colonization Tech Comparison
Orbital Platforms vs Stellar Engineering
Comparing the Orbital Platforms (Tier 4) and Stellar Engineering (Tier 4), both colonization 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 | Orbital Platforms | Stellar Engineering |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T4 | T4 |
| Research time | 55▼ | 80 |
| metal cost | 100,000▼ | 150,000 |
| crystal cost | 50,000▼ | 75,000 |
| antimatter cost | 500▼ | — |
| dark matter cost | — | 2,000▼ |
| Effect | unlocks orbital platforms: true; +35% orbital defense strength | +2 building slots stellar; colonize rogue stars: true |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Orbital Platforms
Deploy permanent orbital platforms that provide mining, defense, and logistics support above any colonized world.
Unlocks buildings: orbital platform
Requires: colonization 8, colonization 9
Stellar Engineering
Manipulate stellar physics to stabilise rogue star systems for colonisation. Unlocks 2 additional building slots on any star-adjacent colony.
Unlocks buildings: stellar regulator
Requires: colonization 12, science 5
Which Should You Research First?
Both sit at the same tier. The Orbital Platforms is the cheaper project, so it's the safer early pick if your economy is tight; otherwise prioritise whichever effect supports your current strategy.