Introduction
Welcome to this Nightingale progression guide! With the release of Patch 0.5, Inflection Games revamped the way you progress and unlock items in Nightingale. This new system, called the Progression Tree, can be accessed anytime by pressing the default shortcut “P”. If you’re wondering ‘how much essences do I need to unlock everything in the progress tree?’, I’ve crunched the numbers for you. This guide will walk you through the process of using essences to unlock all tiers.
To advance through the tiers, you’ll need different tiers of essences, along with progress in the storyline to unlock specific tiers. If you’re unfamiliar with essences, you can check out my detailed Essences Guide.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Progression Tree
Each tier in the progression tree features seven categories, each with unlockable schematics or blueprints. To build or craft any item, you must first unlock its design.
How Many Essences Do You Need to Unlock Everything?
This was my first question, so I crunched the numbers. Below is a table that shows the total essences required to unlock everything in each category and tier:
| Category | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structures | 105 | 215 | 365 |
| Refinement | 270 | 330 | 400 |
| Tools | 375 | 1125 | 3010 |
| Clothing | 60 | 505 | 1700 |
| Consumables | 115 | 185 | 410 |
| Magik | 155 | 575 | 1940 |
| Tilesets | 180 | 170 | 315 |
| Total essences | 1260 | 3105 | 8140 |
While some items can be learned through quests or discovered in the wild (especially Tier 1), certain clothes are unlocked based on the gear you choose during character creation.
Challenges with Tier 3 Unlocks
As you can see, unlocking everything in Tier 3 is particularly difficult, especially since there’s no way to convert higher-tier essences (like Tier 4) into Tier 3. I’ve submitted a feature request for this conversion system, as it would be more engaging for players than farming older content. Feel free to support this request and cast your vote here.
After completing the storyline, you should end up with around 1,600 Tier 3 essences, which is only about 20% of what’s needed to unlock everything. If you’re a completionist aiming to unlock it all, I’ve created a Tier 3 Farming Guide to help you farm efficiently.
Tips for Efficient Progression
Here are a few helpful tips to streamline your progression through Nightingale:
- Unlocking Tools: All Tier 1 tools can be unlocked in the first realm by following the map and searching for treasures. However, don’t waste too much time farming Tier 1 essences, as they’re very easy to obtain later. For example, 1,250 Tier 1 essences equal just 50% of a single Tier 4 essence, which can be collected from simple tasks like picking grass in later realms.
- Selective Unlocking: Don’t unlock items just for the sake of it, especially in the early game or while progressing through the storyline. Focus only on the items you need, and you can return later to unlock everything more efficiently.
- Quick Unlocking: You can double-click on an icon to unlock items faster, saving you time.
- Prioritize Refinement: The first thing you should unlock is Refinement. Workstations directly affect your overall progress, and the materials you gather will be useful regardless of the tier.
- Minor Realm Cards: Look into unlocking minor realm cards (weather effects) early, as they’re relatively cheap. But again, only unlock the cards that you plan to use.
That’s it for this guide on progression in Nightingale! I hope you find these tips helpful as you navigate the new progression tree. If you’re looking to farm essences efficiently, check out my Essences Guide and related resources for each tier.
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