To build a thriving medieval trading empire, you must prioritize the middle decorative path for early legendary items, then push down the magical items branch to maximize your profit margins. If you are frustrated by the game's initial weapon-selling lock, this research tree guide Arcane Merchant players rely on will show you exactly how to navigate the mandatory early-game unlocks so you can hire staff, defeat thieves, and customize your shop without wasting gold.
Developed by Findie Studios, Arcane Merchant presents itself as a cozy shop management simulator. However, beneath the warm aesthetic lies a surprisingly rigid RPG progression system. You cannot simply buy a magic shelf, brew a potion, and watch the gold roll in. Survival in this medieval economy requires strict adherence to the game's overarching tech tree.
Why You Need a Research Tree Guide Arcane Merchant Edition
Many players boot up the game expecting a pure sandbox where they can immediately build a cozy potion shop and pet the cat (a literal mechanic that earns you the "Cat Lover" achievement). The reality is much harsher. You are funneled into a mandatory research tree that dictates exactly how and when your business expands.
Everything that you would do to set up your shop the way you want to is locked behind a bunch of nodes you may or may not want to engage with. For example, if you want to hire an employee right away and manage the day-to-day operations from afar, the game will block you. You are required to unlock all of the basic weapons and armor, stock them on your shelves, and successfully sell them to the local townsfolk before the hiring mechanics open up. One frustrated player noted during the demo phase that they were forced to sell mundane iron swords for hours before they could even look at a magic crystal.
This rigid early-game loop is exactly why understanding the tech tree is non-negotiable. If you waste your initial profits on the wrong nodes, you will find yourself running a manual cash register with a shop full of unsellable inventory.
The Three Core Branches of the Progression System
Once you clear the initial tutorial restrictions and earn your "First Coin" achievement, the full tech tree opens up. The interface presents you with three distinct paths, each serving a fundamentally different role in your shop's ecosystem.
- The Equipment Path: This is the brute-force branch. It covers iron swords, shields, and basic leather armor. While the profit margins here are relatively low (often hovering around 15% to 20%), the volume is incredibly high. More importantly, advancing down this path is the only way to trigger the milestones required to hire your first employees, such as Bobby or Ted.
- The Magical Items Path: This is where the real money is made. It includes mysterious crystals, high-tier potions, and rare artifacts. The items here boast massive profit margins and significantly boost your dynamic reputation score, drawing wealthier patrons into your store.
- The Middle Path (Decorations & Legends): Often ignored by beginners who mistakenly assume it is purely cosmetic, this path is the secret weapon of veteran players. It unlocks vital shop customization, advanced shelving units, and surprisingly, a legendary sword that serves as a massive mid-game revenue spike.
Step-by-Step Research Tree Guide Arcane Merchant Early Game
Navigating the first ten hours of Arcane Merchant requires financial discipline. Spreading your research points too thin across all three branches will leave you with a cluttered inventory and no automated help. Follow this sequence to break the early-game barrier:
- Clear the Weapon Quota: Put your head down and research the basic swords and shields. Stock them, set competitive dynamic pricing, and sell through your initial inventory. Do not waste time trying to make these low-tier items highly profitable; you just need the sheer volume of sales to clear the progression lock.
- Unlock Cash Register Automation: Once the basic equipment nodes are clear, immediately research the hiring nodes. Hiring your first employee (which triggers the "Growing Team" achievement) changes the entire game. An automated cashier frees you up to explore the town, manage inventory in the back room, and negotiate with traveling merchants.
- Pivot to the Middle Path: With a cashier in place, dump your next batch of research points into the middle path. Unlock the upgraded shelves and decorative rugs. These items increase passive customer interest, allowing you to charge higher prices for goods without losing trust.
- Rush the Legendary Sword: Hidden just a few nodes deep in the middle path is the legendary sword. Unlock it, place it on a premium display stand near the entrance, and use it as a centerpiece to draw high-wealth patrons into your shop.
