Summary
While some strategy titles focus on the minutiae of moment to moment battles in a single campaign, andothers focus on broad storiesthat encapsulate the ups and downs of an era, there are a host of titles that take the concept of strategy gameplay and stretch it out over decades or centuries. Beyond this, there are some that place technological advancement on such a fast scale that, within a single playthrough, an entirely new age can be reached.
Balanced across fantastic RTS titles, grand strategy games, and board-game-styled experiences, there is a good number of strategy games that showcase evolving technology as the playtime progresses. Each has something unique to offer, but some stand out because of how deep their technology advancement system really is.
The timeline ofCrusader Kings 3is all about change and the shifting of power over the years. Functionally, this amounts to the paint-by-numbers version of a world map slowly losing “Byzantine Empire Purple” for “Umayyad Caliphate green” as rulers rise and fall and their domains collapse and reform. But no matter how large or small players' kingdoms may grow, the constant that carries from one ruler to the next, besides the royal blood in their veins (and even that is really optional, depending on how faithful a player’s partner is), is the technological progression of their dynasty’s culture.
Rulers are the driving forces of learned technologies inCrusader Kings 3, and while a dynasty that dismisses scholarship might be stuck in the Dark Ages for centuries, certain rulers will reach the High Medieval Era with all the benefits that doing so entails.Especially for beginners, it’s important not to dismiss the cultural progress of each dynasty.
The highly moddableVictoria 3builds itself on two pillars of gameplay and balance in particular: economics and policy. It is not surprising to learn that, in a title so centrally focused on the Industrial Revolution and the turmoil it brought, technology plays a massive role in how economics and politics shift during the course of one game. Over just 100 years, players will take their Victorian-era civilization and shape it into something of their own design.
Technology is essential in industrializing agrarian nations, working on the efficiency of trade routes, and improving the overall quality of life in a player’s nation. This game hasquite a steep learning curve, but for those who can even just master the basics, an incredibly robust economic and political management game driven by technological progress awaits them.
Technology and progression is an essential cornerstone inCivilization 6, especiallywhere the early game is concerned, but moving throughout the game, players will find that it is still incredibly important to have technology builds set in a certain order. The scope ofCivilization 6is really where this title shines, with players being able to take a civilization from the very earliest stages of society all the way through to sci-fi tech and expansion beyond modern means.
Technology expansion isn’t just a passive part of the gameplay here; it’s a driving force towards securing victory against any and all opponents. A goodCivilization 6player will always be steadily increasing their technological capabilities.
2Warzone 2100
This Open-Source Title Has A Monumental Tech Tree
Warzone 2100is incredibly unique as far as strategy titles go, but it also holds an incredibly distinctive place in the gaming industry overall as a completely free, open-source title that has been expanded upon for years.Longtime RTS fanswho enjoy titles with a greater focus on machine units and counter artillery will find a lot to love here, as the title’s emphasis is on broader, wider-scale combat dominated by mortars and tanks.
The huge tech tree inWarzone 2100means that both the player and the opponents will be in a constant race of evolving technologies that drastically shape how battles unfold, until one faction finally comes out as the winner.
Research and population are the two most popular resources for progress inStellaris, and withthe right combination of traits, players will be able to see dramatic increases in the effectiveness of their empire. But advancements as an empire inStellarisare capped by technological progress, and staying ahead of the curve in the constantly evolving technology paradigms within the galaxy is essential to victory. Technology evolves in rapid and often frightening ways, eventually spinning out of even the player’s control and leading to entire narratives within themselves.
How should a player react when their belligerent neighbor uploads their consciousness to robotic bodies? What happens when the first empire gains enough insights into the L-Gates to open a path out beyond the galaxy and into the dark unknown? A player might have lost a war to an oppressive force a century ago, but now with neutron turrets, have the tables turned?
