Hello again, this is Adam coming to you with another look at Rank:Warmaster's systems and mechanics! Today I'll be talking about the structure of our game's technology tree.

Researching new technologies, buildings and ship components begins with constructing a Research Facility in a player's base. The technology level of the base determines the speed at which it will generate Research Points (RP) when actively assigned to a project, so researching how to research is always a solid investment! Each Research Facility can be assigned to a project or to assist another facility on the same planet in researching a project. There are several different Research Facilities to unlock, some of which are powerhouses for RP generation on their own while others are more suited towards effeciently supporting the research of other facilities. All research projects experience diminishing returns the more facilities you assign to them, so diversifying your research will always be more efficient overall. However, the advantage gained from quickly researching a powerful new technology by throwing all available resources at it can also be considerable, so adjusting strategy to match the situation is key.

The most basic level of research is Primary Technologies, such as Electromagnetics, Materials and Fabrication. These are the trunk of the technology tree and are required for every other technology. You begin the game with a basic knowledge of each and can advance every Primary Technology through several tiers of power. All other technologies at a given tier have a basic requirement of one or more Primary Technologies, so these are the most important projects a player can complete. Each new tier of Primary Technology also helps improve some of the traits of the previous tier, making buildings and components cheaper, lighter, or more power efficient, wherever applicable.

Branching off from the central trunk are Secondary Theories, including research into Electromagnetic Hypervelocity, Integrated Nanoconstruction, and Wave Motion Harmonics. These are much more focused and are the precursor technologies for buildings and ship components as well as related modifications. Secondary Theories require mastery of at least two Primary Technologies at the same tier, so a firm foundation is needed before a player advances their research into more specialized disciplines. Secondary Theories are also divided into tiers, where each new tier builds upon and improves the efficiency of the previous tier's buildings and components.

After researching a Secondary Theory, all related Applications and Modifications will be unlocked for researching. Applications are the buildings constructed in your base and the components used when designing ships. Modifications apply a beneficial modifier to a specific class of technology, such as making all railguns hold more ammunition reserves, or all main thrusters are more energy efficient. Modifiers require at least three different Primary Technologies and are the most intensive to research but their benefits apply to all technology within its class, allowing a player to improve their current equipment without fully committing the resources to reaching a higher tier of the technology tree.

Moving forward, the technology tree will continue to be expanded and refined to achieve a balanced, enjoyable and varied game experience. There will be multiple paths to success and many potential strategies to pursuit of system-wide domination. No one method will always be the best, as opponents will deploy vastly different tactics that require each player to formulate counters based on their own playstyle and available technologies.