Frivolous tech tree?

**The Storyteller** · 10-10-2008, 08:40

This does not affect the game in the least. I just can't help wondering, since there is now a tech tree to research, whether there will be frivolous things to research into like "spiffy Prussian uniforms" or "just the right grog recipe".

**Martok** · 10-10-2008, 09:23

I would guess that CA will limit the tech tree to advances that are actually significant; I very much doubt they want to make it too complicated and full of "fluffy" stuff. For one thing, larger tech trees can be intimidating to new players. For another, they don't want to create a tech tree so huge and/or varied that the AI can't handle it -- the simpler it is, the better the AI will be able to use it. Thus, I would say there'll be fewer, more important techs as opposed to many, only semi-useful techs.

**The Storyteller** · 10-10-2008, 09:32

Originally Posted by Martok

I would guess that CA will limit the tech tree to advances that are actually significant; I very much doubt they want to make it too complicated and full of "fluffy" stuff. For one thing, larger tech trees can be intimidating to new players. For another, they don't want to create a tech tree so huge and/or varied that the AI can't handle it -- the simpler it is, the better the AI will be able to use it. Thus, I would say there'll be fewer, more important techs as opposed to many, only semi-useful techs.

Ought to be fairly easy to programme the AI to ignore the fluff altogether. It's just stuff for humans to fool around with and have fun. But they probably have more important things to worry about, so...

**Nelson** · 10-11-2008, 18:55

I'd expect armor upgrades to be out but I guess cavalry cuirasses could be improved via upgrades if CA still wants such things in the game. I've thought since Shogun that armor and weapon upgrades were simply vestiges of traditional RTS games that CA included because people might expect such things.