actually, a tech-tree COULD be done, using interactions from a "scientist" type Secret. There would be different item trans-mog spells, so a scientist could have an ability that lets him turn Copper into Copper Wires with the "discovery of electricity" style secret. And if someone made a robot technology to be discovered, it could require Copper Wires as one of the items for construction. A Workshop would be best - a Laboratory where you basically make any dwarf that gives the proper regents for study gain a syndrome related to the tech, but to do this you must first have a specific amount of parts. You need 5 copper for wiring and electricity, and then can make Copper Wire as a scientist 2 copper. For 5 copper WIRES, you can study a more ADAVNCED electric thing - like a coilgun or force-field. But to build one, you also need a hard light drive, which requires a photonic emitter, which requires photon research. Which proly has OTHER science pre=requisites under physics. Technically, with the right resources, you could have power armor in a couple of years, but a tech tree you would have. If I knew how to do custom workshops, i would do it myself - syndromes and secrets are my specialty, i love magic modding, and the only way to ENSURE that Copper Wire cannot be built at a workshop before it is discovered it to make it rely on something like particular scientists who have the knowledge. But like a Necromancer, a scientist could easily educate a whole fortress via apprenticeship/books. So yeah, in that way, you could make it so that dwarves start with medieval tech, but can go all the way up to creating adamantium automatons, force-field armor, and coilguns/railguns/hard light or plasma rifles. And other stuff too, like a replicator that takes stone and converts it into beer or meat, which requires atomic technology, copper wires, and nanotech.