Each province gets a development cap based off of terrain and features up to which the cost of development remains around where it is now, maybe even a bit cheaper. After surpassing the cap however the cost of further increasing development increases by +5, for instance, per level. The development cap could then increased by ideas, tech and trade. Ideas could give a flat bonus, tech give increases based off of terrain and trade increase it based off of how rich the trade node is.
For example, London is farmlands, has an important center of trade, an estuary and a river flowing through it. Farmlands could give +15 cap, capital +5 coastal +2, center of trade +5, Estuary +4 and river +2. The English Channel has a value of 20 so the cap would be increased by 2.0 in all provinces in the English channel. So at that point London could be developed to 35.
Later in the game, tech 9 the Scythe and tech 21 Land Clearances both add +5 development cap to farmlands so farmlands is now worth 25. Tech 13 Improved Drainage added +1 to river and estuary. The trade value of the English Channel also rose to 50 so every province now gets +10. So now the development limit for London is 50.
Orkney on the other hand has coastal terrain which for instance gives +5 and is coastal which gives +2. It is in the North Sea node worth 2 so that gives it +0. I would also give it a "small island" modifier that would lower the development cap -5. Orkney would then have a cap of 2. Tech 23 for example could then give a +4 to coastal terrain which would raise to to 6.
I also suggest greatly reducing or removing the monarch point penalty for terrains or only apply it while above the cap to encourage the development of all land in your realm to the cap, not just grassland and farms.
By making the development cap based off trade, it adds to "realism/flavor" as the richest parts of the world, often ended up the most developed. The terrain caps encourage more developed provinces on the coast and along rivers.
For example, London is farmlands, has an important center of trade, an estuary and a river flowing through it. Farmlands could give +15 cap, capital +5 coastal +2, center of trade +5, Estuary +4 and river +2. The English Channel has a value of 20 so the cap would be increased by 2.0 in all provinces in the English channel. So at that point London could be developed to 35.
Later in the game, tech 9 the Scythe and tech 21 Land Clearances both add +5 development cap to farmlands so farmlands is now worth 25. Tech 13 Improved Drainage added +1 to river and estuary. The trade value of the English Channel also rose to 50 so every province now gets +10. So now the development limit for London is 50.
Orkney on the other hand has coastal terrain which for instance gives +5 and is coastal which gives +2. It is in the North Sea node worth 2 so that gives it +0. I would also give it a "small island" modifier that would lower the development cap -5. Orkney would then have a cap of 2. Tech 23 for example could then give a +4 to coastal terrain which would raise to to 6.
I also suggest greatly reducing or removing the monarch point penalty for terrains or only apply it while above the cap to encourage the development of all land in your realm to the cap, not just grassland and farms.
By making the development cap based off trade, it adds to "realism/flavor" as the richest parts of the world, often ended up the most developed. The terrain caps encourage more developed provinces on the coast and along rivers.
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