What is "entry purchase" in the tech tree?

[Asmayus]

Hello!

I've noticed that when you look at an unlocked node on the tech tree, each part has an "entry purchase" parameter. For the S1 SRB, under Heavy Rocketry, this is \|8000. When I unlocked the node, I didn't loose any funds, and when I went to use the part is only cost \|1800.

It feels like it's a feature that wasn't turned on or something. Has there been any word from the devs about this?

[morph113]

Thos entry purchase numbers were always there since they implemented the science tree. I think for now it's just a placeholder for something which they will add in future. I would have 2 suggestions of how they could implement it.

1. After unlocking a science node with science points, you actually need to invest (development) money for each part to make them available in the future.

2. Instead of using science points to get the whole science node, you can instead spend money on single parts to unlock them if you haven't got enough science or are unable to get more science for some reason.

The current shown prices would be placeholders obviously and would change later. But I haven't heard anything from Squad on it, so not sure

[SkyRender]

They might also have planned to have it so that you can only use a limited quantity per flight of whatever parts are on an unlocked tech tree node until you invest in that part so as to have infinite quantities of them to work with per launch. Just a possibility. The other, more likely possibility is that that was implemented as a placeholder for the "science/funds/reputation exchange" system, as morph113 more or less suggested.

[Jodo42]

As far as I'm aware, it's the money you need to pay upfront to unlock the part for use after you've researched its node. As you said I don't think it's implemented yet.

[Artophwar]

Hopefully it will be added in the next update. There needs to be a lot more things to spend money on and buying the researched parts seem like it could be a major money sink. It is too easy to accumulate money currently.

[boa3532]

I'm hoping that in the future you can use funds and science to upgrade your existing parts. For example, upgrading an engine would see in increase in thrust, isp or a weight reduction.

[LethalDose]

I'm actually very surprised they didn't implement this mechanic in the current release. I'm glad they didn't though, I don't think it would be good for game-play.