Artisans producing goods they should not be able to produce

[King]

Yeh just because your country down't have the knowledge to build a large factory that makes furniture, doesn't mean your people don't know how to make them.

 

[King]

I am curious, what separates say explosives from telephones? China has the tech for neither, but their artisans can produce explosives. But not telephones. Does it rely on them having been discovered somewhere globally? I am talking in game mechanics here.

It is the goods.txt file, available_from_start = no means you require the tech to make them.

 

[Darkrenown]

Obviously, this isn't the case in-game. Was it supposed to be the case? If not, why did Rensslaer write that?

There's a basic "pack" of goods artisans know how to make, beyond that they can only make new things as you discover them.