I have saw some threads about EUIV technology and it seems very chaotic so I create this thread for my own idea. I would like you, Paradox game coders and other gamer to see my proposal for the technology mechanic for EUIV.
As you have heard from a lot of the threads about this topic, it is really hard to implement the real world model of technology into a game. Beside it is also a big pain for coders to make such a system.
So I would like to recommend a simpler system that Paradox already have plus a few extra features.
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So this is how the technology system goes. There are two ways to level up your technology:
1st The traditional research
EUIII, HOI3, Vicky 2 already have. You spend money to research until it reaches enough point and you'll get newer technology. This Paradox already have. This should be easier for EUIV coders to do.
2nd The technology "silk road"
This system already existed in CKII as you discover the technology slowly through a percentage of each month. Like in real world, nations attain technology either by discovering it or trade it with another nation.
What if, we combine these two system together into one, we'll have a close to real life technology mechanic for EUIV.
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Here is how the system will work.
When the game first started, there will be a set of countries that will have a certain type of technology early on that will come as trade goods. Such as gunpowder for China, trade tech from the Hansa or Venice, etc. These countries will have an advantage in technology, and since they have a trade route, the technology sometime will travel between countries to countries.
This is when the CKII system come into play. For England in 1399, she wanted gunpowder from China but her research rate for gunpower would be 0%/month since she does not live near China (which already has gunpowder). On the other hand, Korea which exist near China will have 25%/month of having gunpowder. By implementing the spread of technology, this will eliminate the need to make different tech groups.
But what if England never gets to live near China? Would she never have gun powder? Hope is not all lost as she can make it herself. This is when the traditional EUIII research comes into play. England spend enough money for research points, she will have gunpowder in no time.
By chances or research points, the technology rises.
What about the poor countries that does not live next to China nor have the money to research the gunpowder tech? Hope is also not lost for them as well. They can Trade for technology.
-The Technology "Silk Road"
Traders are coming, looks busy. Arrrr!
As I have observed the alpha images for EU IV, I have noticed trade routes. Lots of and lots trade routes by ship guarded by other military ships. This means paradox is trying to remake the trade system. Now as I have mentioned before, the only way the poor country can have access to the newer tech is by trading through Trading Center. By placing their merchants inside a trading center, they can raise their percentage of acquiring a technology depend on:
1. The other countries's tech that trade inside the trade center.
2. How far are the other countries? The farther = less percent, the closer = more percent of getting the tech per month.
3. How many merchants the poor countries place in the trade center.
This will surely encourage trading in the game, thus gave the navy a job to guard the country's trade route. Also the pirate will have something to steal for.
Q:I am a European, I have higher tech than Asia, why should I care about trading with them?
A:Technology for gold and other trade resources for your guns.
Also there will be research rates (aw). No I'm not taking you back to the Europe 100%, Asian 40%, Nomad 10%. I'm talking about a Universal Research rate of 100% for every countries. But then China would be the master of the tech? Here's the deal which EUIII already have. The bigger the country is the more points it need for research, vice versa.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion:
All the tech rate will be the same.
Bigger country need more research points. Smaller countries need less.
The only way to acquire a tech is through Research, Trading, and Chances.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q&A
Q: Can Native American such as Inca or Shawnee gets gun before European does.
A:The answer is No. Why? Gun require Gunpowder, Iron, Cooper, lots of research points. Native American such as Shawnee never had a rich economy. Inca and Aztec may be rich but they lack the resources such as Iron, Gunpowder. On top of that, Inca and Aztec were constantly at war with their neighbors. They does not have access to trade with the Old World. There is no way for them to have a strong economy nor the resources to make gun before the Old World does.
Q: Can China or non European countries gets higher tech before Europe does?
A: China might has higher technological advance at the start of the game, but they gradually decrease that advantage in time due to their practice in Middle-Kingdom policy and internal conflicts (aka Rebels) The more broken the countries is, the poorer it gets. Same goes for South East asian, Middle East who have to constantly dealing with the horde and nomads. More wars = more rebels, less money, research rate went down, trade route gets block by the enemy means you will have a hard time getting new technologies.
Q: Europe is constantly at war too. How can they get higher technology historically?
A: The answer is decisions and luck, also about trade. Europe generally are more democratic than other countries in the Old World at the time. They also have trade stations where countries inside a league agreed not to compete with each other. This mean they have a higher chance of learning new technology. Because of this, they are more prepared to move to the next step of the tech than other countries in the world at the time. Plus in the Renaissance, there were waves after waves of innovation ideas hit Europe. People got a chance to dig themselves into free thinking and open-minded thoughts from early philosophers (the Greeks, Roman, etc).
Other countries at the time, China only care about themselves. Japan is in a big civil war. South East asian never trust each other. India is in splintered. Persia is constantly under attack from nomads tribes. Egypt is under the Mameluks. Only the Ottoman is growing side by side, perhaps more powerful than Europe...
Q: Well during the Renaissance, there are no more central trade activities between European countries, how can they research and find tech faster?
A: True that there were a waning sight of Trader nations as those countries became early European Republics. Technology would travel slower without trading. But Europe is in an innovation period, and they found the New World. European found a new kind of trade route that brought them riches from around the world. Portugal was trading around Asia at the time already. This is how the Asian started to get guns later on through European's trade in Asian's trade centers.
