(53) Proposal: Later Eras Tech Cost Reduction

[L. Vern]

With the happiness changes leading to smaller cities, as well as in many cases fewer of them, average SPT has gone down across the board and many people have commented that later eras feel a bit too long now - this set of changes should keep era lengths consistent while reducing later era technology research time, without reverting back to atomic/info passing by in the blink of an eye

-- Medieval Era
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost =   500 WHERE GridX =  5; -- Originally 500
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost =   600 WHERE GridX =  6; -- Originally 700
-- Renaissance Era
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost =  1450 WHERE GridX =  7; -- Originally 1750
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost =  2250 WHERE GridX =  8; -- Originally 2400
-- Industrial Era
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost =  3500 WHERE GridX =  9; -- Originally 3600
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost =  4800 WHERE GridX = 10; -- Originally 5150
-- Modern Era
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost =  7200 WHERE GridX = 11; -- Originally 8100
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost =  9850 WHERE GridX = 12; -- Originally 11000
-- Atomic Era
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost = 10900 WHERE GridX = 13; -- Originally 14500
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost = 13750 WHERE GridX = 14; -- Originally 17700
-- Information Era
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost = 12550 WHERE GridX = 15; -- Originally 21250
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost = 15200 WHERE GridX = 16; -- Originally 26000
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost = 17100 WHERE GridX = 17; -- Originally 27150
-- Future Tech
UPDATE Technologies SET Cost = 19950 WHERE GridX = 18; -- Originally 31700

Note that the following target turn values were used:

Spoiler target turn values :

Era	Target Turns
Medieval	6
Renaissance	7
Industrial	7
Modern	7
Atomic	5
Information	4
Spaceship (InfoT3)	3

If anyone would like to submit a counter-proposal with different target numbers here please do, I will sponsor any such passing resolution and generate the new corresponding technology costs

 

[Recursive]

With the happiness changes leading to smaller cities, as well as in many cases fewer of them, average SPT has gone down across the board

Note that unhappiness will be nerfed in the next version as it is unreasonably high at the moment. More tweaking may be needed if this allows more SPT to be generated.

I'm thinking of reducing the tech modifier to 1% per 1% of techs researched (currently 1.6% per 1%) and the empire modifier to 5% (from 10%) per non-capital non-puppet city.

 

[notaspambot]

Wasn't NumCitiesTechCostMod already reduced to 5 several patches ago, or am I thinking of something else?

 

[Recursive]

Wasn't NumCitiesTechCostMod already reduced to 5 several patches ago, or am I thinking of something else?

Been the case since vanilla.

 

[notaspambot]

VP had it fluctuate based on world size at some point before settling on the flat 5. I recall there being quite the ciriticism that tech speed was too fast around that time.

Regardless, were you referring to the same modifier, or something else?

 

[DImensiondog]

Note that unhappiness will be nerfed in the next version as it is unreasonably high at the moment

Wonderful news as anytime I think of playing VP I instantly think of constant micromanagement of my cities to maintain 50% happiness.

 

[L. Vern]

I'm thinking of reducing the tech modifier to 1% per 1% of techs researched (currently 1.6% per 1%)

Never heard of this, how does that currently work? If I've researched 41 of the 82 technologies my next technology costs (50 * 1.6 = 80) -> 180% science of what's written?

 

[Recursive]

VP had it fluctuate based on world size at some point before settling on the flat 5. I recall there being quite the ciriticism that tech speed was too fast around that time.

Regardless, were you referring to the same modifier, or something else?

Never heard of this, how does that currently work? If I've researched 41 of the 82 technologies my next technology costs (50 * 1.6 = 80) -> 180% science of what's written?

The global medians for Needs unhappiness are currently adjusted in the city by several factors:
Tech: +1.6% per 1% of techs researched (rounded down)
Empire Size: +10% per non-capital non-puppet city in empire
Capital: +25% in the capital
City Size: -1% per 2 citizens
Difficulty: Ranges from +5% (AI on Settler) to -20% (human on Settler) depending on difficulty level

I would like to change it as follows, because the new Unhappiness numbers are closer to the actual median than the previous ones were with the new formula:
Tech: +1% per 1% of techs researched
Empire Size: +5% per non-capital non-puppet city in empire
Capital: +25% in the capital
City Size: -1% per citizen (unsure on this one, but if cities are struggling to grow this might help slightly)
Difficulty: Ranges from +5% (AI on Settler) to -20% (human on Settler) depending on difficulty level (might change if I rework difficulty, but ignore this)

 

[tyranthym]

Second this, I believe even with unhappiness nerfed, this is still needed, I do think the reduction may be too much, the best numbers for me is around 22-24k for future tech ( keep the similar proportion), but 31.7k is definitely too much. The value I suggestted is purely based on my actual playing. The idea is if you focus on tech and play really well, there is a high chance that SV will happen before CV. Other times CV should happen a little bit earilier always.

This is nothing related to delaying late game. Currently to delay the victory, we need more buidling to build, further balance CV to make it much later, to make late game not so boring. Before those are done, the tech cost should always be designed to make SV competitive with CV

 

[Recursive]

Proposal Sponsors: L. Vern.

(Sponsors have indicated that they are able and willing to perform the code changes required for this proposal if the community votes Aye on it. Other coders are free to sponsor this as well. A proposal without a sponsor will not advance to the Voting Phase.)