Sol One Research Guide: Samples, Data Points and the Tech Tree
How research works in Sol One: where samples and data points come from, what to unlock first, and why the bench is the gate to the rocket.
Research is the system that turns Sol One from a survival game into a progression game. In the launch build it arrives as a tier-one tech tree at a research bench, fed by the scientific loop: you collect samples and data points in the world, spend them at the bench, and unlock better equipment, processing and — eventually — the pieces the rocket needs.
The mistake most players make is treating research as something to do when the base is finished. The base is never finished, and the rocket does not build itself. Research is the spine that connects the two.
The two currencies
The game's Early Access notes describe a science system built on samples and data points. They behave differently:
- Samples are physical things you find: geological specimens, biological material, components from a crashed ship. They are limited by where you can reach.
- Data points are the abstract currency of discovery: scanning, analysing, observing. They are limited by how much science you do, not by cargo space.
A healthy research programme collects both on every expedition. If you come home with samples and no data, you have half a trip.
Any object that can be sampled or scanned is worth doing before you break it down for materials. A deposit that becomes three ingots is gone; a deposit that becomes three ingots and a data point paid for the trip.
Where research comes from
The confirmed sources are the world itself:
- Geological samples from outcrops, craters and unusual terrain.
- Crashed ship and abandoned base salvage, which the Early Access content list calls out explicitly.
- Biological samples once farming and the outside environment are in play.
- Analysis at the bench, which converts raw observations into progress.
This is why exploration and research are the same activity. A player who never leaves the base has a small tech tree and a small map.
What to unlock first
Node names will change during Early Access, so the useful advice is by intent rather than by name.
Tier one priorities:
- Life-support efficiency. Anything that lowers oxygen or water cost per unit. This compounds for the rest of the run.
- Storage and logistics. Bigger containers, better hauling, rover cargo. The bottleneck in most bases is movement, not resources.
- Processing upgrades. Faster or cheaper smelting frees power and time for everything else.
- Fabrication unlocks that lead to rocket parts. Start the chain early; it is long.
Deprioritise:
- Cosmetic or comfort unlocks.
- Weapons, if any exist; Sol One's threats are environmental.
- Specialised machinery you cannot power yet.
A tech tree rewards depth. Unlocking one branch to its next tier is usually better than unlocking three branches' first nodes, because the deeper nodes are the ones that change what you can build.
The bench and the base
The research bench is a fixed installation, and it wants to be inside the habitat — it is a desk, not a furnace. Put it in the core room, near the bed and the food store, so you pass it constantly.
It also needs a power supply and, in most designs, a sample store nearby. A bench surrounded by unsorted crates is a bench you stop using.
Bench workflow
- Bank samples in a dedicated crate. Not mixed with ore.
- Run analysis in batches. One trip to the bench, many samples.
- Keep one node in progress. If the tree allows queuing, queue the next unlock before you leave.
- Review the tree after every expedition. New samples often open a node you could not afford before.
Research and the rocket
The rocket is the end of the tech tree in narrative terms, and probably in mechanical terms too. The launch build's tier-one tree implies the rocket is not a single unlock but a chain: better fabrication, advanced components, structural parts, propulsion.
That means research decisions should be evaluated against one question: does this move the rocket forward, or does it only make the base more comfortable?
Both are legitimate. A comfortable base produces more research time. But if you spend every unlock on comfort, the rocket never starts.
A balanced split for the first two weeks:
- 50 percent life support and logistics.
- 30 percent fabrication and processing.
- 20 percent rocket-path unlocks.
Adjust as the base stabilises. Once survival is secure, the rocket share should climb.
Expeditions as research trips
Every trip outside should have a science objective, even a small one:
- Choose a region with a terrain feature you have not sampled.
- Visit one POI and strip the science before the materials.
- Bring the rover so you can carry samples home.
- Log what you found — a mental note is fine, a beacon is better.
The rover guide→ covers expedition logistics. The research point is simpler: distance is paid back in unlocks, not just in ore.
Research during Early Access
The tech tree is version one. Expect:
- Node costs to be tuned.
- Some unlocks to move or merge.
- New branches to appear as systems are added.
The durable skill is the habit: sample everything, analyse in batches, spend on the branch that removes your current bottleneck. That habit survives any rebalance.
FAQ
Is there research beyond tier one at launch? The Early Access content list specifies a tier-one tech tree. Later tiers are expected during Early Access but not confirmed for launch.
Can I research without leaving the base? Only in a limited way. Samples come from the world; a base-bound player has a short tree. Exploration is the research engine.
Do I lose samples if I die? The safe assumption is that carried samples are lost with the run, like any inventory. Bank them at the bench before risky trips.
What are data points for? They are the abstract research currency, earned by analysis and observation. Think of samples as the physical input and data points as the progress you extract from them.
Should I rush the rocket tech? No. The rocket needs a base that can support the build. Rush the life-support and logistics nodes that make the rocket build possible, then pivot.