All research projects
| Project | Branch | Lab L | Max rank | Effect per rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reinforced Alloys | Defense | 1 | 25 | +2% maximum health to every colony structure per rank |
| Ore Refinement | Industry | 1 | 5 | +2% Ore Extractor output per rank |
| Reactor Overdrive | Hyperspace | 1 | 5 | +2% Hyperspace Charge recharge speed per rank |
| Orbital Construction Permits | Defense | 2 | 25 | +1 structure permit every 3 ranks, starting at rank 2 |
| Salvage Protocols | Exploration | 2 | 5 | +2% AI Ore and Research salvage per rank |
| Storage Compression | Industry | 2 | 5 | +2% total Ore Storage capacity per rank |
| Repair Drones | Defense | 3 | 25 | +2% automatic structural repair speed per rank |
| Targeting Matrix | Defense | 3 | 25 | +2% turret and missile battery combat power per rank |
| Fleet Doctrine | Fleet | 3 | 5 | +2% to ship combat stats per rank |
| Hangar Logistics | Fleet | 3 | 5 | +1 Orbital Hangar bay per rank |
| Quantum Stabilization | Quantum | 5 | 5 | +2% Quantum Credit Array output per rank |
| Jump Calibration | Hyperspace | 5 | 5 | +1 maximum charge at ranks 3 and 5 |
Cost and timing
Research costs and times rise with the next rank and the project’s required Lab level. To calculate the next rank, square that rank, multiply by the required Lab level, then multiply by 120 for Research cost or 20 for seconds of research time. For example, rank 2 of a Lab L3 project costs 1,440 Research and takes 4 minutes. Defense projects can reach rank 25; other projects stop at rank 5. The table shows more examples.
| Next rank | Lab L1 cost / time | Lab L2 cost / time | Lab L3 cost / time | Lab L5 cost / time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 120 Research / 20 sec | 240 Research / 40 sec | 360 Research / 1 min | 600 Research / 2 min |
| 2 | 480 Research / 1 min | 960 Research / 3 min | 1,440 Research / 4 min | 2,400 Research / 7 min |
| 3 | 1,080 Research / 3 min | 2,160 Research / 6 min | 3,240 Research / 9 min | 5,400 Research / 15 min |
| 5 | 3,000 Research / 8 min | 6,000 Research / 17 min | 9,000 Research / 25 min | 15,000 Research / 42 min |
| 10 | 12,000 Research / 33 min | 24,000 Research / 1.1 hr | 36,000 Research / 1.7 hr | 60,000 Research / 2.8 hr |
| 25 | 75,000 Research / 3.5 hr | 150,000 Research / 6.9 hr | 225,000 Research / 10.4 hr | 375,000 Research / 17.4 hr |
How key effects apply
Orbital Construction Permits adds one extra permit at ranks 2, 5, 8 and every third rank after that. Jump Calibration adds one Relay charge at rank 3 and another at rank 5. Fleet Doctrine modifies ship combat stats; banked Research alone does not increase combat power.