So, I was playing the demo, first as Austria and then the Ottomans, thoroughly enjoying myself, especially with all the new possibilities in strategy. The reworking of the trade system for example just fascinated me, and even though I was making relatively little compared to my tax base, it was still fun to think about what I could to for even a few more ducats.
But, something that I think really surprised me, was how differently the idea system change my thoughts on strategy. Ideas were powerful, expensive, and most importantly to me they conflicted with technological progress. So much so that I was at first spending hardly any points on them, as throughout my time in EU3 I had been trained to think that technology was the primary form of long-term investment. Then I found myself thinking, "Was tech really all that important?" So I started really looking at what I was spending all my points on.
I know it sounds heretical coming after playing EU3, but I found myself not caring all too much about technological parity. Especially as the ottomans, I could be a tech or two behind and not really care. The bonuses from the tech themselves seemed to be spread out quite a bit. My ideas provided similar bonuses as a single tech, but were 2/3 the cost of one as the Ottomans with their tech penalty. (Though, I did change the Ottomans' first idea group to be something more useful)
So, my radical change in thought was that non-European nations might not be nearly as dreadful in comparison as their low tech modifier suggests. Sure, they may not have the pure range that the European nations have with good tech costs, but it's not nearly as bad as it first appears.
That was my thinking, at least. Thought I'd put that out there, to perhaps see what people thought on this matter, or perhaps some other radical change.
But, something that I think really surprised me, was how differently the idea system change my thoughts on strategy. Ideas were powerful, expensive, and most importantly to me they conflicted with technological progress. So much so that I was at first spending hardly any points on them, as throughout my time in EU3 I had been trained to think that technology was the primary form of long-term investment. Then I found myself thinking, "Was tech really all that important?" So I started really looking at what I was spending all my points on.
I know it sounds heretical coming after playing EU3, but I found myself not caring all too much about technological parity. Especially as the ottomans, I could be a tech or two behind and not really care. The bonuses from the tech themselves seemed to be spread out quite a bit. My ideas provided similar bonuses as a single tech, but were 2/3 the cost of one as the Ottomans with their tech penalty. (Though, I did change the Ottomans' first idea group to be something more useful)
So, my radical change in thought was that non-European nations might not be nearly as dreadful in comparison as their low tech modifier suggests. Sure, they may not have the pure range that the European nations have with good tech costs, but it's not nearly as bad as it first appears.
That was my thinking, at least. Thought I'd put that out there, to perhaps see what people thought on this matter, or perhaps some other radical change.
