@Brain:
Technology should be eliminated from the game.
I’ll agree with you up to a point. I have never really liked the way technology was implemented. Too luck-based! Even in the Anniversary Edition rules set, there’s the luck element of the time delay; plus the luck element of whether you ultimately end up with a tech you wanted.
Chief Technical Officer: How is that research coming on that new tank?
Researcher: It’s coming! It should be ready any minute now.
Chief Technical Officer: Good. We need those improved tanks yesterday.
Later . . .
Chief Technical Officer: How about those new tanks?
Researcher: You’re going to be excited. Just not in the way you might think.
Chief Technical Officer: What do you mean?
Researcher: Think of this like Christmas. You never know what you’re going to get until you unwrap the present.
Chief Technical Officer: I don’t think I like where this is going.
Researcher: It turns out that when you sent us off to develop improved tanks, some of us got a little distracted, one thing led to another, and before you knew it, we’d developed super submarines! Our submarines will be the best in the world, hands down, no holds barred.
Chief Technical Officer: We don’t even have a sub fleet. We have no plans to build a sub fleet, because we’re locked into a land war. The very existence of our nation requires us to at least hold our own in that land war! Why would you develop an improved submarine instead?
Researcher: These things happen.
Chief Technical Officer: What do you mean, “These things happen?” Who on Earth sets about trying to develop an improved tank, only to develop an improved submarine instead? When someone proposed an improved tank turret, did someone else respond with, “Tank turret. Submarine conning tower. Same difference.”?
Researcher: You know how these things go.
Chief Technical Officer: No, I don’t know how these things go. I want that improved tank, and I want it yesterday!
Researcher: That brings me to my other news. The funding for this research project was pretty much used up by that improved sub we just designed. If you want us to improve your tanks, we’re going to need some more cash.
Chief Technical Officer: What guarantee do I have that, this time, I’ll get the improved tank?
Researcher: Some of the guys were tossing around ideas for improved tanks. Maybe those will go somewhere. Then again, there are other schools of thought out there. Some feel that since we now have the world’s best subs, it’s time to improve our naval shipyards. So you never know where your research effort is going to go! :)
Chief Technical Officer: What?!?!
Fortunately, the above problem is solved in my rules set. There is no luck element to technology research, and you always know in advance exactly which tech you’ll be getting.