Research

Wars are fought with technology and technology is discovered through research. All research is done at your Research Lab, where you can improve your existing technologies, and discover new ones. Technologies do different things, such as improve units or unlock new technologies and ships. Once learned, technology is shared amongst all your planets and are not lost by abandoning the planet it was researched on. For more information about research mechanics, see the Research Lab page.

Time to Research

When researching a new technology (level), the time required is calculated as follows:

Time(hours) =

Ore Cost + Crystal Cost 1000 * (1+Effective Research Lab Level)

Effective Research Lab Level is either the level of the actual lab the tech is initiated at, or the level effectively derived by one's level of ARCNet.

Note: The Hydro used to research a tech level is not factored into the research time.

Technologies

Laser Tech: The science of light, Laser Tech is used for advanced engines and weaponry. Research will unlock new units and technologies. Requires: 1 2	Armor Tech: Armor Technology makes your ships more durable. Each level researched adds 10% to your ships' and defenses' hull ratings. Requires: 2	Weapons Tech: Weapons Technology is the science of destruction. Each level increases the power of all of your weapons by 10% Requires: 4
Shield Tech: Shield Tech allows your ships to take more punishment in battle. Each level researched will increase the shields on your ships and defenses by 10%. Requires: 6 3	Particle Tech: Particle Tech is the science of the atom. Research will unlock new forms of units and technology. Requires: 4 5 4	Jet Drive:An ancient technology that continues to be improved today, the Jet Drive powers small engines, missiles, and various other explosives. Each level of research will increase the speed of units powered by Jet Drives by 10%. Requires: 1 1
AI Tech: Advanced Artificial Intelligence technology is used by ships in battle. Each level researched will increase the maximum simultaneous fleets you can have by one. Requires: 1	Energy Tech: Energy Technology is the science of power. It allows you to build more advanced structures, as well as increasing the output of your fusion generators. Requires: 1	Espionage Tech: Espionage Tech allows you to better see what your opponents have and what they're attacking you with. Higher levels give you more information. Requires: 3
Pulse Drive: The Pulse Drive uses nuclear explosions to generate large amounts of thrust. Each level of research increases the speed of units powered by Pulse Drives by 20%. Requires: 2 1	Plasma Tech: Plasma, often referred to as the fourth state of matter, is a partially ionized gas in which electrons roam free. Research into it will unlock powerful new units and defenses. Requires: 4 8 10 5	FTL Tech: FTL, or Faster-Than-Light, is the science of traveling faster than the speed of light. Research will allow you to unlock new and more powerful units and technologies. Requires: 7 5 5
Expedition Tech: Expedition Tech allows you to explore remote regions of space. Research will unlock new daily missions. Requires: 3 4	Warp Drive: The Warp Drive uses magnetism to reshape the space-time continuum, allowing it to move at faster-than-light speeds. Each level researched will increase the speed of ships powered by Warp Drives by 30%. Requires: 7 3	ARCNet: The Advanced Research Communication Network facilitates communication between your worlds' research labs. Each level increases the number of labs that can simultaneously develop and upgrade technologies provided the lab's level is sufficient for the given technology. Requires: 10 7 8

Base Costs and Requirements

Tech	Lab Level	Ore	Crystal	Hydrogen	Tech Requirements
ARCNet	10	150,000	200,000	80,000	FTL AI	7 8
AI	1	0	400	600
Armor	2	1,000	0	0
Energy	1	0	800	400
Espionage	3	200	1,000	200
Expedition	3	4,000	8,000	1,000	Espionage	4
FTL	7	0	4,000	2,000	Energy Shield	5 5
Jet Drive	1	400	0	600	Energy	1
Laser	1	200	100	0	Energy	2
Particle	4	1,000	300	100	Laser Energy	5 4
Plasma	4	2,000	4,000	1000	Energy Laser Particle	8 10 5
Pulse Drive	2	2,000	4,000	600	Energy	1
Shield	6	200	600	0	Energy	3
Warp Drive	7	10,000	20,000	6,000	FTL	3
Weapons	4	800	200	0