shipbuilding Tech Comparison
Armed Merchant Cruiser III vs Graviton Cargo Expander
Comparing the Armed Merchant Cruiser III (Tier 3) and Graviton Cargo Expander (Tier 2), both shipbuilding 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 | Armed Merchant Cruiser III | Graviton Cargo Expander |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T2 |
| Research time | 6 | 4▼ |
| metal cost | 6,000 | 3,000▼ |
| crystal cost | 3,600 | 1,800▼ |
| Effect | unlock ship: merchant-galleon | unlock ship: nebula-drifter |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Armed Merchant Cruiser III
Unlocks construction of the merchant-galleon (cruiser class).
Unlocks ships: merchant galleon
Graviton Cargo Expander
Unlocks construction of the nebula-drifter (corvette class).
Unlocks ships: nebula drifter
Which Should You Research First?
The Graviton Cargo Expander is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the shipbuilding branch, opening the path toward Armed Merchant Cruiser III.