Technology

[P3D]

Reposting Rocky's idea.

Alt-tech:

We do away with the tech tree. There are no dice rolls, there is no randomness. Instead, we have six categories of warship (with the potential to add others later as required). Each category happens to include all aspects of the design of that type of ship: gun caliber and mounting, protection, propulsion, layout, and so on.

1. Pre-dreadnoughts and dreadnoughts, including coastal defence battleships and monitors
2. Armored and battlecruisers
3. Protected and light cruisers
4. Torpedo boats and destroyers
5. Submarines
6. Mine warfare vessels

Rather than paying to make new breakthroughs, as in the old system, a nation pays to support the scientific and engineering establishment necessary to maintain ongoing incremental improvements relative to the historical timeline. The six levels are:

A. Obsolete ($0): You may lay down a ship or refit a ship with technology that was included in a historical ship laid down three or more years before the current sim year.

B. Trailing Edge ($0.5): You may lay down a ship or refit a ship with technology that was included in a historical ship laid down two years before the current sim year.

C. Dated ($1): You may lay down a ship or refit a ship with technology that was included in a historical ship laid down one year before the current sim year.

D. Baseline ($2): You may lay down a ship or refit a ship with technology used in historical designs laid down in the same year as the current sim year.

E. Advanced ($4): You may lay down a ship or refit a ship with technology one year ahead of historical.

F. Cutting Edge ($8): You may lay down a ship or refit a ship with technology two years ahead of historical.

As examples, in sim-year 1905, Nation A with "Baseline PD/BB" could include turbines and an all-big-gun layout (similar to Dreadnought) in designs, while Nation B with "Dated PD/BB" would be limited to equipment and concepts introduced in historical 1903 - such as reciprocating engines and, at best, an A-Q-Y main gun layout.

Note that we are talking about technology installed for front-line use in a regular warship, not an experimental system installed in a testing platform.

If a nation ceases to pay for the cost of maintaining a technological level, its technology regresses one level for each year it does not pay, until it reaches obsolete status.

If a nation wishes to improve a level, it pays double the cost of the new level in the first year this is to take effect, reflecting the extra effort required to increase the rate of innovation and development. A nation may only improve by one level per year: you could not go from Obsolete to Baseline in one year. For example, a nation with Baseline status in 1905 could do one of three things in 1906:

A) Pay nothing, and drop to "Dated", leaving its tech frozen at historical 1905 levels
cool.gif Pay $2, and remain at Baseline, allowing its 1906 tech to match historical 1906 levels
C) Pay $4 + $4, and improve to Advanced, allowing its 1906 tech to match historical 1907 levels.

[P3D]

I like the tech establishment ideas, however, what would constitute as 'current' technology?
I did some more thinking on this tech establishments.

First, catching up from 0 shoul require some time - I'd say 0 investment should mean 0 experise whatsoever, and catchup time should be increased.

Moreover, 'time lag' should be increased. No one should be able to catch up in 3 years.
We might still want to add a few extra tech fields. There are pro's and cons for making e.g. torpedoes, gunnery and FC separate.

[Desertfox]

What about modifying the Tech Tree? Say making it easier to research something, but at the same time require upkeep be paid on all technologies above Advanced. Also any unused technology can be lost.

[P3D]

That would make some clumsy rules.

[swamphen]

Let's make sure we don't paint any "exsisting" ships into a corner (Blücher, Scharnhorst).

[P3D]

I do not want to.

[Desertfox]

My proposal tries to keep the tech tree but makes use of Rocky's idea so you have to pay upkeep for highly advance technologies.

[Alikchi]

Let's make sure we don't paint any "exsisting" ships into a corner (Blücher, Scharnhorst).

We could make some ships built before this new ruleset exempt, or special exemptions.

I really do like Rocky's idea, although I also do like the idea of special or hidden techs. (That is to say, I'd like to preserve my advantage in mine warfare tech.)

[P3D]

Previous ships will be exempt from the rules.

[Earl822]

Simple Question, turbines?

[P3D]

You will be a ble to keep your turbines.

[Earl822]

At the same tech level though, coz at the moment the UKA is able to build ships with better turbines than the lay down date, will this continue. At the moment these rules are way too General.

[P3D]

I don't think so. Legacy vessels laid down in 1903-1904, with turbine years 07-08 will stay, but I am against skipping 5-10 years of naval development.

[Earl822]

Ok, note the UKA has legacy designs for 1905 which use Turbines though, Including Dreadnought!

[Desertfox]

I still think we should stay with our rules, but adding upkeep cost for advanced techs. It makes it a lot easier to know exacly what you can do on your ship. Plus there isnt any historical precedent for 29kt 9" cruisers.