Research Profile
Browse research by what it helps your empire do. The same eight categories determine which completed tiers raise other-domain research prices. The profile is descriptive: it does not lock technologies or change automatic investment orders.
Categories
Each technology appears once, even when it helps several activities.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Defense | Defense Technology, Ion Technology, Mobile Shield Technology |
| Raiding | Weapon Technology, Laser Technology, Missile Technology, Advanced Hyperdrive, Combat Salvaging, Graviton Technology |
| Command | Computer Technology, Tactical Command and squad upgrades |
| Logistics | Combustion Drive, Impulse Drive, Hyperspace Drive, Hyperspace Technology, Frontier Logistics, Resource Dens |
| Engineering | Energy Technology, Fusion, Fuel Cell Technology, Plasma Technology, Material Physics, Nanite Technology and Industry upgrades |
| Commerce | Recycler Upgrades and Commerce upgrades |
| Discovery | Astrophysics, Wayfinder, Gravitational Navigation |
| Intrigue | Espionage Technology, Counter Intel, Phalanx Technology, Intel Relay, Recon Technology |
Commerce includes trade and resource recovery. Command includes fleet and Patrol capacity. Resource Dens belongs to storage logistics and increases finite storage in 3.0. These are examples; the live category list contains the full catalog.
What profile points mean
The profile values each completed level at the technology's fixed level-one base RP cost. A level-3 technology contributes three times that base amount. This is a relative valuation of research you own, not a payment history or refund amount. Historical RP receipts retain their paid amounts. Research tier surcharges use completed levels in other domains, not profile totals, paid receipts, unspent RP, partial automatic investments or queued levels. Only research in your selected galaxy's empire counts.
The profile shows your archetype and colored bars, ordered from most to least completed investment. The leading category fills its bar; every other bar is scaled against that leader, not your total. Tied leaders both fill their bars. With no completed research, all bars are empty. Exact totals remain beside each category heading in the research list as # RP.
The mobile Research Constellation hides the archetype and bar chart to keep the technology list compact. Category RP totals remain in the headings; the desktop profile display is unchanged.
Colors identify each category: Raiding red, Defense blue, Command orange, Engineering green, Intrigue yellow, Discovery purple, Logistics teal, and Commerce white. Labels remain alongside the bars so color is not the only cue.
Your archetype
Your archetype describes your research investment, not combat results or an exclusive specialization. It grants no bonuses and never locks research.
Desktop Rankings also shows this title for each player, including alliance member rows. Ranking snapshots can take up to five minutes to refresh after completed research changes. Mobile Rankings keeps the Research Focus icons. Uncharted means no completed investment; Unavailable means the research profile cannot currently be calculated.
Your title follows the blend of completed investment across all eight domains, not simply the tallest bar. Percentages below are shares of your total RP, not the displayed bar widths. The first matching rule wins:
- Uncharted: no completed RP investment yet.
- Specialist: one domain holds at least 65%. Use its title below.
- Two-domain blend: the top two hold at least 70% combined, each holds at least 20%, and every other domain holds less than 15%.
- Three-domain blend: the top three hold at least 75% combined, each holds at least 15%, and every other domain holds less than 10%.
- Polymath: at least six domains each hold at least 8%, and no domain holds more than 25%.
- Renaissance Strategist: at least four domains each hold at least 15%, and no domain holds 40% or more.
- Balanced: any remaining blend without one of these defining patterns.
Thresholds use exact investment, not rounded percentages. A pair has the same title whichever of its two domains leads; tied investments do not depend on the order in which you researched technologies. Specialist titles take priority over blend titles when a domain reaches 65%.
Specialist titles
| Leading category | Archetype |
|---|---|
| Defense | Guardian |
| Raiding | Raider |
| Command | Commander |
| Logistics | Logistician |
| Engineering | Engineer |
| Commerce | Merchant |
| Discovery | Explorer |
| Intrigue | Spymaster |
Two-domain titles
Every pair has a title when it meets the two-domain rule:
| Domains | Title |
|---|---|
| Defense + Raiding | Vanguard |
| Defense + Command | Sentinel Marshal |
| Defense + Logistics | Convoy Warden |
| Defense + Engineering | Bastion Architect |
| Defense + Commerce | Trade Protector |
| Defense + Discovery | Frontier Sentinel |
| Defense + Intrigue | Shadow Warden |
| Raiding + Command | Warlord |
| Raiding + Logistics | Corsair |
| Raiding + Engineering | Siegebreaker |
| Raiding + Commerce | Privateer |
| Raiding + Discovery | Star Reaver |
| Raiding + Intrigue | Infiltrator |
| Command + Logistics | Fleet Marshal |
| Command + Engineering | Fleet Architect |
| Command + Commerce | Trade Regent |
| Command + Discovery | Expedition Admiral |
| Command + Intrigue | Shadow Director |
| Logistics + Engineering | Voidwright |
| Logistics + Commerce | Trade Voyager |
| Logistics + Discovery | Pathfinder |
| Logistics + Intrigue | Ghost Navigator |
| Engineering + Commerce | Industrialist |
| Engineering + Discovery | Starforger |
| Engineering + Intrigue | Cipherwright |
| Commerce + Discovery | Prospector |
| Commerce + Intrigue | Broker |
| Discovery + Intrigue | Deep Scout |
For example, 45% Raiding and 35% Logistics with the rest spread across other domains below 15% earns Corsair. Keep the same 45% Raiding but move that 35% to Intrigue and the title becomes Infiltrator instead.
Three-domain titles
These combinations use a named title when they meet the three-domain rule; all other qualifying triples earn Triarch.
| Domains | Title |
|---|---|
| Command + Defense + Raiding | War Council |
| Commerce + Engineering + Logistics | Trade Consortium |
| Command + Discovery + Logistics | Expedition Council |
| Discovery + Engineering + Intrigue | Enigma Seeker |
Use the summary to spot where you have concentrated research before choosing your next upgrade. It changes as completed research changes; selecting a category or starting an unfinished level does not change it.