Frostpunk 2 Research Institute: How to unlock and best Ideas to research first

As a seasoned survivor of the frozen wasteland that New London has become, I can’t stress enough the importance of strategic decision-making when it comes to researching new ideas for our city. Having weathered countless storms and faced numerous challenges, I’ve learned to prioritize my resources wisely.

In Frostpunk 2, the role of the Steward is not merely about preserving a freezing population, but rather guiding them towards flourishing wealth by means of exploration and innovation.

Once you’ve set up your initial districts and found some coal reserves, the game encourages you to construct a Research Institute. This change signifies a transition from mere survival to a Civilization-style advancement, enabling an Idea Tree to be unveiled.

Keeping the system running smoothly with an uninterrupted flow of Heatstamps, Prefabs, and Cores can be quite challenging, almost to the point of impossibility. Yet, your late captain might have handled it effortlessly – at least that’s what people from New London believe.

How to unlock the Research Institute

In the opening chapter of Frostpunk 2, you’ll have the option to establish a Research Institute relatively early on. Instead of choosing districts, pick the second circle located in the lower right corner of your screen – this is where you construct Buildings. If you prefer keyboard shortcuts, pressing ‘N’ will also do the trick!

As a keen enthusiast, I must emphasize that building a Research Institute requires an initial investment of 400 workforce, 100 Heatstamps, and 50 Prefabs. It’s crucial to ensure you have these resources readily available. Once established, the institute will consume 400 workforce and 20 units of heat on a daily basis for its upkeep.

Once you’ve selected the Research Institute building, place it in the Central District of a city.

At the Research Institute, you can explore concepts from the Idea Tree, which offer passive advantages such as producing more Coal with less Workforce, and constructing vital structures like Hospitals to minimize Disease. Interestingly, by establishing additional Research Institutes, you can boost the rate at which ideas are developed.

To explore an idea, seek out the ‘Idea Tree’ icon located at the lower right corner and click on it, or simply hit the ‘R’ key. This action will unveil the Idea Tree panel, where you can allocate your resources towards developing fresh ideas.

Best Heating ideas to research

Heat is arguably the most important area, especially if you want to keep your population alive through the freezing cold winter. Here are the Heating ideas that I researched and helped me the most in the early stages of the game:

Coal Mines

Frostpunk 2 Research Institute: How to unlock and best Ideas to research first

Given that some coal reserves are close by, it’s only a matter of time until they’re depleted. It would be prudent to begin investigating other options first. Let’s delve into potential alternatives instead.

Dust Coal Mine	Blasting Coal Mine
Dust Coal Mine nets you 150 Coal output, but this requires 400 Workforce, increases Disease slightly, and raises the Materials demand by 20.	Blasting Coal Mine nets you 180 Coal output for 300 Workforce, but increases Squalor (not slightly) and raises the Materials demand by 60.

From my perspective as an enthusiast, both strategies boost Coal production, which is crucial for our project’s vision. The optimal choice hinges on the kind of settlement you aspire to build. You can combat squalor and heal diseases using Hospitals. In the game’s initial stages, I found myself with limited access to Material Extraction Sites, making the 60 Materials demand from the Dust Coal Mine seem quite daunting, so I opted for it.

Whenever possible, don’t forget to open up the advanced coal mines. It’s crucial to acquire as much of it as you can.

Housing Insulation and Heat Dispatcher

It’s not all about providing Heat, it’s also about conserving it and distributing it more effectively. With House Insulation, the base demand for Heat from housing districts is decreased. Heat Dispatcher, on the other hand, controls heat dispatching. For the latter, there are two options:

Heat Dispatcher	Actuated Heat Dispatcher
Engineering teams monitor and optimize district heating. This grants 20 Heat Demand, but requires 400 Workforce.	Automated actuators monitor and optimize district heating. This grants 40 Heat Demand and requires 200 Workforce, but increases Squalor.

While 20 Heat Demand helps, 400 Workforce is a lot for a Heat Dispatcher. Here, I chose to research the Actuated Heat Dispatcher, although this required me to build Hospitals to keep Disease in check.

Generator Upgrade 1 and Melting Deep Deposits

Following the movement of Oil to New London, it’s crucial to update the generator for it to effectively manage this fresh fuel type. The initial Generator Upgrade serves precisely that purpose. Delving into this concept will open up the Melt Deep Deposits idea, which is widely regarded as one of the most valuable ideas in Frostpunk 2.

All that coal you mined needs to serve a purpose, even if your Generator only processes oil now. Regardless of which alternative you pick, this Idea grants you vast deposits with endless resources, so there’s no need to worry about scarcity or running out of supplies.

