propulsion Tech Comparison
Ion Thrusters vs Hyperdrive Cores
Comparing the Ion Thrusters (Tier 2) and Hyperdrive Cores (Tier 3), both propulsion 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 | Ion Thrusters | Hyperdrive Cores |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T2 | T3 |
| Research time | 7▼ | 24 |
| metal cost | 10,000▼ | 45,000 |
| crystal cost | 5,000▼ | 22,000 |
| gas cost | 2,000▼ | 6,000 |
| antimatter cost | — | 200▼ |
| Effect | +25% -fuel consumption | unlocks self jump: true; +40% -jump charge time |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Ion Thrusters
High-efficiency ion drives reduce fuel consumption by 25% on all fleet movements.
Requires: propulsion 1
Hyperdrive Cores
Compact hyperdrive cores let any vessel open its own hyperspace window, removing the need to start jumps from a Hyperspace Gate.
Unlocks buildings: hyperdrive foundry
Requires: propulsion 2, propulsion 4
Which Should You Research First?
The Ion Thrusters is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the propulsion branch, opening the path toward Hyperdrive Cores.