“Every gun you will ever fire was somebody's research project first.”
— Fleet Admiral Selene Voss
How research works
The Research Laboratory holds the module tech tree. Each node belongs to a category (Defense, Weapons, Special, Propulsion or Industry) and a tier (1 to 5). To start a node you need:
- every prerequisite node already researched;
- the player level for its tier;
- the resources, which are paid when the research starts.
| Tier | Player level | Nodes | Research time | Minerals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 Basic | 1 | 55 | 55s – 1m | 45 – 60 |
| Tier 2 Standard | 3 | 54 | 3m – 3m | 150 – 160 |
| Tier 3 Advanced | 6 | 52 | 5m – 7m 30s | 380 – 450 |
| Tier 4 Superior | 10 | 52 | 10m – 15m | 900 – 950 |
| Tier 5 Elite | 15 | 52 | 15m – 30m | 1,750 – 1,950 |
Browse every node, with its prerequisites and costs, in the Research Tree reference.
What research unlocks
Each node unlocks module blueprints, usually a Ship, a Base and an Outpost version of the same module. You can't manufacture a module in the Forge until its node is researched.
Ship hulls are researched separately, in the Shipyard.
The research queue
Research runs one node at a time, first in, first out. Queue more to keep the lab busy. Queue size and research speed grow with your player level:
| Player level | Research queue | Research speed |
|---|---|---|
| Start | 1 | — |
| Level 5+ | 1 | +5% |
| Level 10+ | 2 | +10% |
| Level 20+ | 3 | +15% |
| Level 30+ | 4 | +25% |