Best Resources ideas to research

Worker Shifts: Weather-Adjusted Shifts/Machine-Centric Shifts

For clarity, I believe Machine-Centric Shifts is the best option at this point as it’s highly effective and productive. In the initial stages, though, it’s crucial that you secure additional Heat resources because losing your workforce to Disease isn’t an option.

By implementing Weather-Adjusted Worker Shifts, you simultaneously tackle both problems. It’s also worth noting that as you delve deeper into research, consider introducing Machine-Centric Shifts at a later stage to reduce the need for human workforce.

Sawmills – Mechanised Sawmills

If your Materials supply is limited and you’re aware of it, give a round of applause. Whether you opt for the Mechanized Sawmill or the Untreated Sawmill can increase your Wood-derived Materials. However, I find that the Untreated Sawmill requires an excessive Workforce relative to its output and could potentially lead to illness among workers. On the other hand, the Mechanized Sawmill reduces the need for Workforce while providing a higher yield. As long as you’re ready to combat Dirtiness and ensure there’s enough Heat, the Mechanized Sawmill is the better option.

Filtration Towers – Moss Filtration Tower

As a passionate enthusiast, let me share some insights about your Generator and machinery setup. If you continue producing that squalor at your current pace, it could potentially overwhelm your entire population. However, there’s a solution! The Moss Filtration Tower is designed to drastically reduce Squalor levels, and even offers the unique ability to quickly decrease Squalor. This comes with a trade-off of increased susceptibility to injuries that are relatively easy to treat.

Best Frostland ideas to research

Ignore the tree for now until you’ve unlocked exploration. When you begin your search for the initial Oil supply in Frostpunk 2, you may want to think about implementing these subsequent concepts:

Scout’s Headquarters – Survivalist Headquarters

This concept significantly reduces the time it takes you to discover alternative resource zones within the game, making it crucial when you’re racing against the clock to find a fresh fuel source before your existing Coal reserves are depleted.

At Survivalist Headquarters, you can significantly reduce time at the expense of 400 Workforce. Meanwhile, Scouts offer a minor reduction for the same cost, but choosing Survivalist Headquarters may not endear you to the Colonists. However, prioritizing survival seems crucial in this situation.

Harvester Hangar – Gleaning Harvester Hangar

Exploring this concept will allow you to produce more edible resources from the Frostland, reducing your dependence on food districts in New London. Instead of relying solely on the standard harvester, I chose the Gleaning Harvester Hangar for a 20% increase in harvesting energy over its 10% counterpart.

Best City ideas to research

Housing Block – Housing Block

In Frostpunk 2, the population increases unless it’s decreasing due to Cold or Disease. However, you won’t be able to construct enough residential areas to house every new inhabitant in New London. One method to slightly expand housing is through the use of Housing Blocks. Each Housing Block provides an additional 10 living spaces and can be placed in various districts, not just residential ones. To avoid losing Heatstamps or causing further Disease, I opted out of choosing the Dense Housing Block and the Subsidized Housing Block.

Work Compensation – Both choices

Work Compensation serves as an enhancement where it’s most beneficial during your gameplay. If you’re finding Trust levels are lagging, opt for Equal Pay. For a boost in efficiency, choose Efficiency Bonuses instead.

Best Society ideas to research

Hospitals – Recovery Hospital

As a dedicated game enthusiast, I’d say that having a Recovery Hospital in your city will significantly decrease the illness rate among your populace, ensuring they remain active and productive. The Recovery Hospital stands out for its exceptional disease-reducing capabilities, but it does require a steady supply of 40 Heat Demand to operate effectively. However, this investment also brings about population growth, which can be advantageous if you’re well-prepared. A larger population translates into a larger workforce, provided you have the resources to offer them suitable Shelter accommodations.

Watchtower – Patrol Watchtower

Despite Watchtowers being effective, Patrol Watchtowers boast a higher number of guards keeping vigil over the city. While the Random Searches feature is excellent at reducing crime, tensions might escalate as a result, so it’s wise to stay alert.

Best Hub ideas to research

When it comes to hubs, there are a few that can help you improve the quality of life in New London:

Emergency Medical Hub: In exchange for 20 Heat and 25 Materials, you reduce Disease near this building.
Maintenance Hub: In exchange for 100 Workforce and 20 Heat, the Materials demand nearby decreases.
Surveillance Hub: In exchange for 20 Heat and 25 Materials, you reduce Crime near this building.
Rail Hub: For 100 Workforce, 40 Heat, and 50 Materials, increase Efficiency in the neighboring Extraction, Industrial, or Food Districts. This works only if you’ve built them close to each other.

In summary, this is all the information provided regarding the Research Institute and the Idea Tree in Frostpunk 2. It’s essential to keep in mind that Factions might not always align with your advancements, so it pays to know who your allies and adversaries are.

2024-09-21 18:19