logistics Tech Comparison
Deep Survey Expeditions vs Dark Matter Freight Lanes
Comparing the Deep Survey Expeditions (Tier 3) and Dark Matter Freight Lanes (Tier 4), both logistics 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 | Deep Survey Expeditions | Dark Matter Freight Lanes |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T4 |
| Research time | 16▼ | 80 |
| metal cost | 38,000▼ | 130,000 |
| crystal cost | 26,000▼ | 65,000 |
| gas cost | 8,000▼ | — |
| dark matter cost | — | 3,000▼ |
| credits cost | — | 250,000▼ |
| Effect | +40% expedition range; +30% anomaly detection; +15% expedition event quality | +5 freight speed multiplier |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Deep Survey Expeditions
Long-range survey doctrine that fits scouts with extended life support and wide-band sensor sweeps for multi-jump expeditions into uncharted space. Unlocks the Horizon Explorer.
Unlocks ships: horizon explorer
Requires: logistics 3
Dark Matter Freight Lanes
Dark-matter-threaded freight corridors allow bulk resource transfers at 5× normal speed empire-wide.
Unlocks buildings: dark matter freight hub
Requires: logistics 10, energy 3
Which Should You Research First?
The Deep Survey Expeditions is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the logistics branch, opening the path toward Dark Matter Freight Lanes.