propulsion Tech Comparison
Void Drives vs Ion Thrusters
Comparing the Void Drives (Tier 3) and Ion Thrusters (Tier 2), both propulsion 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 | Void Drives | Ion Thrusters |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T2 |
| Research time | 36 | 7▼ |
| metal cost | 80,000 | 10,000▼ |
| crystal cost | 40,000 | 5,000▼ |
| antimatter cost | 500▼ | — |
| gas cost | — | 2,000▼ |
| Effect | cross sector jump: true | +25% -fuel consumption |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Void Drives
Instantaneous cross-galaxy jumps. Enables rapid response.
Requires: propulsion 2
Ion Thrusters
High-efficiency ion drives reduce fuel consumption by 25% on all fleet movements.
Requires: propulsion 1
Which Should You Research First?
The Ion Thrusters is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the propulsion branch, opening the path toward Void Drives.