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| 06.03.2004Cutting Down the Tech Tree
I found Ethan Watrall's article, "Chopping Down the Tech Tree: Perspectives of Technological Linearity in God Games, Part Two", interesting -- but there is at least one very questionable point on page 5 of the artilce. The introduction of the canon into European warfare encouraged the study of ballistics, which is based on the same physical laws as celestial mechanics. These two branches of science converged to become Newtonian mechanics.
Watrall could justly claim that this reinforces his main point - innovation is a more complex process than the usual tech tree admits. But then war is more complex than chess. Games often need to simplify. I think most influences on innovation can be abstracted in the way the Civ series does.
I think Watrall's strongest and most easily implemented point is possibly that food shortages will reduce industrial and research productivity.-Philip Chalmers
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Letters to the Editor
