science Tech Comparison
Research Labs vs AI-Assisted Research
Comparing the Research Labs (Tier 1) and AI-Assisted Research (Tier 2), both science 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 | Research Labs | AI-Assisted Research |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T1 | T2 |
| Research time | 3▼ | 12 |
| metal cost | 2,000▼ | 15,000 |
| crystal cost | 1,500▼ | 10,000 |
| Effect | +10% -research time | +20% -research time |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Research Labs
Establishes a research infrastructure. All tech research times -10%.
Unlocks buildings: research lab
AI-Assisted Research
Neural AI systems accelerate discoveries. Tech research times -20% additional.
Unlocks buildings: ai research core
Requires: science 1
Which Should You Research First?
The Research Labs is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the science branch, opening the path toward AI-Assisted Research.