This is a huge pet peve of mine which I think Victoria really fails to to take into consideration: Certain Naval inventions were universal-
Ie, the switch from Sail to Steam power, then from Wood to Ironclad, then the switch to Battleships and finaly Dreadnuaghts-
Once one country has developed such a liminal technology, wouldn't it be more realistic if near all nations got the tech simultanousley?
Or failing that, make it easier to research Naval tech (like 7 RP instead of the 1.04 13).
I mean, the idea is that the Navy was actaully the most advanced portion of any Nation's arsenal- the European, Japanese and American navies by the 1900s were far far more advanced then their equivilent land components, not to mention far larger then they end up appearing in game.
If you look at Paradox's 1881 senerio as a good example of what I'm talking about- just about every country has an up-to-date navy, rather then what you get in game, which is almost always one or two countries with a very up to date navy, and everyone else with Mano-wars.
My point being, once someone has ironclads, no one would ever build Steam-wood ships again. I mean, the rare instenses where you get Naval mis-balance is found mostly in the subtlies rather then in being totaly out classed;
Ie, White Fleet being battleships same as the Spanish fleet, but being merely more modern, Japanese Imperial Fleet being the same equivilent to the Russian Balkan and so on (ie, Germans with slightly better Battlecruisers and Dreadnaughts in WWI).
Hence, I purpose a few things to consider:
1) "Naval Design Techs" should be universal, or just realesd by events all together- as in, simply drop them from the tech tree and give them to everyone at the apprioprate moment; and before you go screaming about Butan getting BBs, remeber that the Industrial tech level is still in place, so without electric parts, that isn't going to happen. My point is, every semi-indurtial and modern country deserves a decent albeit, small Navy, not just two or three Great powers, which is not how things were Historicaly.
2) Another tech level between Mano-Wars and Frigates, such as Steam-woodships, in the vain of the Raider but with larger guns and so forth to model the conversion of wind ships to Steam Powered ships. Alternatively, a tech that once researched increases the speed of all Mano-Wars and Frigates to more apprioprate Steam style ships. It seems ludicruis that nations would stillbe driving around with Mano-Wars in 1900 (hopefuly the above tech change could fix this) anyway, but to have them windpowered is even dumber.
3) An AI change that enables the AI to decommision its obsolete ships. Thus, once BBs are on the field, we can see the end of Mano-Wars.
4) The Ironclad and Monitor ships should be changed to something like "Pre Battleship" and "Pre Battlecrusier"- since neither ship as represented in game could operate in the high seas. This is really just a technicality, becuase I hate seeing the CSS Virginia and USS Monitor diriving across the Atlantic. I'd rather see the HMS Warrior and so forth. Or perhaps, failing that, yet another ship typeis needed- the Pre Battleship...
Anyway, my main point is this: the inconsistancey of Naval tech levels was NOT great, historicaly, as it appears in game. Manowars should be bassiacly replaced alltogether by faster Steam driven prop. ships by the early 1850s. Simple submarines should be available (ie, no the modern ones in game), by the late 1860s, with Modern subs comming much later.
Anyway. What's the opinion?
Ie, the switch from Sail to Steam power, then from Wood to Ironclad, then the switch to Battleships and finaly Dreadnuaghts-
Once one country has developed such a liminal technology, wouldn't it be more realistic if near all nations got the tech simultanousley?
Or failing that, make it easier to research Naval tech (like 7 RP instead of the 1.04 13).
I mean, the idea is that the Navy was actaully the most advanced portion of any Nation's arsenal- the European, Japanese and American navies by the 1900s were far far more advanced then their equivilent land components, not to mention far larger then they end up appearing in game.
If you look at Paradox's 1881 senerio as a good example of what I'm talking about- just about every country has an up-to-date navy, rather then what you get in game, which is almost always one or two countries with a very up to date navy, and everyone else with Mano-wars.
My point being, once someone has ironclads, no one would ever build Steam-wood ships again. I mean, the rare instenses where you get Naval mis-balance is found mostly in the subtlies rather then in being totaly out classed;
Ie, White Fleet being battleships same as the Spanish fleet, but being merely more modern, Japanese Imperial Fleet being the same equivilent to the Russian Balkan and so on (ie, Germans with slightly better Battlecruisers and Dreadnaughts in WWI).
Hence, I purpose a few things to consider:
1) "Naval Design Techs" should be universal, or just realesd by events all together- as in, simply drop them from the tech tree and give them to everyone at the apprioprate moment; and before you go screaming about Butan getting BBs, remeber that the Industrial tech level is still in place, so without electric parts, that isn't going to happen. My point is, every semi-indurtial and modern country deserves a decent albeit, small Navy, not just two or three Great powers, which is not how things were Historicaly.
2) Another tech level between Mano-Wars and Frigates, such as Steam-woodships, in the vain of the Raider but with larger guns and so forth to model the conversion of wind ships to Steam Powered ships. Alternatively, a tech that once researched increases the speed of all Mano-Wars and Frigates to more apprioprate Steam style ships. It seems ludicruis that nations would stillbe driving around with Mano-Wars in 1900 (hopefuly the above tech change could fix this) anyway, but to have them windpowered is even dumber.
3) An AI change that enables the AI to decommision its obsolete ships. Thus, once BBs are on the field, we can see the end of Mano-Wars.
4) The Ironclad and Monitor ships should be changed to something like "Pre Battleship" and "Pre Battlecrusier"- since neither ship as represented in game could operate in the high seas. This is really just a technicality, becuase I hate seeing the CSS Virginia and USS Monitor diriving across the Atlantic. I'd rather see the HMS Warrior and so forth. Or perhaps, failing that, yet another ship typeis needed- the Pre Battleship...
Anyway, my main point is this: the inconsistancey of Naval tech levels was NOT great, historicaly, as it appears in game. Manowars should be bassiacly replaced alltogether by faster Steam driven prop. ships by the early 1850s. Simple submarines should be available (ie, no the modern ones in game), by the late 1860s, with Modern subs comming much later.
Anyway. What's the opinion?
