shipbuilding Tech Comparison
Plasma Weapon Mk1 vs Modular Design
Comparing the Plasma Weapon Mk1 (Tier 1) and Modular Design (Tier 2), both shipbuilding 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 | Plasma Weapon Mk1 | Modular Design |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T1 | T2 |
| Research time | 2▼ | 8 |
| metal cost | 1,500▼ | 10,000 |
| crystal cost | 900▼ | 5,000 |
| Effect | unlock ship: solar-blade | +100% utility slot |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Plasma Weapon Mk1
Unlocks construction of the solar-blade (fighter class).
Unlocks ships: solar blade
Modular Design
Unlocks module slot expansion. Ships gain +1 utility slot.
Unlocks buildings: shipyard mk2
Unlocks ships: corvette mk1, miner mk1
Requires: shipbuilding 1
Which Should You Research First?
The Plasma Weapon Mk1 is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the shipbuilding branch, opening the path toward Modular Design.