Research
Research is a permanent upgrade system accessed through the Research Lab. Technologies span four trees covering base efficiency, resource production, unit combat power, and alliance-wide auras. Every level compounds your advantage — earlier is better.
Research Trees
Development
7 technologiesReduce timers across the entire base. Lower build times, research times, repair times, and production queue lengths. Pure efficiency.
Resource Management
7 technologiesIncrease output from resource buildings and unlock more mining sites. Scales your economy horizontally — more resources in, more everything out.
Tactical Warfare
19 technologiesUpgrade individual unit types with attack, defense, and health bonuses. Stack these to significantly raise your combat power against similarly-built opponents.
Tier 4 (Research Doctrine)
8 technologiesAlliance-wide auras that benefit nearby alliance members. Exclusive to the Research doctrine — requires an Advanced Lab. These are the most powerful research upgrades in the game.
How Research Works
Queue up research
Open the Research Lab and pick a technology. Each research has a base cost (Food, Steel, Energy, sometimes Astromite or Quantarite) and a base time. Resources are consumed when you start, not when it completes.
Costs scale per level
Each level of a research costs more than the last. The cost multiplier (typically 1.3–1.6×) applies to every resource in the cost. Plan ahead — level 20 of a research can cost hundreds of times more than level 1.
Time scales too
Research time also increases each level. The Development tree's "Research Times" research directly reduces how long everything in this tab takes. Invest early for compound time savings.
Prerequisites chain
Some research requires another at a minimum level first. For example, Quantarite Mining requires Astromite Mining at level 5. Check the prerequisites before planning your path.
Building requirements
Most research requires a specific building at a minimum level. You cannot start Tactical Warfare research without a Research Lab at level 5. Build up your infrastructure first.
Tier 4 Research (Research Doctrine)
Tier 4 technologies are exclusive to the Research doctrine. They require an Advanced Lab and Quantarite to research. Each one creates an alliance-wide aura — all alliance members within range benefit, making Research doctrine players the backbone of competitive alliances.
Quantum Entanglement
Speeds up resource sharing within your alliance. Essential for coordinated alliance play.
Neural Uplink
All nearby alliance members complete research faster. Snowballs research advantages across an alliance.
Predictive Analytics
A passive attack bonus for all nearby alliance members. Stacks with individual unit research.
Molecular Assembly
Speeds up building construction for nearby alliance members.
FTL Harmonics
Nearby alliance fleets move faster — critical for coordinating rallies and responses.
Astral Cartography
Expands scouting range for nearby alliance members. Better intelligence, faster.
Ephoran Decryption
Boosts the chance of rare Ephoran AI Core drops from combat for nearby alliance members.
Quantum Shielding
A passive defense bonus for all nearby alliance members.
Research Priority
Research Times first
The fastest return on investment in any doctrine. Every level reduces the time for every subsequent research. Get this to level 10 before nearly anything else.
Construction Times second
Your base grows exponentially faster with lower build times. Lower build times → higher building levels → higher production → more resources for everything.
Match your doctrine
Resource Management benefits Industrial players most. Tactical Warfare benefits Military players most. Don't spread thin — go deep in what your doctrine amplifies.
March Slots are a force multiplier
Each additional march slot allows another simultaneous fleet deployment. For combat-focused players, March Slots (Tactical Warfare) is one of the highest-value late-game researches.