Research
Research in G1–G4 uses Research Points (RP). Every technology is available from level 0 without a lab, prerequisite research or exclusive focus. Ships, facilities and missions still require their own completed unlocks.
Start with the Research Constellation guide for purchases, automatic investment, tier pricing and the historical conversion notice. Your Research Profile describes completed investment; it does not lock you into a specialization.
Income and purchases
Each anchored station earns 5 RP/hour, plus 10 RP/hour per physical Research Lab level. RP continues offline and during vacation, without a galaxy-speed multiplier. Each playable galaxy has a separate balance and technologies.
Purchase a level immediately with enough RP, or automatically invest into it over time. Metal, crystal and deuterium are no longer research payments. Partial funding grants no partial bonus. Each technology's base RP price grows exponentially with its own level; completed tiers in other domains then add their configured surcharge.
Research screen
On PC, the full-width search sits above the technology list without a separate Research banner. Your available RP and hourly rate appear at the top right of the archetype widget, alongside the profile name; the research workspace background is transparent. The active automatic-investment cancel shortcut remains inside that widget. Mobile keeps its compact RP header and technology sheet.
Read the bonus correctly
Percentage bonuses grant their initial value at level 1. At completed levels 5, 10 and every later fifth level, add another level-one bonus before compounding the bonus itself by 1% per later level. For a 5% starting bonus, levels 4 and 5 give about 5.15% and 10.41%. Reductions increase the discount, subject to caps. The Research panel truncates displayed decimals; the game tracks hundredths of a percentage point.
Rounded whole-number bonuses use their own base amount and round their tiered result. Astrophysics station capacity is different: each completed level grants exactly one more station beyond your starting station. Check the selected technology's current effect, supported level and quoted RP cost.
Technology guides
- Advanced Hyperdrive
- Defense Technology
- Astrophysics — one additional station per completed level beyond your starting station.
- Combat Salvaging
- Combustion Drive
- Commerce Upgrades
- Computer Technology
- Research Constellation
- Counter Intel
- Energy Technology
- Deuterium Power Technology
- Deuterium Efficiency
- Espionage Technology
- Frontier Logistics
- Frontier discovery, mission levels and type-specific reward research
- Fuel Cell Technology
- Fusion
- Gravitational Navigation
- Graviton Technology
- Hyperspace Drive
- Hyperspace Technology
- Impulse Drive
- Industry Technology
- Intel Relay
- Recon Technology
- Ion Technology
- Laser Technology
- Material Physics
- Missile Technology
- Nanite Technology
- Logistics, Command and Raiding Upgrades
- Phalanx Technology
- Plasma Technology
- Quantum Datacenter Research — Computing improves Credit output and Optimization reduces construction costs in 3.0.5.
- Research Profile
- Recycler Upgrades
- Resource Dens
- Mobile Shield Technology
- Wayfinder Research
- Weapon Technology
Practical choices
- Improve physical labs for recurring RP income.
- Buy a useful unlock before spreading RP into unrelated categories.
- Compare the next benefit with its tier and other-domain RP surcharge.
- Check construction prerequisites separately; research does not grant ordinary buildings or pay their material and Credit costs.
- A research node does not activate a feature that is operationally held, such as Infiltration.