Allright... let me get out my mathbook and look up a more powerful diminishing returns ratio...
five minutes later...
Ok, what about this:
Technology advances in years. There will be eight technology schools. This is my original rule below (I changed it before I got back from Minnesota). We can use this rule, or we can use the rule I'll post in the next post.
Rule #4: The Technological Arms Race
Technology is just as important as Magic in the Rokugan IR. You must understand that in order to understand just how an Anti-Matter Strike would be just as decimating as a 12th Level Magic Assault. Developing Technology can improve your overall power in the IR and is second only to the Industrialization Rating (IR) in importance.
Each power selects a School to research each turn. There are eight starting schools. These are Construction, Chemistry, Computers, Physics, Power, Sociology, Biology, and Fields. These schools raise your ratings in each sub-race.
The Technological Arms Race is divided into these sub-races: Agriculture, Attack, Defense, Espionage, Industry, and Research. You can develop a new school of research (ecology, quantum physics, etc.) that has different Technology subraces. Doing this takes a full turn, and the modifiers cannot exceed an 8. Negative modifiers can be applied, but no more than –2. No one score can go up by more than 4 in one turn.
Technology Subraces Agr. Att. Def. Esp. Ind. Res.
Construction 0 0 4 0 4 0
Chemistry 2 2 2 0 2 0
Computers 0 0 0 4 0 4
Physics 1 4 1 1 1 0
Power 0 4 0 0 4 0
Sociology 2 0 0 4 0 2
Biology 4 2 2 0 0 0
Fields 0 2 4 2 0 0
As your power advances, you will gain certain advantages in each core group. The first noticeable advancement does not occur until your score reaches at least 5.
Agriculture – (Affects do not stack)
5 – Every Territory under your control produces 4x its industrial rating in food.
15 – Every Territory under your control produces 5x its industrial rating in food.
30 – Every Territory under your control produces 6x its industrial rating in food.
50 – Every Territory under your control produces 7x its industrial rating in food.
75 – Every Territory under your control produces 8x its industrial rating in food.
105 – Every Territory under your control produces 9x its industrial rating in food.
140 – Every Territory under your control produces 10x its industrial rating in food.
Attack – (Affects do not stack)
5 – Your Attack score becomes +1 (see rule #4)
15 – Your Attack score becomes +2
30 – Your Attack score becomes +3
50 – Your Attack score becomes +4 and Nuclear weapons become available.
75 – Your Attack score becomes +5
105 – Your Attack score becomes +6
140 – Your Attack score becomes +7 and thermonuclear weapons become available.
180 – Your Attack score becomes +8
225 – Your Attack score becomes +9
275 – Your Attack score becomes +10 and anti-matter weapons become available.
Defense – (Affects do not stack)
5 – Your Defense score becomes +1 (see rule #4)
15 – Your Defense score becomes +2
30 – Your Defense score becomes +3
50 – Your Defense score becomes +4
75 – Your Defense score becomes +5
105 – Your Defense score becomes +6
140 – Your Defense score becomes +7
180 – Your Defense score becomes +8
225 – Your Defense score becomes +9
275 – Your Defense score becomes +10
Espionage – (Affects DO stack)
5 – You gain a 5% chance to find out another powers template. You gain a 5% defense against such actions.
15 – You gain a 10% chance to find out another powers template. You gain a 10% defense against such actions.
30 – You gain a 15% chance to find out another powers template. You gain a 15% defense against such actions.
50 – You gain a 20% chance to find out another powers template. You gain a 20% defense against such actions.
75 – You gain a 25% chance to find out another powers template. You gain a 25% defense against such actions.
105 – You gain a 30% chance to find out another powers template. You gain a 30% defense against such actions.
Industry – (Affects do not stack)
5 – Every Territory under your control gains an additional +1 PL per turn.
15 – Every Territory under your control produces an additional +3 PL per turn.
30 – Every Territory under your control produces an additional +6 PL per turn.
50 – Every Territory under your control produces an additional +10 PL per turn.
75 – Every Territory under your control produces an additional +15 PL per turn.
105 – Every Territory under your control produces an additional +21 PL per turn.
140 – Every Territory under your control produces an additional +28 PL per turn.
180 – Every Territory under your control produces an additional +36 PL per turn.
225 – Every Territory under your control produces an additional +45 PL per turn.
Research – (Affects do stack)
5 – All research sub-races gain a +1 per turn. You develop the first computers.
15 – All research sub-races gain a +1 per turn. You develop the calculator. Bomb safety devices designed.
30 – All research sub-races gain a +1 per turn. You develop the Internet. Computer guided weapons are designed.
50 – All research sub-races gain a +1 per turn. You develop nano-computers. Gain +1 PL per turn.
75 – All research sub-races gain a +1 per turn. You develop Artificial Intelligence. Constructs self replicate.
105 – All research sub races become 4 per turn base. Your Attack/Defense scores both gain +2.
140 – All research sub-races become 6 per turn base.
180 – All research sub-races become 8 per turn base. Your Attack/Defense scores both gain +2.
225 – All research sub races become 10 per turn base.
). Technology is fun, but it isn't the only element of fun in this IR. Politics are another, honor another one. I wouldn't like if the technology issues ate all the rest. About magic, I wouldn't mind. To say it with te immortal words of Chagatai "Rokugan? A land where spirits walk as mortals? A land where an arrogant young girl and a brash boy can become the Moon and Sun?" 
