Aussie_Lurker
Deity
I realise that the shape of the tech tree is one of those things which will almost certainly be subject to change prior to release, but 1 or 2 things did catch my eye which I feel need alteration at some point.
The most glaring problem I have seen is how democracy has Printing Press as its pre-requisite. I just see this as taking a hugely 'Anglo-Saxon' view of History. After all, the Greeks had a working Democracy over 200 years BEFORE the Printing Press.
If you ask me, the sole Prerequisite of Democracy should actually be Philosophy, given that Philosophers are, historically, often the people who spark new Democracy movements. Beyond this PR, paths to democracy should involve Monarchy, Printing Press and Constitution.
The other thing which seems terribly absent is Republic. Now, I know some of you might say 'oh, but thats just another name for democracy', but I feel they are sufficiently different enough to warrant a seperate tech (to me, Republic is the same as the 'Representation' civic, wheras Democracy is closer to 'Universal Sufferage') The issue is, where to place republic, and what should the various paths to it be? I think monarchy would be a great Prerequisite, as their seems a close historical link between nations who were Monarchies and those that later became Republics (think Rome with the move from the Etruscan kings to the Roman Republic, or France with its move from Louis to the French Republic, or even America with its break from the British Monarchy to form a Republic). Other paths to Republic, though, could be Code of Laws, Education, Democracy or the Printing Press.
By having these techs appear in this fashion, then a player could simulate Ancient Rome or Greece by effectively beelining their way to Republic and/or democracy-and establishing 'enlightened' governments in the midst of 'barbaric' despotisms and Kingdoms.
Of course, just because they are democracies or Republics, doesn't make them 'nice', after all, they could still practice slavery, be theocratic or have a mercantilist economy (or if you have seen my suggestions for broader civics, they may even have an Imperial Organisation, or a Feudalist/Plutocratic Philosophy).
Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.
The most glaring problem I have seen is how democracy has Printing Press as its pre-requisite. I just see this as taking a hugely 'Anglo-Saxon' view of History. After all, the Greeks had a working Democracy over 200 years BEFORE the Printing Press.
If you ask me, the sole Prerequisite of Democracy should actually be Philosophy, given that Philosophers are, historically, often the people who spark new Democracy movements. Beyond this PR, paths to democracy should involve Monarchy, Printing Press and Constitution.
The other thing which seems terribly absent is Republic. Now, I know some of you might say 'oh, but thats just another name for democracy', but I feel they are sufficiently different enough to warrant a seperate tech (to me, Republic is the same as the 'Representation' civic, wheras Democracy is closer to 'Universal Sufferage') The issue is, where to place republic, and what should the various paths to it be? I think monarchy would be a great Prerequisite, as their seems a close historical link between nations who were Monarchies and those that later became Republics (think Rome with the move from the Etruscan kings to the Roman Republic, or France with its move from Louis to the French Republic, or even America with its break from the British Monarchy to form a Republic). Other paths to Republic, though, could be Code of Laws, Education, Democracy or the Printing Press.
By having these techs appear in this fashion, then a player could simulate Ancient Rome or Greece by effectively beelining their way to Republic and/or democracy-and establishing 'enlightened' governments in the midst of 'barbaric' despotisms and Kingdoms.
Of course, just because they are democracies or Republics, doesn't make them 'nice', after all, they could still practice slavery, be theocratic or have a mercantilist economy (or if you have seen my suggestions for broader civics, they may even have an Imperial Organisation, or a Feudalist/Plutocratic Philosophy).
Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.