Your Favourite Engineering?

What do folks like to do with their Engineering Academies? What do you reckon are the most profitable/fun research projects, or the most entertaining use for trained Engineers?

I've had them look into producing items to improve the economy of the nation(s) I play, with water wheels seeming to be the main result, also improved lifting gear for loadin/unloading ships.

Have also had trained engineers, looking at the state of the roads to ensure repairs are do & levels are kept up.

Think of anything technical & ask if the clever artisans can do something to improve it.

Thanks for the reply. Seems it's a subject everyone else finds a little dull as well, so not outlandish suggestions or surprises. Ah well, just have to get my own brain-box grinding.

I have suggested that the Duke of Baden build a rocket to help him in his dream of hunting for Butterflies on the moon, I will keep you posted as it develops.

If I'm playing a West European nation, I tend to have an academy research and develop improved steam engines-has helped improve my mines, whilst when playing China I tend to have an engineering academy research "lost" Chinese technologies, which is always fun.

In G2, I have an 'transportation' engineering academy who are currently researching wagonways

Is there a danger of a "Beam me up Scottie " research breakthrough with this kind of academy.

Hmmm, the Hanoverian navy equipped with a fleet of USS Enterprises...now there's an idea

Its something I'm researching more for economic development, has no real military potential as far as I can see but there could be a few fringe civilian benefits...which might become apparent in a year or two...

If people want to explore extreme engineering they should try Scabble were
Napoleon III seem's to be a fan of steam powered balloons. Which work fine when not getting lost or crashing into mountains. While other players seem to be playing railway rivals extreme with the HEIC trying to push its tracks over the Hindu Kush to Central Asia and up through the Kyber Pass. For some reason the locals are just not that keen on "getting with the program" which seems to involve Cricket and Train spotting. Perhaps they are holding out for Balloons & Opium Dealing Nuns?

In Glory I think a sadly neglected use of Engineer's/Engineering is a siege warfare. Most sieges seem to involve nothing more than blasting though the defences with siege guns and the defender trying to stop them with counter battery fire.

With some reading and inventive use of engineers there are lots of other things you can try in a siege situation. My favourite example in game was when the Anglo-Portugese defenders of Lisbon (in G2) placed a huge mine under the breach which they fired under the head of a mass Spanish storm. Amongst the wounded with King Philip of Spain who lost an Arm.

Only problem was the mine was a bit on the large size and a small breach got turned into a very, very large one which the Spanish stormed the month after.

I have not seen anyone attempt to do anything with water levels and the like but for many Dutch & Rhineland fortresses the water defences were a major part of the defence and while the ideal of flooding the foe's camp and trenches may seem petty I think anyone with experience of modern military operations or building will confirm that water logged trenches and mud slow things down to a crawl.

I have wondered if a nation was willing to throw the resources into the developments how viable it would be in Glory to bring the Industrial Revolution forward a bit? Many of the concepts were already in place and prototypes being built (for example, Papin built a working paddlesteamer in 1707), it was backers that were lacking...perhaps with the hindsight we have...

Opps, or have I given my gameplay away

Given many of the notes in the various books about "this falls outside our period", I'm left with the impression that Richard wouldn't let you get too far out, and even a bit far out will be hard and costly.

While I think it would be fun to push, I can see why he'd not want that, since where do you draw the line? Do we want the game to end up steam punk? (Well, ok, a steampunk glory of kings would be kinda awesome, but I'm not sure if it would be sustainable.)

Oh completely agree Deacon. However I have had quite a bit of success in improving newcomen engines, making them more efficient and getting better results out of mines as a result.

Also as this is an alternative history game, I think we're ok with taking ideas that worked at the time but simply weren't taken forward for some reason. Lets use Papin's paddlesteamer as an example, it does appear it worked but no one in 1707 was interested in funding him to research and improve it...so what if in-game someone does? Now we're not suddenly going to get fleets of steamships crossing the oceans but maybe after a few years work and research perhaps a reliable small vessel for river/coastal work might be the result? Anyway, worth a shot

Yes, I can imagine that working. My guess is that if it could be done in period, _AND_ the impact of doing it is mild, Richard would probably eventually let you do it. Just nothing radical that would change the balance of power much.