I will be more willing to answer more questions.
As you have heard from a lot of the threads about this topic, it is really hard to implement the real world model of technology into a game. Beside it is also a big pain for coders to make such a system.
So I would like to recommend a simpler system that Paradox already have plus a few extra features.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So this is how the technology system goes. There are two ways to level up your technology:
1st The traditional research
EUIII, HOI3, Vicky 2 already have. You spend money to research until it reaches enough point and you'll get newer technology. This Paradox already have. This should be easier for EUIV coders to do.
2nd The technology "silk road"
This system already existed in CKII as you discover the technology slowly through a percentage of each month. Like in real world, nations attain technology either by discovering it or trade it with another nation.
What if, we combine these two system together into one, we'll have a close to real life technology mechanic for EUIV.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is how the system will work.
When the game first started, there will be a set of countries that will have a certain type of technology early on that will come as trade goods. Such as gunpowder for China, trade tech from the Hansa or Venice, etc. These countries will have an advantage in technology, and since they have a trade route, the technology sometime will travel between countries to countries.
This is when the CKII system come into play. For England in 1399, she wanted gunpowder from China but her research rate for gunpower would be 0%/month since she does not live near China (which already has gunpowder). On the other hand, Korea which exist near China will have 25%/month of having gunpowder. By implementing the spread of technology, this will eliminate the need to make different tech groups.
But what if England never gets to live near China? Would she never have gun powder? Hope is not all lost as she can make it herself. This is when the traditional EUIII research comes into play. England spend enough money for research points, she will have gunpowder in no time.
By chances or research points, the technology rises.
-The Technology "Silk Road"
Traders are coming, looks busy. Arrrr!
As I have observed the alpha images for EU IV, I have noticed trade routes. Lots of and lots trade routes by ship guarded by other military ships. This means paradox is trying to remake the trade system. Now as I have mentioned before, the only way the poor country can have access to the newer tech is by trading through Trading Center. By placing their merchants inside a trading center, they can raise their percentage of acquiring a technology depend on:
1. The other countries's tech that trade inside the trade center.
2. How far are the other countries? The farther = less percent, the closer = more percent of getting the tech per month.
3. How many merchants the poor countries place in the trade center.
This will surely encourage trading in the game, thus gave the navy a job to guard the country's trade route. Also the pirate will have something to steal for.
Q:I am a European, I have higher tech than Asia, why should I care about trading with them?
A:Technology for gold and other trade resources for your guns.
Also there will be research rates (aw). No I'm not taking you back to the Europe 100%, Asian 40%, Nomad 10%. I'm talking about a Universal Research rate of 100% for every countries. But then China would be the master of the tech? Here's the deal which EUIII already have. The bigger the country is the more points it need for research, vice versa.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion:
All the tech rate will be the same.
Bigger country need more research points. Smaller countries need less.
The only way to acquire a tech is through Research, Trading, and Chances.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q&A
Q: Can Native American such as Inca or Shawnee gets gun before European does.
A:The answer is No. Why? Gun require Gunpowder, Iron, Cooper, lots of research points. Native American such as Shawnee never had a rich economy. Inca and Aztec may be rich but they lack the resources such as Iron, Gunpowder. On top of that, Inca and Aztec were constantly at war with their neighbors. They does not have access to trade with the Old World. There is no way for them to have a strong economy nor the resources to make gun before the Old World does.
Q: Can China or non European countries gets higher tech before Europe does?
A: China might has higher technological advance at the start of the game, but they gradually decrease that advantage in time due to their practice in Middle-Kingdom policy and internal conflicts (aka Rebels) The more broken the countries is, the poorer it gets. Same goes for South East asian, Middle East who have to constantly dealing with the horde and nomads. More wars = more rebels, less money, research rate went down, trade route gets block by the enemy means you will have a hard time getting new technologies.
Q: Europe is constantly at war too. How can they get higher technology historically?
A: The answer is decisions and luck, also about trade. Europe generally are more democratic than other countries in the Old World at the time. They also have trade stations where countries inside a league agreed not to compete with each other. This mean they have a higher chance of learning new technology. Because of this, they are more prepared to move to the next step of the tech than other countries in the world at the time. Plus in the Renaissance, there were waves after waves of innovation ideas hit Europe. People got a chance to dig themselves into free thinking and open-minded thoughts from early philosophers (the Greeks, Roman, etc).
Other countries at the time, China only care about themselves. Japan is in a big civil war. South East asian never trust each other. India is in splintered. Persia is constantly under attack from nomads tribes. Egypt is under the Mameluks. Only the Ottoman is growing side by side, perhaps more powerful than Europe...
Q: Well during the Renaissance, there are no more central trade activities between European countries, how can they research and find tech faster?
A: True that there were a waning sight of Trader nations as those countries became early European Republics. Technology would travel slower without trading. But Europe is in an innovation period, and they found the New World. European found a new kind of trade route that brought them riches from around the world. Portugal was trading around Asia at the time already. This is how the Asian started to get guns later on through European's trade in Asian's trade centers.
I will be more willing to answer more questions.
