| Tier | Research | Cost | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaker | 20 Gold | Shaker |
| 1 | Logistics | 30 Gold | Conveyor Belt and Launcher |
| 1 | Filter | 250 Gold | Basic Filter |
| 2 | Kinetic Press | 500 Gold | Kinetic Press |
| 2 | Flamethrower | 400 Gold | Flamethrower |
| 2 | Cryoblaster | 1,000 Gold | Cryoblaster |
| 3 | Fluids | 1,250 Gold | Pipe, Pump, Liquid Vent |
| 4 | Advanced Filter | 1,500 Gold | Advanced Filter |
| 4 | Drying & Condensing | 2,500 Gold | Steam Dryer and Condenser |
Unlock → what it enables → why it matters
| Unlock | What it enables | Why it matters | Evidence label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaker | Wet Sand processing | Creates the first repeatable Gold and Residue stream. | Official |
| Logistics | Conveyor Belt and Launcher | Moves solids between visible processing stages. | Official |
| Filter | One-solid Allow or Block routing | Separates Gold and protects later machine inputs. | Official |
| Flamethrower | Residue burning, Ice melting, Water or Snow to Steam | Opens thermal processing and vertical Water movement. | Official |
| Kinetic Press | Burnt Residue to Gold and Seed | Adds a deterministic secondary Gold stage after a valid drop. | Official |
| Fluids | Pump, Pipe, Liquid Vent | Moves Water without relying only on gravity and open channels. | Official |
| Advanced Filter | Solid, liquid, and gas filtering | Adds state-aware routing; multi-select behavior is conflicting. | Official / conflicting |
Editorial beginner order and rationale
One automation-first sequence
- Shaker — 20 Gold
Open the first documented Gold process and observe Wet Sand, Residue, and Gold separately.
- Logistics — 30 Gold
Replace manual movement with controlled solid paths.
- Filter — 250 Gold
Protect the Gold route and keep contamination out of later machines.
- Flamethrower — 400 Gold
Convert Residue, melt Ice, and create Steam before a full Pipe network is affordable.
- Kinetic Press — 500 Gold
Turn valid Burnt Residue drops into a predictable Gold and Seed output.
- Fluids — 1,250 Gold
Move Water with endpoints and Pipes when open channels become a factory bottleneck.
- Advanced Filter — 1,500 Gold
Add liquid and gas routing after the line actually produces those states.
| Symptom | Evidence-backed check | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| The expected Tier is locked | Review Factory Level objectives and current anomaly progress. | The complete gate list is not published. |
| A cost differs from an old guide | Compare against the current WIP Research table. | Demo and earlier Wiki values may be obsolete. |
| Advanced Filter UI differs from the Guide | Read the control in the current build. | Official pages conflict on multi-selection. |
| Gold exists but cannot be spent | Confirm it entered a Collector. | Loose Gold is not the Research bank. |
| A recommended unlock does not solve the current problem | Identify whether the bottleneck is solids, thermal processing, or liquids. | Editorial priority is not a requirement. |
Update record
- 2026-08-21 — Replaced superseded early costs with current Research oldid 1073 values.
- 2026-08-21 — Added WIP, incomplete gate, and Advanced Filter conflict warnings.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Filter Research cost?
The current official WIP table lists the basic Filter at 250 Gold in Tier 1. Older project notes that show 100 Gold are superseded.
When does the Kinetic Press unlock?
The current table places Kinetic Press in Tier 2 at 500 Gold. Advanced tiers are also gated by Factory Level and performance milestones whose complete conditions are not published.
What should a beginner research first?
A practical sequence is Shaker, Logistics, Filter, Flamethrower, Kinetic Press, then Fluids, because it opens Gold production, movement, separation, thermal processing, secondary Gold, and liquid transport. It is editorial guidance, not a mandatory order.