shipbuilding Tech Comparison
Modular Design vs Carrier Operations
Comparing the Modular Design (Tier 2) and Carrier Operations (Tier 3), 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 | Modular Design | Carrier Operations |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T2 | T3 |
| Research time | 8▼ | 32 |
| metal cost | 10,000▼ | 85,000 |
| crystal cost | 5,000▼ | 42,000 |
| antimatter cost | — | 350▼ |
| Effect | +100% utility slot | enables carrier class: true; +2 carried squadron slots |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Modular Design
Unlocks module slot expansion. Ships gain +1 utility slot.
Unlocks buildings: shipyard mk2
Unlocks ships: corvette mk1, miner mk1
Requires: shipbuilding 1
Carrier Operations
Flight-deck engineering and launch-catapult systems unlock the Carrier hull class and its embarked strike wings.
Unlocks buildings: carrier flight deck
Unlocks ships: dawn carrier, phoenix carrier
Requires: shipbuilding 3, drone warfare 1
Which Should You Research First?
The Modular Design is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the shipbuilding branch, opening the path toward Carrier Operations.