What unlocks the different lights at the merchant?

[teajay]

I have a friend who says he only has the halogen light option available despite upgrading the ship to full already. For me the traveling merchant sells everything past that, including tungsten and incandescent lights too. Any ideas why he hasn't been able to unlock the other lights?

[thelefthorse]

I think you unlock new lights, engines, etc. through research.

[Moodyman90]

Best I can tell, from my single play through, is that you have to upgrade your boat and go to other islands. Went to the Stellar Basin with a fully upgraded ship and saw the merchant had a new light for me, and it happened again when I went to the mangrove island. So if your friend is still slumming around the middle island and Gale Cliffs, that would be the reason they're not getting new lights.

[CrazyGoblin]

From what I could gather, it's tied into how many "+space converted to light" upgrades you get at the dry dock. When I first upgraded to 3 light tiles, I saw that the shipwright started selling the 1x3 lamps... Despite my not actually being able to equip that yet until fully upgrading the hull, since when you first get the +1 spot it comes in an L shape.

[SimplyGnome]

Originally posted by teajay:

I have a friend who says he only has the halogen light option available despite upgrading the ship to full already. For me the traveling merchant sells everything past that, including tungsten and incandescent lights too. Any ideas why he hasn't been able to unlock the other lights?

Its what CrazyGoblin has said. Its just upgrading the boat at the Drydock with the +light tiles. That then gives more light options to purchase at the shipwright.

[teajay]

The thing is, he said he had the whole ship upgraded, but I will have to ask again if he really meant that.

[denmarksghost]

Has he turned in any of the artifacts? Doing a second play through, and collecting all the artifacts, rather than turning them in as I find them. I am experiencing the same thing where my ship is nearly fully upgraded, bit the light quality hasn't increased at the shipwright. Only thing I have done differently this run is hoard the artifacts. Perhaps that counts as a progression marker for the game, each artifact unlocking the next tier of light.

[MadArtillery]

Not sure, had them all unlocked pretty quickly including ones I couldn't fit.

[daggaz]

I don't even use lights. Waste of time and space.

[Azraiell]

It is related to story progression. you give the relics to the suspicious guy then go speak to the lighthouse keeper to unlock the next light

[daggaz]

wat? thats not how it works at all

[GURU]

It is 100% tied to the relics

[bsg_joel]

Originally posted by GURU:

It is 100% tied to the relics

Can confirm.