Introduction: The Backbone of Your City
In Elvenar, the Research Tree is far more than a simple upgrade menu—it is the very backbone of your city’s progression. Every building you construct, every troop you train, and every resource you unlock traces its origin to a specific technology. Understanding how this intricate system works separates successful, smoothly advancing cities from those that stall and struggle. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the Elvenar Research Tree, from its basic mechanics to advanced strategies for efficient progression through even the most challenging chapters.
What Is the Research Tree?
The Research Tree is Elvenar’s primary progression system, representing your civilization’s technological and cultural advancement. As you progress through chapters—each introducing a new theme, guest race, or major storyline—you unlock new technologies that expand your city’s capabilities.
Each technology node requires two things to unlock: Knowledge Points (the universal research currency) and often specific resources that vary by chapter. These resources might include standard goods like coins and supplies, or chapter-specific resources like Mana, Divine Seeds, Sentient Goods, or guest race productions.
The tree itself is not a single linear path. Many chapters feature branching paths that allow you to choose your research priorities. Some branches focus on military improvements, others on economic upgrades, and still others on unlocking new buildings or production capabilities. Making the right choices about which technologies to research first can dramatically impact your progression speed.
How Knowledge Points Work
Knowledge Points (KPs) are the fuel that powers your research. You earn them through multiple methods:
- Automatic generation: Your city produces one KP per hour, storing up to ten at a time in your KP bar
- Ancient Wonders: Some Wonders generate additional KPs daily
- Tournaments: Participating in weekly tournaments rewards KPs based on your performance
- Events: Special event quests often reward KPs
- Province encounters: Completing encounters on the world map yields KPs
- Direct purchase: You can buy KPs using gold, though costs increase with each purchase
The key to efficient research is never letting your KP bar sit full. Any KP generated while your bar is at capacity is wasted. Make a habit of checking your Research Tree regularly and investing KPs even if you cannot complete a technology immediately.
The Structure of a Typical Chapter
While every chapter in Elvenar introduces unique mechanics and themes, most follow a recognizable structure. Understanding this pattern helps you plan your research strategy effectively.
The Portal Technology
Nearly every chapter after the early game begins with a technology that unlocks the chapter’s central portal building. This portal serves as the heart of the chapter’s settlement mechanics. For example, in the Halflings chapter (Chapter XI), the Spring Grove portal stores all chapter-specific resources and enables the production chains that follow.
Researching and building your portal should almost always be your first priority when entering a new chapter. Without it, you cannot access any of the chapter’s unique productions or progress further through the tech tree.
Production Buildings and Chains
After establishing your portal, the Research Tree typically unlocks various production buildings. These structures work together in chains, where one building’s output becomes another’s input. The Halflings chapter demonstrates this clearly: Grain Fields produce ingredients like Grain, Carrots, Pumpkins, and Apples, which then feed into Halfling Farms that produce Tingle Bread, Savvy Soup, and Jolly Jelly—the key goods required for unlocking technologies.
More advanced chapters introduce increasingly complex production networks. In Chapter XX (The Power of Music), you must manage relationships between Instrument Makers and specific types of Manufactories—Violin Makers connect to Refined Manufactories, Flute Makers to Precious Manufactories, and Drum Makers to Basic Manufactories. These connections require careful city planning and cannot be ignored.
Advanced Scouts Technology
One of the most important recurring technologies in the Research Tree is Advanced Scouts. This technology, which appears near the beginning of most chapters (though notably absent in some later chapters like Chapter 17), permanently reduces the cost and difficulty of scouting new provinces, negotiating with encounters, and fighting battles.
Because this reduction applies only to provinces scouted after researching the technology, it should be prioritized early in each chapter. Scouting provinces before unlocking the current chapter’s Advanced Scouts permanently locks in higher costs for those provinces—a mistake that can cost millions of resources over time.
Settlement Expansions
Most chapters include technologies that grant additional city expansions. These are invaluable because space is always at a premium in Elvenar. Some expansions are mandatory for chapter completion, while others are optional and can be researched at your leisure. Generally, you should prioritize mandatory expansions when they block progress toward other technologies, but optional expansions can wait until you need the space.
Resource Management Across Chapters
As you progress through the Research Tree, the types of resources you need evolve dramatically. Understanding this evolution helps you prepare for future chapters.
Early Chapters (I-X)
The earliest chapters require only basic resources: coins, supplies, and standard boosted goods (marble, steel, or planks, plus the相应 refined goods as you advance). Production is straightforward, and the Research Tree is relatively simple. Use these chapters to build a strong economic foundation.
