Researches
Learn how main researches work, what they unlock, how much they cost at each relevant level, and how to plan them around weapons and equipment.
NovaRaiderTeam
· Researches
What Researches Are
Researches are long-term upgrades that unlock stronger weapons, equipment, ship class paths, Market utility, storage upgrades, and combat bonuses. Most locked items require both player level and one or more researches.
Use Weapons and Shields to check item families, then return here to plan the researches that unlock them. Reactors use a separate reactor research system.
How Research Progression Works
Each research level has its own time, Uranium cost, and player-level requirement. The individual research pages now show either every available research level up to player level 75, or ten-level checkpoints for researches that can keep scaling without a growing player-level gate.
Research time in this wiki is formatted as HH:MM:SS below one day, and as Dd HH:MM:SS when the duration reaches at least one day. Temporary bonuses, Time Savers, time capsules, and event rules can reduce what you actually wait in game.
Starting and Managing Research
A normal account has one active main research. Extra research queue slots can be gained from rewards, allowing queued main researches to wait behind the active one. You can start up to three levels of the same research at once when your queue allows it.
Cancelling a research returns about 80% of the Uranium price. Time Savers and time capsules reduce remaining research time, while some events can reduce research duration or Uranium cost.
Research Families
| Family | What it mainly controls | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Core unlocks | Basic progression gates for weapons and equipment | Weaponry, Equipment |
| Class techniques | Class paths for Raider, Tank, Support, and Trader builds | Raider techniques, Tank techniques, Support techniques, Trader techniques |
| Advanced technologies | Special item families and late unlocks | H.E.X technologies, Divine technology, Drone technology, Poison technology |
| Utility researches | Repair, ammunition capacity, Market slots, storage capacity | Repairing, Extra ammunition, Trade slots, Time Saver Storage |
| Masteries | Permanent combat and cargo improvements | Mastery of damage, stamina, CPU, storage |
How to Plan Researches
Start with Weaponry and Equipment because they unlock many early item levels. After choosing a ship class, follow the matching class technique, then add advanced technologies only when a specific weapon or equipment page says you need them.
A good research plan starts from your loadout. Check the item table first, read the required researches in the Requirements column, then decide whether the time and Uranium cost are worth the next unlock. When a research has no immediate unlock left for your build, compare it with stat masteries, storage upgrades, Market utility, Gems, and Skill Tree progress.
Queue, Cancellation and Time Reduction
You can place researches in a queue after claiming the corresponding Research Queue reward in the Season rewards. Queued researches start automatically after the current one. When enough queue slots, Uranium and requirements are available, selecting two or three levels adds those consecutive levels to the queue.
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Cancel a research | Removes the selected active or queued level and refunds 80% of its recorded Uranium price. |
| Finish with Stars | Completes the active research immediately. |
| Use a Time Saver | Reduces the active research; unused reduction can continue through the remaining queue. |
| Earn research time from gameplay | Applies the reduction to the active research and then to queued researches while time remains. |
FAQ
What should I research first?
For most players, Weaponry, Equipment, and your chosen class technique are the safest early priorities. They unlock practical gear instead of only improving a number.
Should I queue several levels at once?
Queue several levels only when you are sure the research is part of your next build. Queuing is convenient, but it also spends Uranium up front and can delay a more urgent unlock.
Related Articles
Useful next pages: Weapons, Shields, Time Savers, Weekend Events, Market, and Skill Tree.