espionage Tech Comparison
Double Agents vs Shadow Fleet Protocol
Comparing the Double Agents (Tier 3) and Shadow Fleet Protocol (Tier 4), both espionage 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 | Double Agents | Shadow Fleet Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T4 |
| Research time | 16▼ | 36 |
| metal cost | 25,000▼ | 70,000 |
| crystal cost | 12,000▼ | 35,000 |
| dark matter cost | — | 600▼ |
| Effect | unlocks double agent: true | unlocks stealth fleet: true |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Double Agents
Turn captured enemy spies into double agents feeding false intelligence.
Requires: espionage 2, espionage 4
Shadow Fleet Protocol
A covert fleet invisible to enemy scanners until it fires. Enables stealth fleet doctrine.
Unlocks ships: stealth frigate mk1
Requires: espionage 3
Which Should You Research First?
The Double Agents is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the espionage branch, opening the path toward Shadow Fleet Protocol.