Game Guide

Learn to Play Age of Space - Complete beginner's guide to Age of Space. Learn how to build, attack, spy, colonize, and dominate the galaxy!

Research & Technology

Technologies are permanent upgrades that affect your entire account. Unlike buildings which are planet-specific, researched technologies benefit every planet you own. The tech tree is vast, and choosing the right research order can make or break your early game. This chapter covers how research works, what to prioritize, and how different play styles shape your tech choices.

The Research Lab

The Research Lab is the building that enables all technology research. You must build one before you can research anything. The higher its level, the faster your research completes.

Every planet can have its own Research Lab, but remember: you can only research one technology at a time across your entire account. The Lab level on the planet where you start the research determines the speed.

Building a high-level Research Lab on your main planet is one of the best investments in the game. Research speed scales linearly with Lab level, so Lab level 10 researches twice as fast as Lab level 5.

How Research Works

To research a technology, open the Research Lab on any planet and select the technology you want. If you have enough resources and meet all prerequisites, click "Research" to begin.

Resources are deducted from the planet where you initiate the research. The technology applies to your entire account once completed — all planets benefit immediately.

Some technologies have prerequisites: other technologies that must be at a certain level first. This creates a "tech tree" where advanced technologies require mastering basic ones.

The research time formula is:

Research Time (hours) = (Titanium_Cost + Graphene_Cost) / (1000 x (1 + Lab_Level) x Universe_Speed)

Lab_Level is the Research Lab level on the planet where you start the research. Higher Lab = faster research. Universe_Speed is a server setting that multiplies all speeds.

Technology Categories

Technologies in Age of Space fall into several categories, each serving a different strategic purpose:

Drive Technologies

Drive technologies increase the speed of your ships. Each ship type uses a specific drive, and upgrading that drive makes those ships faster. Faster ships mean shorter travel times and less fuel consumption per trip.


Combustion Drive	The basic drive technology. Increases the speed of Small Cargo, Large Cargo, Light Fighter, Recycler, and Spy Probes by 10% per level. Essential for early-game fleet operations.	+10%/lvl
Impulse Drive	An intermediate drive. Increases speed of Heavy Fighter, Cruiser, and Bomber by 20% per level. Also upgrades Small Cargo to Impulse Drive at level 5. Required for Colony Ships.	+20%/lvl
Hyperspace Drive	The most advanced drive. Increases speed of Battleship, Star Fighter, and Death Star by 30% per level. Essential for late-game fleet operations and long-distance raids.	+30%/lvl

Combat Technologies

Combat technologies are percentage-based multipliers that improve all your ships and defenses. Each level adds a flat percentage bonus, making them increasingly powerful as your fleet grows.


Weapons Technology	+10% attack power per level for ALL your ships and defenses. Level 10 = +100% attack power (double damage). The most impactful combat tech for offensive players.	+10%/lvl
Shield Technology	+10% shield strength per level for ALL your ships and defenses. Shields regenerate each combat round, making this valuable for tanky fleet compositions.	+10%/lvl
Armor Technology	+10% hull points per level for ALL your ships and defenses. Hull damage is permanent (unlike shields), so Armor Tech helps your ships survive more rounds of combat.	+10%/lvl

Economy Technologies


Energy Technology	A prerequisite for many other technologies and for the Fusion Reactor building. Does not directly improve production, but unlocks critical tech paths. Research it early to level 1-3.
Astrophysics	Each odd level unlocks one additional colony slot. Level 1 = 2 planets total, level 3 = 3 planets, level 5 = 4 planets, and so on. One of the most important technologies for long-term growth.

Utility Technologies


Espionage Technology	Improves the quality of your spy reports and makes it harder for others to spy on you. Higher levels reveal more information: buildings, research, ships, and defenses of your targets.
Computer Technology	Each level gives you one additional fleet slot. You start with 1 fleet slot, so Computer Tech level 1 gives you 2 total. Essential for managing multiple simultaneous fleet missions.
Laser Technology	A prerequisite for advanced defenses like Light Laser, Heavy Laser, and Ion Cannon. Does not provide direct bonuses but unlocks the defense tech tree.

Research Priorities by Play Style

Your play style should dictate your research priorities. There is no single "best" research order — it depends on how you want to play.

	Miner / Economist	Fleeter / Raider	Turtle / Defender
	Energy Tech > Astrophysics > Computer Tech. Focus on unlocking more colonies and fleet slots for transporting resources between planets.	Combustion > Weapons > Espionage > Impulse > Computer Tech. Speed and firepower first. Spy before every attack. More fleet slots for parallel raids.	Armor > Shield > Laser > Ion > Plasma. Build defenses and make them as strong as possible. Research the techs that unlock better defense structures.

Research Tips

Espionage and Computer First

These two technologies are universally important regardless of play style. Espionage Tech lets you see what targets have before attacking (critical for avoiding traps). Computer Tech gives you more fleet slots (critical for doing anything at all).

Do Not Neglect Drives

Drive technologies seem boring but they save enormous amounts of Deuterium over time. Faster ships burn less fuel proportionally, and your fleets arrive and return sooner, reducing exposure to counter-attacks.

Research from Your Best Lab

Always start research from the planet with the highest Research Lab level. This can cut research times in half or more compared to a low-level Lab.

The Intergalactic Research Network (IRN) is a special mechanism that stacks Research Lab levels from multiple planets. When you research a technology, the game adds up the Lab levels from your highest Labs (number of Labs included = IRN level + 1).

For example, with IRN level 2 and Labs at levels 12, 10, 8, and 5 across four planets, your effective Lab level would be 12 + 10 + 8 = 30 (top 3 Labs). This dramatically reduces research times for expensive late-game technologies.

Requirement: Hyperspace Tech Level 8 Computer Tech Level 8

IRN requires very high prerequisites (Hyperspace Tech 8, Computer Tech 8) and is a mid-to-late game investment. But once active, it is one of the most powerful accelerators in the game.

Optimal Lab placement: Build your highest Lab on your main planet, then secondary Labs on colonies. The combined effective level can exceed what any single Lab could achieve, making otherwise impossible research times manageable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Once a technology is researched, it applies to your entire account. All your planets benefit from combat techs, drive techs, and everything else. Research is account-wide, not planet-specific.

You can start research from any planet that has a Research Lab, but only one research can be active at a time across your entire account. Choose the planet with the highest Lab level for fastest completion.

If the planet is lost (e.g., abandoned) while research is in progress, the research is cancelled and resources are lost. Always protect the planet where active research is running.

For attackers, Weapons Tech is more important — it increases your damage output, letting you destroy enemies faster and lose fewer ships. For defenders and turtle players, Shield Tech and Armor Tech matter more because they help your defenses survive longer.

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