shipbuilding Tech Comparison
Armed Merchant Cruiser III vs Carrier Operations
Comparing the Armed Merchant Cruiser III (Tier 3) and Carrier Operations (Tier 3), both shipbuilding technologies in Starforge MMO. Use this to decide which to queue first when your research lab can only run one project at a time.
Research Comparison
| Attribute | Armed Merchant Cruiser III | Carrier Operations |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T3 |
| Research time | 6▼ | 32 |
| metal cost | 6,000▼ | 85,000 |
| crystal cost | 3,600▼ | 42,000 |
| antimatter cost | — | 350▼ |
| Effect | unlock ship: merchant-galleon | enables carrier class: true; +2 carried squadron slots |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Armed Merchant Cruiser III
Unlocks construction of the merchant-galleon (cruiser class).
Unlocks ships: merchant galleon
Carrier Operations
Flight-deck engineering and launch-catapult systems unlock the Carrier hull class and its embarked strike wings.
Unlocks buildings: carrier flight deck
Unlocks ships: dawn carrier, phoenix carrier
Requires: shipbuilding 3, drone warfare 1
Which Should You Research First?
Both sit at the same tier. The Armed Merchant Cruiser III is the cheaper project, so it's the safer early pick if your economy is tight; otherwise prioritise whichever effect supports your current strategy.