Build a PC Empire confirms that research advances technology year by year and unlocks laptops. A complete public technology-tree dataset was not available during this review, so this page does not invent node names, years, prices, or prerequisites. It provides the exact fields needed to build a current, versioned index from the game.
Verified tree scope
Record every node consistently
For each visible node, capture: exact name; branch or category; company year; direct prerequisites; displayed point cost; duration or progress field; lab requirement; unlock description; current status; source screen; check date; and any product type restriction. Unknown fields remain blank.
Use the exact interface spelling. A community shorthand can be added as a note, but it should not replace the node name. If a node is hidden, do not guess it from a connecting line; record only what the current state supports.
Trace prerequisites safely
Start at the desired node and follow visible connections backward. Record direct predecessors first. Repeat until reaching nodes already completed or currently available. This produces a path without assuming that every item in a visual column is required.
If the interface states a year, company valuation, goal, office, or other requirement, record it separately from research-point cost. Different requirements need different solutions. More points do not bypass a year gate, and more lab slots do not bypass a prerequisite.
Keep year and version attached
“Year by year” may describe organization, gating, market progression, or several of those at once. The public text does not define the mechanic. Record the current company year whenever a node becomes visible, available, completed, or useful.
Also record the real-world check date and current game title or update marker. The seasonal “[🎃]” title checked on October 29, 2026 can change independently of the tree, but it helps identify the observed build period.
Build a responsive index instead of a giant spreadsheet
On this site, each verified node should become a card or stacked row with Name, Branch, Year, Prerequisite, Cost, Duration, Unlock, Product scope, Verification status, and Checked date. A card layout keeps long names and unknown fields readable on 320px screens without horizontal table scrolling.
Do not publish an empty value as zero. Use “Not shown” or leave it blank. Distinguish Official for creator-published descriptions, In-game verified for current interface observation, Community corroborated for repeated independent results, and Needs in-game testing for unsupported fields.
Laptops as a milestone
The laptop unlock is the only named product milestone in the public description. When it appears, record its prerequisite chain, year, cost, and exact unlock text. Then inspect whether laptops use the same component categories, benchmark, reviews, price control, and sales fields as desktop PCs.
Do not merge laptop and desktop results until the game demonstrates parity. A new product type may use different design constraints or market feedback even when the interface looks similar.
Handling tree changes
If a node changes name, cost, prerequisite, or position, preserve the earlier dated observation and add the new one. Do not average values across versions. If two players report different trees, compare company year, completed goals, passes, save state, and server update before declaring either wrong.
Route aliases and synonyms should point to the same node entry rather than creating duplicate canonical pages. “Tech tree,” “technology order,” and “year progression” are intents served by this one page.
What is still missing
The complete node list, branches, exact years, point costs, research duration, lab requirements, prerequisites, laptop node, ordinary point sources, reset behavior, and optimal path remain unverified. These are the fields required before a full searchable Dex can be presented as current fact.
Until then, use the research guide to choose a target from your live tree and the research points guide to diagnose currency versus capacity.