We’ve seen the feedback on coal, and the various opinions players have about it. Our intention with coal was to limit the infinite growth of military factories and create meaningful late-game choices. While we did succeed in introducing a limiting factor, we agree that we haven’t yet hit the sweet spot we were aiming for.
We also understand the mixed feedback. Coal does provide a limiting mechanism for expansion, and it does give militarized nations a tangible incentive to expand. But coal does not yet add enough gameplay depth or meaningful choices, and its balance and pacing can be improved.
There are also concerns about not having enough coal in the world. This is intentional: coal is meant to be a finite resource, and running out of it is acceptable within the scope of the game.
That said, below is an outline of what we intend to add in upcoming patches.
Energy Consumption
In the current live version, there is an endless scaling for energy consumption per factory, causing energy demand to escalate quite dramatically. To address those problems, and have a bit more control over the scaling, we will be introducing an Energy Consumption Cap per Factory. At a certain factory count, your energy consumption per factory will stop growing and remain at a constant value. This will be a moddable define.
Civilian Nuclear Reactor - Buff
We will be making a buff to the Civilian Nuclear Reactors state modifier. Currently it reduces local energy consumption from factories by 25%. We are intending to adjust it to a 50% reduction to add a more significant impact to your choices when it comes to late-game specialization. We’re relatively happy with this remaining a synergetic state modifier to local factories rather than a flat energy gain - since the intention for energy is to create a tangible need for expansion to support a militarized economy, this would create the wrong gameplay dynamic by encouraging the player to transition their economy away from coal in the endgame.
Industrial Technology Adjustments
The next step is that we are going to make some adjustments to Industrial Technologies.
First of all, we will be rolling the Equipment Conversion Speed modifiers from the Improved and Advanced Equipment Conversion Technologies into the first four Machine Tool Technologies, and replace those two technologies with a new Coal & Energy related effect.
That new effect is called Energy Gain per Coal (similarly to Fuel Gain per Oil), which will increase how much energy is gained from each unit of coal, making whether traded or excavated coal more efficient in fuelling your industry.
Non-final numbers are non-final and placeholder art is a placeholder art.
Industrial Concern and Electronics Concern Update
Another set of the things that we are thinking about updating, is to introduce some changes to the Industrial and Electronics Concerns, to make them a bit more interesting choices, and make them interact with the new system a bit more. The current intention is that one of them would provide increased coal gain efficiency or coal amount, while the other would provide a global reduction to Factory Energy Consumption. This could potentially make those two picks more interesting, and also make them stronger at different stages of the game or in different circumstances.
Please do not pay too much attention to the numbers here yet. One of the possible options.
Likewise here, numbers shown here may get further adjustment.
Trading and Double Dipping
We have seen reports that trading essentially causes a double dipping, as both the country paying up with a factory, as well as the one that receives the factory from trading have to pay the ‘energy tax’, thus creating a system where energy consumption goes up. We’re leaning towards having factories received from trade being exempt, but are keen to hear opinions from the community.
Other Sources
There’s been a lot of robust discussion around other sources of energy, particularly oil. As things currently stand, oil fulfills an existing game function and we intended to keep this separation for now.
And That's All Folks!
That is all from this relatively short message about our upcoming plans to adjust the coal. I am interested to hear, read and reply to all your questions, ideas and suggestions. But otherwise, until next time, farewell!
/Zwirbaum
