27th April 2026 Update
Added additional options, the extra Research cost per era can now be additive or replacement. Want to Tech costs the same but add 1000 points to each one, now you can. Want to make every Tech cost 5000 points you can do that too!
Fixed a bug relating to percentage completed, it should now behave better and more as you would expect.
Research Inflation
Are you tired of your colonists mastering spaceflight in just three years? Do you want a playthrough that feels like a true, multi-generational epic where every technological leap is a hard-fought victory?
Research Inflation dynamically overhauls RimWorld’s pacing by pitting your colony's scientific output against the relentless force of compounding inflation.
How It Works
Instead of static price tags, this mod actively tracks your technological progress. Every time you finish a research project, the point cost of every remaining technology in the game increases.
- The Math: The game uses a compounding formula: Base Era Cost * (1.01 ^ Completed Projects).
- The Result: Your first Neolithic tech will only take a few days for a single researcher. By the time you reach the Ultra era, technologies will cost thousands of points, requiring a dedicated, highly skilled, and fully equipped laboratory team to complete.
(In-Game Settings
You are entirely in control of your saga's pacing. Using the Mod Settings menu, you can adjust everything on the fly—no game restart required:
- Inflation Rate: Adjust the per-tech compound penalty anywhere from 1.0% to 5.0% (Defaults to 1.0%).
- Era Baselines: Set distinct starting costs for Neolithic, Medieval, Industrial, Spacer, and Ultra technologies. (Or disable this feature entirely.
Compatibility & Performance
- 100% Save Safe: This mod does not inject custom data into your save file. You can safely add or remove it at any point in your playthrough without breaking your game.
Required Dependencies
- Harmony (For the dynamic code patching)
- Semi Random Research (Strongly suggested - This handles the Era Gates and organically advances your colony's tech level, neutralizing the vanilla tribal penalty so your custom baselines remain clean).
This is designed for a Era tech progression style play with a a lot of technologies, levelling up through era's as you go
Made primarly to support my own mod pack but should work for any research.
Epochs of the Rim
Small Issue - Once a research is completed it will show its original cost, not the inflated cost you paid, nothing I can do about that if I want to avoid writing to your save file!
