OWB 4.2.5 Tech, Equipment and Unit Balance Changes

# 4.2.5 Tech and Units Balance Changelog

General Changes:

	# Define and Background Value Changes

	Monthly Population base rate decreased by ~6.25%
		(Dev Note: This rate was previously increased from the vanilla value by the same amount it is now being decreased. Originally, raising the value of monthly population was desirable, but with shifts to the handling of manpower in the mid and late game mod wide, a higher value no longer is due to the modifier's enabling of late game manpower snowballing, however slightly. This value may see further adjusting in the future.)

	Maximum and Minimum Opinion changed from +/-100 to +/-200

	Positive Stability Mobilization Speed malus changed from -0-20% to -0-15%, Factory and Dockyard Output bonus changed from +0-12% to +0-15%
	Positive War Support Mobilization Speed bonus changed from +0-100% to +0-50%, Core Attack and Defense bonus changed from +0-8% to +0-10%

	Suppression requirement per 1% Resistance 0.38 -> 0.35

	Wartime Building Destruction cooldown 25 -> 20 days

	Outpost and Coastal Bunker base construction cost 700 -> 800
	Naval Bases base construction cost 3000 -> 2500, added a per-level extra cost of 500

	# System Changes
	State Funded Radio Programming caps decision Stability < 80% requirement and Weekly Stability +0.2% removed
	State Funded Radio Programming caps decision Diplomacy Distance +30% -> +25%, Political Power Gain +0.1 -> +0.2
		(Dev Note: With the changes to the value and availability of Stability in Old World Blues that have come over recent patches, we felt it would be best to streamline this caps decision, focusing it more on political power which makes the diplomacy distance easier to benefit from and can also always be fed back into stability via political action decisions should a nation be very low on it.)

	Coring button base cost 25 -> 30

	Trade Laws Trade Tariffs bonuses +10%/+15%/+20%/+25% -> +5%/+10%/+15%/+20%
		(Dev Note: This was also changed for some similar unique trade laws)

	Large Territorial Administration overlord idea Factory Output +10% -> +5%

	# Combat Changes

	Land unit experience gain from combat scale 0.07 -> 0.06

	Shore Bombardment Cap 0.25 -> 0.3
		(Dev Note: This change should help increase the bearing of naval supremacy on land combat and thus its importance as a whole given OWB's smaller focus on navies and naval combat as a means for winning wars)

	Max Wings in combat simulation increased from 500 to 750
	Enemy Air Superiority Defense penalty -18% -> -20%
	Air Combat Damage Stats Multiplier 0.2 -> 0.25
		(Dev Note: This effectively makes Air-on-Air combat 25% more deadly on average, though depending on the weight of air defense compared to air attack, it may be more or less in context)
	Bombing War Support penalty scale increased by 33%
	Maximum weekly Bombing War Support penalty 0.6% -> 0.5%



Infantry Tech Changes:

	Added the ability to spend Army XP on Military Heritage research at a rate of 50xp for a 50% boost
	Removed the ability to spend Army XP on HERMES Armor and APA Research

	Slashing Melee Breakthrough 2.5 -> 3
	Heavy Melee Breakthrough 4 -> 4.5
	Powered Melee Breakthrough 5.5 -> 6

	Enforcers unit River Movement -30% -> -25%, Attack -20% -> -15%

	Spec Ops unit Recovery Rate 0.4 -> 0.35
		(Dev Note: Part of what makes Spec Ops so pervasive in OWB is their fundamental lack of strong weaknesses, and adjusting their Recovery Rate to still be above the 0.3 that is the commonly used baseline does little to change that. However, given how Recovery Rate for Spec Ops could often reach critical mass especially when used by nations with high flat buffs to the stat coupled with the right doctrine, 0.4 as a base just proves to be too excessive too often)

	Composite T-45d PA Defense 5 -> 5.5, Armor 30 -> 35, Hardness 55% -> 65%
	Mobile T-51c PA Defense 7 -> 7.5, Breakthrough 13 -> 14
		(Dev Note: Given that these two types of power armor equipment are niche alternatives to the main equipment, these changes are not expected to raise the overall strength of Power Armor)
	Vault-Tec PA Soft Attack 3 -> 4, Hard Attack 1.5 -> 2, Armor 24 -> 25, Production Cost 9 -> 10
	APA MkI and MkII Cell Usage 0.8 -> 1.0

	Rocket Skate technology research year changed from 2280 to 2279
	Roller Skate equipment Breakthrough 2.5 -> 3
	Rocket Skate equipment Breakthrough 5 -> 6
	Skate Infantry Recovery Rate 0.3 -> 0.35, Defense -25% -> -20%, Supply Use 0.3 -> 0.25, Urban Movement +10% -> +20%



Support Tech Changes:

	Knights changed to received Logistics and Maintenance company bonuses and also no longer be usable at the same time as those companies
	Scribes changed to received Recon and Medical company bonuses and also no longer be usable at the same time as those companies
	Knights and Scribes Support HP 20 -> 15, Equipment requirement 10 -> 15, Manpower requirement 10 -> 15
	Knights 1.0 Recon removed, granted starting +10% Initiative, Reliability Bonus +10% -> +5%



Vehicle Tech Changes:

	Return Rollers Tank Organisation +3 replaced with Tank Breakthrough +5%

	Motorized Enforcers Armor -30% -> -20%

	Chariots unit HP 35 -> 30, Fort Movement -15% removed, Fort Defense +10% -> -10%



Air Tech Changes:

	Payload Gliders Production Cost 38 -> 35

	Removed the ability to spend Air XP on Xian Recon Plane Research
	Xian Fighter and Attackplane Reliability 95% -> 90%

	Removed the ability to spend Air XP on Vertibird Research
	VB Transport and Gunship Max Speed 900 -> 800, Reliability 90% -> 85%



Industry and Tribal Tech Changes:

	Tool Procurement Tech Production Efficiency Growth +2.5% -> +2%
	Tool Scavenging Techs Production Efficiency Cap 10% -> 9%, Production Efficiency Base +2.5% -> +3%
	Tool Production Techs Production Efficiency Cap 7.5% -> 7%
	Industry Planning Production Efficiency Retention +10% -> +5%
	Generalized Production techs Factory Output +8% -> +9%, Max Factories in State +13% -> +12%
	Flexible Designs, Part Standardization, Recycling and Advanced Recycling Production Efficiency Retention +5% -> +3%
		(Dev Note: These targeted nerfs to industry techs are specifically intended to help combat the exponential scaling and snowballing that can come with the late game in OWB, particularly due to the lack of mechanics meant to counteract it. Hitting Production Efficiency Cap slowly as it scales into the late game and the Production Efficiency Retention that allows advanced equipment to get online sooner will both slightly hamper this while not hurting the industry of smaller nations in the early game significantly.)

	Pre-Agriculture Tech Manpower +300 -> +250

	Vault Tec Infrastructure Factory and Dockyard Output +10% -> +7.5%

	Tribal Factory techs Production Efficiency Cap +3% -> +2.5%, Production Efficiency Retention +7% -> +5%



Doctrine Tech Changes:

	# Perks and Doctrine School
	New Crossroads Special Forces Capacity +2.5% removed
	All Unit Terrain Bonus Techs Recovery Rate +0.02 -> +0.01
	Refining the Best Special Forces Capacity +2.5% -> +5%, XP Cost 50 -> 100



Unique Tech Changes:

	Ranger Leads tech Spec Ops Reconnaissance +1 -> +0.5