Doloc Town Progression Guide: Tech Trees, Regions & Unlock Order

Doloc Town's progression is a chain of interlocking systems — every upgrade unlocks a machine, every machine unlocks a quest, every quest opens a region. The good news is that the game is remarkably linear underneath the cozy surface: four tech trees feed one unlock order, and once you know the shape of it, you can plan ahead instead of wandering. This guide lays out the full progression skeleton: the tech trees, the region order, the story beats, and the milestone order that keeps your first year from spiraling.

Here's what you'll learn:

• How the four tech trees and their point types work
• The best early tech priorities (and the traps)
• The region unlock order: Outskirts → River Valley → Wetlands → Old City Ruins
• The main story structure in 1.0
• The early-game milestone order that minimizes wasted days
• What the endgame actually looks like

Official resources: Steam store page · 1.0 launch announcement (Gamespress) · Doloc Town on Wikipedia · GameGrin developer Q&A

The Four Tech Trees and How Points Work

Progression runs through four tech trees with 81 technologies total (community-documented via Neoseeker's full tech tree table, matching review descriptions). Each tree spends its own point type, and late nodes demand points from a second discipline — so you can't max one tree and ignore the rest:

Points come from doing the activity: farming grants Field Study, crafting/processing grants Tech Research, chores grant Tool Operation, and animal care grants Nurturing Animals. Level-ups award increasing point amounts (level 1 = +1, levels 14-16 = +9-10 per tree). The Animal tree only opens after you build the Small Barn during the animal tutorial — see the ranching guide for that chain.

Best Early Tech Priorities in Doloc Town

The first-season priority order that most guides converge on:

1. Agricultural Basics (1 FS) → Wood Plant Basin. Then Resource Collection - Tree → Resin Collector.
2. Basic Irrigation (2 FS) → Manual Sprinkler — takes you out of the daily watering loop.
3. Resin Crafting (2 FS + 1 TR) → Resin Press + Rubber. Rubber is the first major story bottleneck (the Game8 review's "one quest item turned into an entire production chain" moment), so reach it before the story demands it.
4. Water Source → Basic Well; Shrub Planting / Vine Cultivation for basin variety.
5. In Industry: Lightning Ward (2 TR) → Lightning Rod before the first Heavy Rain month, then Basic Power Generation.
6. Gene 101 (4 FS + 1 TR) → Gene Activation Chamber as soon as your seed supply is stable.

Doloc Town Region Unlock Order

The world opens in a strict sequence, and each region gates the next tier of resources:

1. Outskirts — your home base; everything starts here.
2. River Valley — unlocked early via the main story; the lush region that's central to the Eden mystery. Guild membership here grants the combat drone and the double jump, plus drone module crafting.
3. Wetlands — mid-game; treacherous terrain, new hazards (acid pools), rare resources and the Wetlands boss.
4. Caves — accessed along the way; mining, mushrooms and drone salvage (see the caves guide).
5. Old City Ruins — the 1.0 finale region, opened late in the story after the wetland restoration arc. Fierce new enemies, new NPCs, and the game's hardest content.

The all regions guide details each zone's resources and entry requirements; for now, remember the rule of thumb: if a region gate asks for a material you can't find, it's telling you to progress a tech tree, not grind — the game's gates are production-chain checks, not level checks.

Main Story Progression in 1.0

The 1.0 story (community-mapped, consistent with professional reviews) runs in arcs:

• Act 1 — Arrival: meet Mayor Claud, plant your first crops, learn the weather system.
• Act 2 — River Valley: investigate the valley with the botanist Alchemy; join the Guild (drone + double jump); cave exploration opens.
• Act 3 — Restoration: the terraforming device arc, Treaty Port funding, and wetland restoration (the lotus prototype step).
• Act 4 — Old City Ruins: after the wetland arc, Alchemy authorizes entry to the ruins for the environmental finale — the story's conclusion added in 1.0.

One catch flagged by RPGamer: the ending requires real engagement with almost every other system — some requirements read as optional but gate the finale. That's by design: the story is a completion check for your farm. The review covers the pacing tradeoff honestly.

Per the official 1.0 announcement, the full release "delivers the complete experience" with a main story conclusion — Early Access save files carry over, so returning players can jump straight into the finale.

Endgame: What You're Actually Working Toward

The 1.0 endgame checklist:

• Final Farm Expansion — the main farm's largest and final upgrade tier.
• Two additional farming territories across the world (the Wetland Farm was teased in the pre-launch Mushroom Fest preview).
• Farming automation running across all territories (see the automation guide).
• 80 Steam achievements, full fishing book, all gene traits (the gene build guide covers the builds).
• Post-credits content: community reports describe repeatable bosses and town construction projects after the finale.
• Steam Workshop mods for longevity (see the multiplayer & mods page).

Frequently Asked Questions

How does progression work in Doloc Town?

Four tech trees (Agriculture, Industry, Life, Animal) spend points earned by doing their activities, plus a strict region unlock order tied to the story. Nearly every objective is a production-chain check: build the machine, make the item, unlock the gate.

What is the best tech tree order in Doloc Town?

Start with Agricultural Basics → Resource Collection → Basic Irrigation → Resin Crafting, grab Lightning Ward in Industry before the first Heavy Rain month, and unlock Gene 101 once your seed supply is stable. Balance all four trees — late nodes cost points from two disciplines.

What order do regions unlock in Doloc Town?

Outskirts (start) → River Valley (early story, guild + drone) → Wetlands (mid-game) → Caves → Old City Ruins (1.0 finale, late story).

What should I do first in Doloc Town?

Backpack upgrade on day one, wood planters and early seeds, a Manual Sprinkler, plastic coverings and a lightning rod before the heavy rain, then work toward Resin Crafting and the Guild. Details in the beginner's guide.

What is the endgame in Doloc Town?

Final farm expansion, two extra farming territories, full automation, 80 achievements, all gene traits and collections, post-credits content, and Steam Workshop mods. Completionist estimates run 100+ hours.

Related Guides

• Doloc Town Beginner's Guide — First Week & Progression (2026)
• Doloc Town Automation Guide — Drones, Power & 1.0 Systems
• Doloc Town All Regions Guide — 5 Areas Explained
• Doloc Town Gene System — 21 Modules, 4 Machines & Best Combos
• Doloc Town How Long to Beat — Story & 100% Times

Last updated: August 14, 2026.