colonization Tech Comparison
Orbital Habitats vs Basic Colonization
Comparing the Orbital Habitats (Tier 3) and Basic Colonization (Tier 2), 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 Habitats | Basic Colonization |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T2 |
| Research time | 28 | 8▼ |
| metal cost | 60,000 | 15,000▼ |
| crystal cost | 30,000 | 8,000▼ |
| Effect | enables orbital colony: true | colonize standard worlds: true; +25% colony start population |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Orbital Habitats
Build space stations as habitable colonies independent of planetary surfaces.
Unlocks buildings: orbital habitat
Requires: colonization 2
Basic Colonization
Establishes standard planetary colonization protocols, enabling settlement of temperate worlds.
Unlocks buildings: pioneer camp
Unlocks ships: colony ship mk2
Requires: colonization 1
Which Should You Research First?
The Basic Colonization is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the colonization branch, opening the path toward Orbital Habitats.