About the nature of the new tech-tree

Hello everyone!

To bring some steam into this part of the forum as well, I hereby open the discussion about the Techtree.
Before making up our minds about possibilities and/or changes we first have to clear out what we want to achieve with this part of the modification. Generally speaking, we have two big different parts to follow between which we have to decide:

1.) Enhance the Techtree from the normal Hoi3-TT as an expansion

pro:
-enables the player to continue any game from HoI3 into the Cold-War-timeline without any additional effort

contra:
-has to be implemented into the structure of the vanilla-game; if we dislike the vanilla-techtree we have to change it as well -> extra work
-could become a very bulky creation (though the improvements in Hoi3 regarding TT are enormous) due to the variety of different Cold-War-techs



2.) Create a purely Cold-War-based Techtree

pro
-more specialisation on Cold-War-Techs
-we are not stuck with the vanilla-techtree as requirement on which the future techs are based (which also means less work for the scenario-writers as vanilla-techs don´t have to be added into scenario files)

contra
-impossibility to continue a scenario from the vanilla-timeline
-(results out of contra #1) standalone-mod, might decrease the number of players or possibilities to use it as a base for other mods; specific scenarios must be created to play the mod!



So, as far as I made up my mind I would go for path #1 as it offers a greater replayability while leaving us with almost all opportunites for our own business.

Another question is the estimated timespan we want to cover with the enhanced Techtree. I know there are a lot people seeking the ultimate playing-experience of a 40-year Cold War. I think the Hoi-Engine is not designed for such timespans (maybe Hoi3 will be different in this regard though) - this is why I propose to stick to early Cold War meaning a timespan up until approxemately 1960/65

What do you think?

Principally I prefer solution #2.
In some way I dislike after one game wide parts of the vanilla tech tree.
I understand somehow the reason behind researching every component of every brigade, but it is silly when I e.g. research three times the same rifles for inf, cav and miliz.
There is a lot room for smoothing the tech tree and bring some use of his flexibility.
E.G. the component model for ships is nice, but nothing more. Its like the old naval brigades, you (and the ai) will ever build new units with it, so that they have no really importance and impact.
In Hoi3 you will ever build the ship with the actual components. It would be so easy to allow room for some innovative things. So you could simulate an AA CL with an AA Component 'Airdefence CL AA Pack I' with great bonuses for AA but also a penalty for Seattack and Defense. So the Player have to decide if he wants the generic CL or a specialized role ship. And in the next step he had to build his fleets more balanced with this units.

Okay, it is like it is: Paradox have the engine, the modders have the ideas...

I'am also sure we will have a lot of ideas for new units/brigades as it seems we are free from the 10/10 limitations in Hoi2. But I doesn't know if we can squeeze all this funky new CW Stuff into the existing techtree.

But maybe there is the possibility of a third way. As I actually understand the engine, you can mod the gui and also the tech_folders (e.g. Infantry, Tank, Theories...). Maybe we can add with some tweaking our own folders. So we would have the vanilla owns and below CW infantry, CW tank, etc. ...

Well, staying with the "vanilla" tech tree is not entirely nessecary if you ask me. I also noticed the strange thing with the same rifle as 2 different techs, but this can easily be changed.

Solution #1 is not bound to work with an entirely unmodded Hoi3-techtree only expanded into CW-timeline. It is rather the concept of a fluent addition to the techs of the 1936-´48 timeline, which can clearly be improved. We are free to do so. We must supply new techfiles anyway with the mod, so, why not improving the vanilla-trechtree to a shape we appreciate?

By the way, has anyone expect me noticed, that the tech-effects are multiplied with the level of the researched tech?
Industrial eff. 1 gives you +2,5
Ind. eff. 2 gives you +5
Ind. eff. 3 provides +7,5

and so on? Same with values for added attack/defense and so on?

Black Guardian wrote:
By the way, has anyone expect me noticed, that the tech-effects are multiplied with the level of the researched tech?
Industrial eff. 1 gives you +2,5
Ind. eff. 2 gives you +5
Ind. eff. 3 provides +7,5

and so on? Same with values for added attack/defense and so on?

Okay, after playing some time it is clear that this is not true, but only confusingly displayed. Probably how much is added in total through tech-advance...