Post by captaintrek on Apr 6, 2021 8:15:17 GMT -6
One of the frustrations people have with this game is how technology feels like it advances too rapidly. And indeed, at 100% research rate it's very common to see the first dreadnoughts get laid down towards the end of 1903, a full two years prior to the real HMS Dreadnought. Thing is, this is due in no small part to the AQY design beloved by the AI. Now there's nothing wrong with ahistorical designs, of course, and I think, if anything, they are to be encouraged. But at the same time I don't think an ahistorical design should be as utterly ubiquitous as AQY is in RTW. It should be an option, rather than the option, if you see what I mean.
To that end, instead of making research slower (which just leads to the same AQY designs still getting laid down, just later, as you can see in AARs such as Dragons Roar), why not extend the current two ship design techs prerequisite on building battlecruisers to dreadnought battleships as well, and increase that prerequisite to four techs? That way, you would need both 3 centerline turrets and main battery wing turrets (in other words, both of the principle design features of HMS Dreadnought's armament) before the game would allow you to begin laying down dreadnoughts. This would in no way prevent the player or the AI from laying down AQYs (and I have no doubt the AI would still employ plenty of these under these new rules), but would more strongly encourage a Dreadnought-style or Kawachi/Nassau-style arrangement for the first BBs and BCs. This would likely delay the first dreadnoughts to late-1904, leading to commissioning in late-1906, which matches historical (as early dreadnoughts take around twice as long to build in RTW as Dreadnought historically took).
You could also look into not letting 14-inch guns get unlocked as early as 1903 (which I have absolutely seen happen), but even the above change on its own could serve to significantly improve the overall "feel" of technological advancement at 100% research rate for many players.
To that end, instead of making research slower (which just leads to the same AQY designs still getting laid down, just later, as you can see in AARs such as Dragons Roar), why not extend the current two ship design techs prerequisite on building battlecruisers to dreadnought battleships as well, and increase that prerequisite to four techs? That way, you would need both 3 centerline turrets and main battery wing turrets (in other words, both of the principle design features of HMS Dreadnought's armament) before the game would allow you to begin laying down dreadnoughts. This would in no way prevent the player or the AI from laying down AQYs (and I have no doubt the AI would still employ plenty of these under these new rules), but would more strongly encourage a Dreadnought-style or Kawachi/Nassau-style arrangement for the first BBs and BCs. This would likely delay the first dreadnoughts to late-1904, leading to commissioning in late-1906, which matches historical (as early dreadnoughts take around twice as long to build in RTW as Dreadnought historically took).
You could also look into not letting 14-inch guns get unlocked as early as 1903 (which I have absolutely seen happen), but even the above change on its own could serve to significantly improve the overall "feel" of technological advancement at 100% research rate for many players.
