Education = Increases Tech Level

[DNK]

Basic idea: colonies can buy books for a given tech level. Pawns can spend time studying books, which raises a "knowledge" skill.

The colony's tech level is an average of this skill for everyone in the colony. Also the math for research penalties can be more flexible, since you just multiply based on the [average skill] rather than a simplistic "level 1, 2, 3" thing.

This has the added benefit of allowing a colony to raise its tech level just by letting in more knowledgeable newcomers (or reducing it if you add in a bunch of tribals).

At the very least, this should be easily modded I guess.

[SpaceDorf]

It feels like a sound concept.

[Boston]

..... Tribals aren't stupid.

[DNK]

..... Tribals aren't stupid.

It's knowledge (of science/civilization), not intelligence. It's a simplification of the real world, and one that allows an additional layer of strategy for handling research, and allows players with low-tech starts a chance to push extra focus/resources into teching up, and adds extra considerations for decisions over new colonists.

It can also just be ignored by casual players, since it doesn't fundamentally alter gameplay.

[AngleWyrm]

..... Tribals aren't stupid. Something that could go well with this idea is the Infused equipment enchantment mod, tweaked so that magical infusions take place in the early part of technology trees, and then fade to less likely as technology takes over, replacing magic.

[b0rsuk]

If you grew up in an industrial world, you've seen planes, cars, engines and lightbulbs and have a rough idea how they should look and work. Books often don't show that.

The hippopotamus is held sacred in the district of Papremis, but not elsewhere. This animal has four legs, cloven hoofs like an ox, a snub nose, a horse's mane and tail, conspicuous tusks, a voice like a horse's neigh, and is about the size of a very large ox. Its hide is so thick and though that when dried it can be made into spear-shafts.

Good luck drawing it.

Also, books often assume a basic level of knowledge. Herodotus assumes the reader knows how a horse looks. A book mentioning cars may assume you know what "gas" and "oil" are. And it's not just any gas. Even video documentaries can be misleading. Surely you've seen a few showing hunting lions. However, male lions are lazy and most of the hunting is done by lionesses.  Male lions are shown so often because they look more impressive and intimidating, I guess ?

Note primary school education takes 6-8 years in most countries, and in developed countries people who spend only so few years learning are often disrespected.

[Canute]

Different people different ways how to use technology.
Someone tinker somekind of engine, but the culture never used carriage for transportation, they allways use 2,4 or 6 legs animals.
Now another tinker use these engine to invent some mechanoid animal for transportation.
Instead cars you got walking mashines, same basic technology different results.

Btw. the mod from GHX allready got some tech. advance but without books.