Mid Chapters (XI-XIV)
Starting with the Halflings chapter (XI), you encounter new resource types like Mana and Divine Seeds. These “sentient” resources add complexity to your city management. The developers have rebalanced these chapters to smooth progression, adjusting requirements for coins, supplies, Mana, Seeds, and various goods.
For example, in Chapter XII, Divine Seeds requirements increased by 50% in some technologies, while Mana requirements decreased in six technologies and increased in seven others. These adjustments aim to create a more consistent difficulty curve.
Chapter XI itself saw significant changes: technologies that previously required Mana (which was difficult to obtain at this stage) now require coins and supplies instead. This makes early access to these technologies much more achievable.
Late Chapters (XV+)
From Chapter XV (The Elvenar) onward, you encounter Sentient Goods and increasingly complex settlement mechanics. In Chapter XV, production buildings must be strategically connected: academies must sit next to the portal, production buildings must connect to academies, and the Vault of Wisdom requires contact with all three production types.
By Chapter XXIII (Secrets of the Unicorn), the game revisits elements from much earlier chapters. You return to Orc portals and settlement streets from Chapters VI through XI, with each race getting its own district, portal, and space allocation. This nostalgic design rewards long-term players while introducing new mechanics like Heritage Huts that produce resources needed for research.
Branching Paths and Research Order
One of the most common questions players ask is: “What should I research first?” The answer depends on your chapter and playstyle, but several general principles apply.
Prioritize the Portal
As mentioned, your chapter’s portal should be your first research target. Without it, you cannot produce chapter-specific resources, and without those resources, you cannot research most other technologies.
Prioritize Advanced Scouts
If Advanced Scouts is available in your chapter, research it immediately after your portal. The savings on scouting and encounter costs compound across every province you discover thereafter.
Prioritize Production Upgrades
After establishing your portal and Advanced Scouts, focus on technologies that improve your production buildings’ efficiency or unlock new production options. Faster production means faster resource accumulation, which means faster research overall.
Balance Military and Economic Technologies
Some chapters feature distinct branches for military improvements and economic upgrades. If you fight frequently, prioritize military technologies. If you prefer to negotiate, prioritize economic ones. Hybrid players should research both, but may want to focus on one branch first based on immediate needs.
Leave Optional Expansions for Last
Technologies that grant city expansions but are not required for further progress can safely wait until you need the space. Researching them earlier provides no immediate benefit if you have empty space already.
The Role of Quests
Your chapter questline is designed to guide you through the Research Tree efficiently. Following the questline closely ensures you research technologies in an order that supports your progression, building what you need when you need it.
The developers have specifically rebalanced chapters 11 through 14 so that quests now ask for the recommended number of buildings and their levels, aligned with your world map progress and Research Tree position. If you find yourself stuck, check your quests—you may have diverged from the intended path.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Researching Too Broadly
Spreading Knowledge Points across multiple technologies delays the completion of any single one. Focus your KPs on one technology at a time unless you have a specific strategic reason to do otherwise.
Ignoring Settlement Layout Requirements
Many chapters impose specific adjacency requirements. In Chapter XV, academies must be next to the portal; production buildings must connect to academies; the Vault of Wisdom requires contact with all three production types. Ignoring these requirements can render your settlement buildings non-functional.
Selling Settlement Buildings Too Early
Each chapter’s settlement buildings are necessary for producing resources required by the Research Tree. Selling them before completing all technologies that require those resources forces you to rebuild them, wasting time and resources.
Scouting Without Advanced Scouts
As emphasized throughout this guide, scouting provinces before researching Advanced Scouts permanently locks in higher costs. Wait until you have the technology.
Planning for Future Chapters
Forward-thinking players can prepare for upcoming chapters by stockpiling resources their current chapter does not yet require. For example, knowing that Chapter XI introduces Mana requirements, you can begin producing Mana before you technically need it by building Mana-producing buildings from Ancient Wonders or events.
Similarly, understanding that Sentient Goods become crucial in later chapters encourages you to develop your Sentient Goods production capacity early. The Trader upgrades that unlock higher-tier trading are valuable research targets when available.
Conclusion
The Elvenar Research Tree is a deep, rewarding system that rewards strategic thinking and careful planning. By understanding the structure of each chapter, prioritizing key technologies like the portal and Advanced Scouts, and managing your resources wisely, you can progress smoothly through even the most challenging chapters.
Remember that every city is unique. Your playstyle, fellowship support, and Ancient Wonder choices all influence which research paths make the most sense for you. But the principles outlined here—focus on your portal, prioritize Advanced Scouts, follow your quests, and plan ahead—will serve you well regardless of your specific situation.
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