went full pace at westernisation in the 60's
 
I wish you knew your country's history better...
 
I seriously doubt that. But even if, maybe you just have no idea about Zulu.
 
I seriously doubt that. But even if, maybe you just have no idea about Zulu.

Zulu had a tribal system. No economy. No buildings. No guns. No steel. Which means they were a pre-civilization culture. In history, most cultures were like this around 6000 BC.

Japan had a complicated feudal system, similar to the rest of Europe. A rice based economy. Huge cities and thousands of castles. European rifles. Some of the best steel in the world. By 1836 they were already the regional power in Asia. They were most similar to a 17th century European nation.
 
Perhaps a 2nd national focus and removal of diplomacy penalty for some of the lesser used reforms, a late game (1880?) boost to research points along with the AI for great powers going after nations that appear to be completely neglected for sphereing would make a world of difference? Maybe transportation system reform could make the unciv much easier to sphere due to a nation "wanting to sell them equipment" or some other minor boost to being sphere?

Perhaps make the cost to some reforms much cheaper along with a reduction of westernization progress points? That way it seems like nations are making more progress (though not technically) but they can also remove more of the penalties as they go. Also makes for easier mix and match to get to 100% since there are 15% boosts but no 5%.

Some of the Westernization reforms start either factory or RR construction but there's no way that you have enough Prestige to actually buy the required materials. Maybe there should be some kind of comprise where for the sake of only this construction that it uses the Prestige of your sphere master to get those supplies. Otherwise, it's meaningless that the factory or RRs are under construction because they'll never finish!

EDIT: I kind of think it should work as though it's a foreign investment. Doesn't foreign investment use the sphere master's prestige to determine the purchasing of the investment's base materials?
 
Some of the Westernization reforms start either factory or RR construction but there's no way that you have enough Prestige to actually buy the required materials. Maybe there should be some kind of comprise where for the sake of only this construction that it uses the Prestige of your sphere master to get those supplies. Otherwise, it's meaningless that the factory or RRs are under construction because they'll never finish!

EDIT: I kind of think it should work as though it's a foreign investment. Doesn't foreign investment use the sphere master's prestige to determine the purchasing of the investment's base materials?

Indeed, things are very difficult for a small unsphered unciv. Most who only checked out China/Japan haven't realized that.
 
Playing Korea now...It's so far 1860 and I haven't been this bored since I last tried playing peaceful Abu Dhabi campaign in 1.4 version.

Guess I'll stick to playing civilized nations in this update, as it seems the whole civilization system was made with Japan in mind.
 
Some of the Westernization reforms start either factory or RR construction but there's no way that you have enough Prestige to actually buy the required materials. Maybe there should be some kind of comprise where for the sake of only this construction that it uses the Prestige of your sphere master to get those supplies. Otherwise, it's meaningless that the factory or RRs are under construction because they'll never finish!

EDIT: I kind of think it should work as though it's a foreign investment. Doesn't foreign investment use the sphere master's prestige to determine the purchasing of the investment's base materials?
The game should just throw the uncivs a bone and give them the construction goods for free.
 
Indeed, things are very difficult for a small unsphered unciv. Most who only checked out China/Japan haven't realized that.
It should be very difficult unless you are Japan, China or at the very least Persia.

Zulu rising to technology comparable to that of Britain is insane.