shipbuilding Tech Comparison
Autonomous Drone Carrier IV vs Self-Repairing Hulls
Comparing the Autonomous Drone Carrier IV (Tier 4) and Self-Repairing Hulls (Tier 3), 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 | Autonomous Drone Carrier IV | Self-Repairing Hulls |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T4 | T3 |
| Research time | 8▼ | 18 |
| metal cost | 12,000▼ | 35,000 |
| crystal cost | 7,200▼ | 18,000 |
| antimatter cost | 200▼ | — |
| Effect | unlock ship: phoenix-carrier | +2% out of combat repair per min |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Autonomous Drone Carrier IV
Unlocks construction of the phoenix-carrier (carrier class).
Unlocks ships: phoenix carrier
Self-Repairing Hulls
Nanite-laced hull plating repairs 2% of max HP per minute outside combat.
Requires: shipbuilding 2
Which Should You Research First?
The Self-Repairing Hulls is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the shipbuilding branch, opening the path toward Autonomous Drone Carrier IV.