Upgrading Your Shop: Shelves, Registers, and Security
Customization in Arcane Merchant is deeply tied to your economy. The cleaner and more cohesive your shop looks, the higher your reputation climbs. The research tree controls access to these physical upgrades, making it vital to prioritize structural nodes over shiny new inventory.
| Feature | Basic Node | Upgraded Node | Economic Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelving | Wooden Racks | Enchanted Displays | Holds 3x more inventory; actively attracts wealthy buyers. |
| Checkout | Manual Register | Magical Register | Speeds up checkout time by 40%, reducing long lines. |
| Flooring | Dirt Floor | Woven Rugs | Increases passive customer patience while waiting. |
| Security | Chasing Thieves | Magical Wards | Prevents shoplifting automatically without player intervention. |
Speaking of security, until you unlock the advanced magical wards in the late-game research tree, you will have to handle thieves manually. This usually involves physically chasing them down the street and hitting them with a heavy book. Ironically, this mundane form of security tracks toward the "Book Justice" achievement, which requires you to knock out 100 people with the ledger.
Dynamic Pricing and the Customer Interest System
Unlike simpler shop simulators, Arcane Merchant employs a dynamic pricing model tied directly to your research progress. You cannot simply mark up a health potion by 300% and expect it to sell. Customers have a hidden "interest" stat that fluctuates based on your shop's reputation, the cleanliness of the floors, and the rarity of the items displayed.
If you focus entirely on researching high-tier magical items but neglect the nodes that upgrade your cleaning tools (or fail to hire janitorial staff), your shop will become filthy. Customers will track mud across the floor, tanking your reputation. When reputation drops, customers refuse to pay a premium, rendering your expensive magical inventory useless. The "Cleaner Master" achievement—awarded for cleaning up 250 messes—exists as a harsh reminder that hygiene is just as important as inventory.
Town Interactions, Hero Quests, and Achievements
Arcane Merchant differentiates itself from competitors like Teddy's Haven by offering an extended town system. You are not confined to the four walls of your shop. The research tree eventually branches out into town interactions, allowing you to send wandering heroes on resource-gathering quests.
Many players forget to research the quest-board upgrades, leaving them starved for the specific crafting components needed for late-game artifacts. By unlocking the hero mission nodes, you can dispatch adventurers to gather rare herbs and crystals. Completing 60 of these missions unlocks the "Adventurer's Ally" achievement and provides the raw materials necessary to fully upgrade your shop.
Furthermore, exploring the town yields hidden economic benefits. Astute players can find hidden gold pouches scattered around the medieval streets. Finding all eight unlocks the "Treasure Hunter" achievement and provides a crucial influx of capital to fund your next major research node. When combined with smart pricing, this capital injection will fast-track your journey to the "Golden Fortune" achievement, awarded for earning 50,000 gold.
FAQ: Research Tree Guide Arcane Merchant
Do I really have to sell weapons before I can sell magic items? Yes. The game forces you to complete a basic equipment quota before the deeper magical branches and hiring mechanics unlock. You cannot bypass this phase, so it is best to power through the iron sword research as quickly as possible.
How do I unlock employees like Bobby and Ted? Employees are gated behind the early Equipment Path and a specific number of successful sales. Once you clear the basic weapon nodes and serve enough customers, the hiring board becomes available in the town square.
Is the middle research path worth the investment? Absolutely. While it looks like it only offers cosmetic shop customization, it actually houses crucial reputation-boosting items, automated registers, and the highly profitable legendary sword.
What is the fastest way to earn the Master Merchant achievement? To fully upgrade your shop and earn the Master Merchant title, you need to balance your research between high-margin magical items and the middle path's structural expansions. Do not neglect sending heroes on quests, as you will need their gathered materials to complete the final nodes.
Surviving the medieval economy of Arcane Merchant requires more than just setting up a nice display. By understanding the rigid early-game locks and prioritizing automation and reputation, you can transform a humble stall into a trading empire. Stick to the optimal paths, keep your floors clean, and always keep a heavy book handy for the thieves.
Sources
- Findie Studios Official Gameplay Trailers & Developer Updates
- SteamDB Arcane Merchant Achievements Database
- Community Playtest Reviews and Subreddit Discussions (r/arcanemerchant)