Going Medieval Research Guide
Research in Going Medieval is best planned from the problem your settlement needs to solve next. The old version of this page described a generic research-points system and five broad technology branches. That model is not reliable enough for the current 1.1.x line, so this guide focuses on the book resources, research nodes, and prerequisites that should be checked in the current game panel.
Version boundary: Steam News Hub entries include the 1.1.12, 1.1.11, and 1.1.9 patch line. Node names, costs, and unlock relationships should be read from the current save and not copied from an old 1.0 route.
How the Research Record Works
Public reference material describes research through book resources such as Chronicle, Handbook, and Thesis, which are produced, stored, and consumed by the research system. Before publishing a cost or unlock claim, check the current research panel and record the node, prerequisite, book type, and version in your evidence notes.
Chronicle
Record the resource name and where the current save produces or stores it.
Handbook
Confirm the node cost instead of relying on a generic research-points statement.
Thesis
Record advanced-node requirements from the current panel before recommending a route.
Research by Goal
These are decision routes, not a universal “research this on Day 1” order. A colony with a food shortage should not follow the same route as a colony preparing for steel production or a gate upgrade.
| Goal | Check first | Conditional route | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and farming | Confirm the current Agriculture nodes and the book requirements in the research panel. | Choose the farming node when food, seeds, or cultivation is the immediate bottleneck. | Current panel required |
| Metal and steel | Confirm the Smelting, Steel, Blacksmithing, and Armourer prerequisites in the current save. | Follow the shortest route that solves the colony's actual metal bottleneck; do not use a universal day-by-day order. | Wiki + current panel |
| Defense | Confirm the current nodes for defensive structures, gates, and portcullises. | Prioritize defense when the next raid or base design makes the unlock more valuable than an economic branch. | Official update + current panel |
| Beekeeping | Look for the Beekeeping node and its book requirements after the 1.1 research-panel changes. | Treat it as a goal-based branch, not an automatic first research choice. | Official update + current panel |
| Ice making | Look for the Ice Making node and confirm its building and material prerequisites. | Use it when temperature or storage is the actual problem in the settlement. | Official update + current panel |
Nodes to Verify in the Current Version
Agriculture
Verify the current farming-related nodes and connect them to the crop page only after confirming what they unlock. Do not claim that Agriculture automatically unlocks every crop, wall, or irrigation feature.
Smelting and Steel
Use the current panel to confirm the order between smelting, steel, blacksmithing, and armourer-related nodes. This is the research backbone for the steel production guide.
Beekeeping and Ice Making
These nodes were added or reorganized in the newer research content. They must appear in a current guide, but neither should be presented as universally optimal without knowing the colony goal.
Defensive Structures
Confirm the node names and prerequisites for gates, tall gates, portcullises, and other defensive structures. Link the result to the defense guide only after the current save has been checked.
What We Are Not Claiming
- There is no universal Agriculture → Construction → Military order for every save.
- We are not publishing research speed multipliers, bookshelf bonuses, or intelligence thresholds without current-version evidence.
- We are not calling broad labels such as “Construction Tech” or “Medical Tech” official node names unless they appear in the current panel.
- Old recipes and unlock screenshots must be treated as leads until they are checked against the current game.
Sources and Verification Boundary
- Going Medieval Wiki — Research
- Official Update #3 — New Resources & Cultivation
- Going Medieval Steam News Hub
Last reviewed: August 3, 2026. Current-panel verification is still required for exact node costs and prerequisites.