Research Lab



The Research Lab allows you to conduct Research. Each level of the Research Lab allows faster researching times.

Most levels of Research Lab (up to level 12) allow new technologies to be researched.

Having multiple research labs on multiple colonies does not allow multiple technologies to be researched at the same time: you are still limited to one research at a time. With the Intergalactic Research Network, research labs on several planets may be joined so that they can research new technologies much faster (but still limited to a single research at a time). Some players like having high level research labs on every planet, but that can be very costly, and even using IRN can be expensive, for example level 5 IRN costs 3.84M Metal, 6.4M Crystal and 2.56M Deuterium.

It is possible to cancel the research of a technology. When it is canceled, the resources that had been subtracted from the planet are given back. This can be used as a good method for saving resources. It is possible to save resources from plunder by first starting a research and then canceling it when the danger passes.

The building costs of the research lab double at every level, though costs for each technology are different from those of the research lab and other technologies.

Required for

 * Energy Technology (Level 1)
 * Computer Technology (Level 1)
 * Combustion Drive (Level 1)
 * Laser Technology (Level 1)
 * Armour Technology (Level 2)
 * Impulse Drive (Level 2)
 * Astrophysics (Level 3)
 * Espionage Technology (Level 3)
 * Ion Technology (Level 4)
 * Plasma Technology (Level 4)
 * Weapon Technology (Level 4)
 * Shielding Technology (Level 6)
 * Hyperspace Technology (Level 7)
 * Hyperspace Drive (Level 7)
 * Intergalactic Research Network (Level 10)
 * Graviton Technology (Level 12)