mining Tech Comparison
Improved Extraction vs Asteroid Belt Harvesting
Comparing the Improved Extraction (Tier 1) and Asteroid Belt Harvesting (Tier 2), both mining 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 | Improved Extraction | Asteroid Belt Harvesting |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T1 | T2 |
| Research time | 1▼ | 5 |
| metal cost | 1,000▼ | 6,000 |
| crystal cost | 500▼ | 3,000 |
| Effect | +10% mine production | +15% metal production |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Improved Extraction
Increases all mine production by 10%.
Asteroid Belt Harvesting
Automated drones strip-mine asteroid belts with no crew risk. +15% metal output.
Unlocks buildings: asteroid harvester
Unlocks ships: mining drone mk1
Requires: mining 1
Which Should You Research First?
The Improved Extraction is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the mining branch, opening the path toward Asteroid Belt Harvesting.