Tech Tree Configuration

Tech trees define skill progression paths that gate access to recipes. They are configured in sd-crafting/configs/techtrees.lua. The file returns a Lua table with global settings and a Trees table containing all tree definitions.

Overview

The tech tree system lets you create branching skill trees where players spend tech points to unlock nodes. Each node unlocks a recipe that would otherwise be hidden from the crafting menu. Players earn tech points through crafting (via techPointsReward on recipes).

Tech trees are assigned to stations and workbenches independently using the techTrees field in configs/config.lua.

Global Settings

return {
    enabled = true,
    perWorkbenchType = true,
    defaultTechPointsPerCraft = {
        enabled = false,
        amount = 1,
    },
    sharedPlacedWorkbench = {
        enabled = true,
    },
    Trees = { ... },
}

Key	Default	Description
enabled	true	Master toggle for the entire tech tree system
perWorkbenchType	true	true = players have separate tech points and unlocks per workbench type; false = shared globally

defaultTechPointsPerCraft

Key	Default	Description
enabled	false	When false, recipes without a techPointsReward field give no tech points
amount	1	Default tech points when a recipe does not specify techPointsReward

sharedPlacedWorkbench

Key	Default	Description
enabled	true	When true, all players using the same placed workbench share tech points and unlocked nodes. Does not affect static stations (those are always per-player)

Assigning Trees to Workbenches

In configs/config.lua, each station or placeable workbench specifies which trees to use:

-- Static station
Stations = {
    ['workbench'] = {
        techTrees = { 'basic_survival', 'basic_exploration' },
        ...
    },
},

-- Placeable workbench
PlaceableWorkbenches = {
    ['workbench'] = {
        techTrees = { 'basic_survival', 'basic_exploration' },
        ...
    },
    ['advanced_workbench'] = {
        techTrees = { 'technology', 'exploration', 'survival', 'engineering' },
        ...
    },
},

You can create any tree IDs you want and mix/match them per workbench.

Tree Structure

Each tree is defined inside the Trees table with a unique key:

Trees = {
    ['basic_survival'] = {
        label = 'Basic Survival',
        icon = 'heart-pulse',
        color = '#ef4444',
        nodes = { ... },
    },
},

Field	Type	Description
label	string	Display name shown in the UI
icon	string	Lucide icon name (see lucide.dev/icons)
color	string	Hex color for the tree in the UI
nodes	table	Array of unlock nodes

Node Structure

Each node represents a single unlock in the tree:

{
    id = 'firstaid_node',
    recipeId = 'firstaid',
    cost = 5,
    prerequisites = {},
    position = { row = 1, col = 2 },
},

Field	Type	Description
id	string	Unique identifier for the node within the tree
recipeId	string	Recipe id (from configs/recipes.lua) that this node unlocks
cost	number	Tech points required to unlock this node
prerequisites	table	Array of node id strings that must be unlocked first
position	table	Grid position in the tree UI: { row = <number>, col = <number> }

WARNING

Important: If a recipe is listed as a tech tree unlock via recipeId, it will not appear in the crafting menu until unlocked -- even if it is in a recipe table assigned to that workbench. The tech tree acts as a gate.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites create the branching structure of the tree:

-- Root node (no prerequisites)
{
    id = 'firstaid_node',
    recipeId = 'firstaid',
    cost = 5,
    prerequisites = {},
    position = { row = 1, col = 2 },
},

-- Single prerequisite
{
    id = 'splint_node',
    recipeId = 'splint',
    cost = 8,
    prerequisites = { 'firstaid_node' },
    position = { row = 2, col = 2 },
},

-- Multiple prerequisites (all must be unlocked)
{
    id = 'welding_torch_node',
    recipeId = 'welding_torch',
    cost = 25,
    prerequisites = { 'drill_node', 'powersaw_node' },
    position = { row = 3, col = 2 },
},

INFO

When a node has multiple prerequisites, all of them must be unlocked before the player can purchase it. This lets you create convergence points that require mastery of multiple branches.

Included Example Trees

The default configuration includes six tech trees:

Tree ID	Label	Nodes	Used By
basic_survival	Basic Survival	5	Basic workbench
basic_exploration	Basic Exploration	2	Basic workbench
technology	Tools & Technology	14	Advanced workbench
exploration	Exploration	13	Advanced workbench
survival	Survival	12	Advanced workbench
engineering	Engineering	11	Advanced workbench

Full Example Tree

['basic_survival'] = {
    label = 'Basic Survival',
    icon = 'heart-pulse',
    color = '#ef4444',
    nodes = {
        {
            id = 'firstaid_node',
            recipeId = 'firstaid',
            cost = 5,
            prerequisites = {},
            position = { row = 1, col = 2 },
        },
        {
            id = 'hunting_bait_2_node',
            recipeId = 'hunting_bait_2',
            cost = 3,
            prerequisites = {},
            position = { row = 1, col = 4 },
        },
        {
            id = 'splint_node',
            recipeId = 'splint',
            cost = 8,
            prerequisites = { 'firstaid_node' },
            position = { row = 2, col = 2 },
        },
        {
            id = 'hunting_bait_3_node',
            recipeId = 'hunting_bait_3',
            cost = 8,
            prerequisites = { 'hunting_bait_2_node' },
            position = { row = 2, col = 4 },
        },
        {
            id = 'hunting_trap_node',
            recipeId = 'hunting_trap',
            cost = 10,
            prerequisites = { 'hunting_bait_2_node' },
            position = { row = 2, col = 5 },
        },
    },
},

Tree Design Tips

• Root nodes (no prerequisites) should be the entry points at the top of each tree (row 1). Keep costs low.
• Mid-tier nodes introduce branching -- let players specialize.
• Convergence nodes (multiple prerequisites) create powerful capstone rewards that require investment in multiple branches.
• Position carefully using row and col to create a visually clear layout. The UI renders a grid-based graph.
• Every recipeId referenced in a node must exist in your recipe configuration with a matching id.

TIP

The admin panel (/craftadmin) allows you to create, edit, and delete tech trees and nodes live in-game. Changes persist to the database.