Rule the Waves 3: Economy and Research

Success in Rule the Waves 3 is not solely about employing the best combat strategies. An equally crucial aspect of the game is efficiently managing your nation’s economy and intelligently guiding its research efforts.

Economy and Budget Management

Yearly Naval Budget

The heart of your economy is the naval budget. This is the fund you have at your disposal each year, and it primarily depends on two factors: your nation’s base resources and the percentage of those resources devoted to your navy. This budget fluctuates in response to various in-game events and conditions, adding an element of unpredictability and challenge to the game.

Base Resources

Your base resources form the foundation of your budget. They represent the wealth your nation has access to, which increases annually by about 3-5% due to economic growth. Wars significantly impact your base resources: winning a war boosts these resources, while losing a war results in their decline. This mechanic emphasizes the importance of strategic planning and making every effort to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Colonies and Possessions

Your colonies and possessions offer additional sources of income that contribute to your naval budget. In addition, they serve other functions like providing naval bases, coastal artillery, and other forms of defense. However, income from colonies and possessions gradually declines over time, which means they might not remain profitable in the long run, especially considering the costs of maintaining them.

Moreover, your control over these territories can change due to peace treaties or other events. Acquiring new territories could potentially escalate tensions, especially if these regions are already dominated by other nations. Balancing expansion with the maintenance of diplomatic relations is thus an essential part of the game.

Budget Management

Your budget is divided into monthly payments for running your navy. It’s crucial not to run out of funds, as this can lead to multiple negative consequences, such as lowering your prestige, upsetting your finance ministry, and adversely affecting fleet morale.

You can accumulate a surplus for future expenses, but holding on to substantial funds for too long may prompt the finance ministry or other governmental bodies to find a use for them. So, budgeting in RTW3 requires careful planning and timing your expenditures wisely.

Research

One of the ways you can spend your budget in RTW3 is on research, which is a critical component of the game. Let’s delve into the details of how research works in RTW3.

Research Allocation

You can designate a portion of your budget for research, up to a maximum of 12%. However, anything over 10% has diminishing returns, meaning you receive less value per additional unit spent.

Research Priorities

You can direct your research efforts by setting priorities for various research areas. These include a wide range of technologies, from battleship projectiles to submarine technology. You can categorize each of these areas as high, medium, or low priority based on your strategic goals.

Research Outcomes

RTW3’s research model emphasizes realism. Instead of specifying a particular technology to be invented, you direct your scientists to focus on specific areas, leading to the development of whatever they discover or innovate.

If a research area has been fully explored and there are no further technologies to discover, the game automatically reallocates the research points to other areas. This system ensures no research efforts go wasted and requires you to remain flexible and adaptable to new technological developments.

Rule the Waves 3 does an excellent job of replicating the actual pace and nature of technological advancements. Even if a technology has been discovered, it takes time for it to be widely adopted. This delay prevents players from exploiting foresight in ship designs and adds a level of authenticity to the game.

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