mining Tech Comparison
Antimatter Extraction vs Asteroid Belt Harvesting
Comparing the Antimatter Extraction (Tier 3) 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 | Antimatter Extraction | Asteroid Belt Harvesting |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T2 |
| Research time | 12 | 5▼ |
| metal cost | 20,000 | 6,000▼ |
| crystal cost | 10,000 | 3,000▼ |
| gas cost | 5,000▼ | — |
| Effect | unlocks resource: antimatter | +15% metal production |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Antimatter Extraction
Unlocks antimatter mining from gas giants. Required for T3 ships.
Unlocks buildings: antimatter collector
Requires: mining 2
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 Asteroid Belt Harvesting is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the mining branch, opening the path toward Antimatter Extraction.