Research
Research unlocks new technologies that improve your ships, defenses, and capabilities.
Technology Categories
Basic Technologies
| Technology | Effect |
|---|---|
| Energy Technology | Enables Fusion Reactor, +5% energy per level |
| Fusion | +10% energy output per level, plus +5% Fusion Reactor fuel-cell output per level |
| Laser Technology | +5% ship/defense weapon damage and +1% Recycler harvest yield per level |
| Ion Technology | Enables ion weapons |
| Plasma Technology | +10% production per level, -10% building speed per level |
Combat Technologies
| Technology | Effect |
|---|---|
| Weapon Technology | +10% weapon damage per level |
| Missile Technology | +5% Interplanetary Missile damage per level |
| Mobile Shield Technology | +10% ship shield strength per level |
| Defense Technology | +5% defense attack/shield, +15% defense hull, and +5% protected daily production per level |
Propulsion
| Technology | Effect |
|---|---|
| Combustion Drive | +10% speed per level (all ships) |
| Impulse Drive | +20% speed per level (all ships), +5% fuel per level |
| Hyperspace Drive | +30% speed per level (all ships), +10% fuel per level |
| Hyperspace Technology | +5% cargo capacity per level |
Intelligence & Computing
| Technology | Effect |
|---|---|
| Espionage Technology | Better spy reports |
| Counter Intel | +2 effective espionage defense per level |
| Fuel Cell Technology | Unlocks Fuel Cell generation from Fusion Reactor output |
| Phalanx Technology | +1 scan range per Sensor Phalanx level |
| Computer Technology | +2 fleet slots at each even level |
| Resource Dens | Legacy research with no direct gameplay effect |
Advanced
| Technology | Effect |
|---|---|
| Astrophysics | +1 colony per level (base 3 at level 0) |
| Intel Relay | Shares alliance espionage reports and anchors the intelligence mid-tier |
| Recon Technology | Unlocks Recon missions and +1 fleet slot per level |
| Space Dock Research | Unlocks the Space Dock ship (outpost deployment) and +2 fleet slots per level |
| Wayfinder Research | Unlocks Wayfinder ship and +1 fleet slot per level |
| Moon Base Research | Unlocks Moon Base, +15% moon resource production per level, and +1 Lunar Base field per level |
| Graviton Technology | Enables Deathstar and lowers moon-destruction explosion risk |
| Material Physics | -25% ship and defense cost |
Research Priority Guide
Early Game
- Espionage Technology 4 - See enemy defenses
- Computer Technology 2 - First +2 fleet-slot breakpoint
- Combustion Drive 2 - Faster ships
- Energy Technology 4 - Enable technologies
Mid Game
- Weapons/Shields/Defense - Combat effectiveness
- Astrophysics - More colonies
- Impulse Drive - Faster ships
- Hyperspace Technology - More cargo
- Moon Base Research - Start moon economy scaling once your industry lane is online
Late Game
- Hyperspace Drive - Fastest travel
- Plasma Technology 7 - Plasma Turrets
- Graviton Technology - Deathstar
- Intel Relay - Build toward the intelligence endgame
- Recon Technology - Unlocks Recon missions
- Material Physics - Reduce ship and defense costs
Availability Rules
Research focus trees use section-based gating. Section 1 has no cross-tech prerequisite chain, section 2 needs 8 cumulative levels from section 1, section 3 needs 4 cumulative levels from section 2, and section 4 needs 2 cumulative levels from section 3. Research Lab level still reduces research time and remains a per-technology requirement where listed.
Research Queue Behavior
You can queue research without having the full resources on hand. If the resources are missing when a research item reaches the front of the queue, that item is canceled.
Tech Tree Visualization
Each specialization now follows the same section rhythm:
- Build your foundation in Section 1.
- Reach 8 total Section 1 levels to open Section 2.
- Reach 4 total Section 2 levels to open Section 3.
- Reach 2 total Section 3 levels to open Section 4.
Your chosen specialization changes which technologies appear in each section, but the section thresholds stay the same on desktop and mobile.