Research & Tech Tiers
Field Manual
Every hull, habitat, and reactor began as knowledge earned in the lab long before it was built in the yard. Research turns credits and patience into capability — better ships, greater structures, and the higher city tiers that make a colony a stronghold.
Getting Started
Research unlocks the blueprints for everything you build — ships, buildings, and the great structures that anchor a system. When you research a blueprint, it stays unlocked for your entire command, not just one city or base. Learn it once, build it anywhere.
Every new commander begins with a head start: all Tier 1 blueprints are already researched the moment you register — enough to found a colony, build a starting fleet, and get on your feet. Everything beyond that, you earn through research.
The Laboratory
All research happens inside a Laboratory you own, and the lab must be powered — connected to an energy source through a power link. An unpowered lab is just an empty building; it can't run a single experiment.
While a lab is working, it plainly shows its task — “Researching…” — and returns to standby once the work is done. A lab handles one project at a time, but nothing stops you running several at once. More powered labs means more research in parallel — a serious research operation runs a whole row of them.
Running Research
Starting a project is straightforward, but there are rules worth knowing before you commit.
| Rule | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Paid in credits, up front | Each blueprint has a credit cost, deducted the moment you begin. No refunds for changing your mind — choose deliberately. |
| Takes real time | Research runs on a timer. Simple blueprints take a few minutes; advanced work takes considerably longer. |
| The order survives | Once started, a project keeps running even if you log off or the galaxy restarts. You’ll be notified when it completes. |
| One project per lab | A single lab researches one thing at a time. Run more labs to research more at once. |
Tech Tier — What It Really Is
This is the part most commanders misread, so read it twice: Tech Tier is not a bar you fill or a level you buy directly.
Because every new commander starts with the Tier 1 blueprints, everyone begins at Tech Tier 1. From there, each higher-tier blueprint you complete raises your ceiling and opens the next band of what you’re allowed to build.
What Tech Tier Unlocks
Your Tech Tier is the key that opens the galaxy's better hardware. Different things are gated in slightly different ways.
| What You Want to Build | What It Requires |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 structures | Always available — no research needed |
| Higher-tier structures (advanced buildings, megastructures) | Your Tech Tier must reach the structure's own tier |
| Ships | The exact ship's blueprint must be researched — a ship is gated on its own design |
| City upgrades | Research the next City Hall — Colony Hall (Tier 3) for Level 2, City Hall (Tier 6) for Level 3 |
| Refinery recipes | Own a refinery of the required tier at that location — better refineries unlock more recipes |
Account Tiers — The Real Progression Wall
There is one hard limit on how far you can climb, and it isn't in-game credits or time — it's your account tier (your membership level, separate from Tech Tier).
Basic accounts can research up to Tech Tier 2. That’s enough for a solid early foundation, but the more advanced blueprints — including the halls needed to grow cities past their first level — sit beyond that ceiling. Upgraded accounts research freely, with no practical tier cap.
Upgraded accounts also research faster — the higher your account tier, the shorter your timers:
| Account Tier | Research Speed |
|---|---|
| Basic (Tier 1) | Standard |
| Tier 2 | ~5% faster |
| Tier 3 | ~10% faster |
| Tier 4 | ~15% faster |
A Warning About High-Tier Research
New commanders operate under Voran Protection, the Empire's shield over its young colonies. Reaching for the truly advanced is treated as coming of age.
Research Checklist
From your first powered lab to a full research program — follow each tier in sequence as your tech operation matures.
Warning Signs
The messages you'll run into around research, what causes them, and how to clear them.
Key Tips
Distilled research doctrine — the principles that turn every credit into capability.