Realistic Technology Advance Model

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I'm not much for overly complicated models since they increase the learning curve manyfold. My suggestion is that when a tech is researched by a nation, that nation does it at full cost. Next nation gets a small discount (at what ever is left of the research cost) and every country after gets a bigger and bigger discount. When a set percentage of all countries have the tech it becomes free. The discount can vary for different techs if it increases realism. Perhaps you would gain VP:s for each tech you are the first to research (as it still gives prestige to this day to have been the first with something like penicillin or aeroplanes).

The problem is that in Victoria the world needs to be divided into different tech-groups and the interlinkage between these can be a little bit complicated.

Hopefully this would be doable (and understandable to new players).

 

[jpd]

How about a tech tree model similar to Civ 3?

In that model, techs are grouped into ages. You cannot advance to the next age, until ALL of the key techs in the current age are researched, no matter to what particular branch each tech belongs.

That way, a player can make selections and choices to what to research first, but cannot jump ahead all the way to the end of a particular branch.

Maybe even mix this age model with elements of Imperialism, where availability of tech was based on predefined start dates. Instead of defining start dates for each tech, one could define start dates to enabling the various ages.

So, if a player goes allout and research everything in one age way ahead of a historical timetable, he still cannot advance to unlock the next bunch of tech, until the date catches up and unlocks the next age.

With such a mechanism everyone would get more or less what he wants. Players retain full freedom in setting research priorities, while still making sure that vastly unbalancing a-historical research outcomes are prevented, and without creating a whole bunch of tech interconnects.

Jan Peter

 

[peo]

I'd rather have it so that you invest in education and projects such as railroads, canals and so on.
This should then give you an increased chance of getting a new tech.
After someone has a tech the chance of it going to someone else increses with the trade that occurs between the 2 nations.
Technology spread very fast in Europe at the time and as someone said it wasn't the techs that was lacking but the implementaion of them.
Also the more free market a nation is the bigger the chance of techs apearing.

The way would be something like a semi random event.

Altough if you make everything abstracted and moved from the player the player will have very little to do

So the best option is somewhere in between probably.
Some influence directly but not choosing exactly "discover synthetic fertilizer" but "research agriculture" and then you get what you get. Also with substantial bonuses for education levels and market type.

 

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I kind of like the idea mentioned by someone else, though I may be misunderstanding/modifying it.

Basically, every nation has a certain amount of Tech points. They get a certain amount of Tech points based on a series of game factors, which may be culture, government, existing industrial development, historical modifiers, etc. The player can then decide to apply the tech points like in the HoI tech tree.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

Originally posted by StJaba
I kind of like the idea mentioned by someone else, though I may be misunderstanding/modifying it.

Basically, every nation has a certain amount of Tech points. They get a certain amount of Tech points based on a series of game factors, which may be culture, government, existing industrial development, historical modifiers, etc. The player can then decide to apply the tech points like in the HoI tech tree.

I like this idea as well. Delinking pure economic strength (represented by ducats or dollars or whatever) from technological advances would be an important improvement, especially for non-military techs (the gov't should be able to spend some finances on military techs, though).

 

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Originally posted by Johnny Canuck
I like this idea as well. Delinking pure economic strength (represented by ducats or dollars or whatever) from technological advances would be an important improvement, especially for non-military techs (the gov't should be able to spend some finances on military techs, though).

Except for being totally ahistorical. The richest nations of the 18th cenury were the most advanced because they were richest. And vice vera.

Haiti and Liberia were basket cases even then.

The best way to make R&D historical is to make the actual R&D effort a product of R&D spending and the size of the economy.

 

[Zagys]

Originally posted by Hardu
But in Victoria the probability of getting innnovations through events opr espionage should be far higher than in HoI. And I also think that that technology shoulc be "tradeable".

If gaining knowledge of the technology is synonymous with implementing the technology, as it is in EU and HoI, then this doesn't make any sense.

 

[peo]

Originally posted by Hardu
Except for being totally ahistorical. The richest nations of the 18th cenury were the most advanced because they were richest. And vice vera.

Haiti and Liberia were basket cases even then.

The best way to make R&D historical is to make the actual R&D effort a product of R&D spending and the size of the economy.

As long as a nation that improves it's educational system gets bonuses for that.

 

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I would actually propose a system similar to "Alpha Centauri". Your government could direct research generally into one of four broad areas: "explore", "discover", "build" or "conquer". The tech tree was a web, so later techs required mixtures of the four branches. All the player knows is how long until the next discovery, but not what that discovery is. Additionally, while the research tends towards the chosen category, it is only a tendency. Sometimes, you'll discover three "explore" techs in a row, despite desperately wanting that covered "conquer" tech.

Techs could be traded on a one-for-one basis. Prototype units cost more, but had higher morale.

This prevents players from "cherry-picking" techs to get to the Tiger tank in 1939, like happens in HOI. It also has more interaction between the techs, something EUII, for all I love it, does not really have.

Anyone else out there remember Alpha C fondly?

 

[peo]

Havn't played AC in a long time.
So i don't remember the particularities of that system.

But i like the idea of not knowing realy i would also remove the exact times.
But i don't like the idea of tech trade.
Technology flowed rather freely in this era.
I think it should flow with the trade or something.

 

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somehow the ac system felt more realistic it was a lot of fun. i liked ac but i cant find the cd =(