- Smoothed research costs between the Medieval and Renaissance eras: Medieval techs cost more and Renaissance techs less, so Gunpowder and the other Renaissance techs are no longer over four times the price of the Medieval techs beside them. Total research to reach the Industrial era is about the same
- AI empires racing for a science victory no longer tear down their Factories to save gold – they were left with nowhere to build spaceship parts, so their space programmes stalled