colonization Tech Comparison
Orbital Habitats vs Megacity Planning
Comparing the Orbital Habitats (Tier 3) and Megacity Planning (Tier 3), both colonization 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 | Orbital Habitats | Megacity Planning |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T3 |
| Research time | 28 | 25▼ |
| metal cost | 60,000 | 50,000▼ |
| crystal cost | 30,000 | 25,000▼ |
| Effect | enables orbital colony: true | +40% max planet population |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Orbital Habitats
Build space stations as habitable colonies independent of planetary surfaces.
Unlocks buildings: orbital habitat
Requires: colonization 2
Megacity Planning
Arcology design and urban stacking increases maximum planetary population capacity by 40%.
Unlocks buildings: arcology district
Requires: colonization 7
Which Should You Research First?
Both sit at the same tier. The Megacity Planning is the cheaper project, so it's the safer early pick if your economy is tight; otherwise prioritise whichever effect supports your current strategy.