mining Tech Comparison
Deep Core Drilling vs Asteroid Belt Harvesting
Comparing the Deep Core Drilling (Tier 2) and Asteroid Belt Harvesting (Tier 2), both mining 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 | Deep Core Drilling | Asteroid Belt Harvesting |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T2 | T2 |
| Research time | 4▼ | 5 |
| metal cost | 5,000▼ | 6,000 |
| crystal cost | 2,000▼ | 3,000 |
| Effect | +20% metal production; +20% crystal production | +15% metal production |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Deep Core Drilling
Advanced drilling rigs increase metal and crystal yield by 20%.
Unlocks buildings: deep drill
Requires: mining 1
Asteroid Belt Harvesting
Automated drones strip-mine asteroid belts with no crew risk. +15% metal output.
Unlocks buildings: asteroid harvester
Unlocks ships: mining drone mk1
Requires: mining 1
Which Should You Research First?
Both sit at the same tier. The Deep Core Drilling is the cheaper project, so it's the safer early pick if your economy is tight; otherwise prioritise whichever effect supports your current strategy.