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Combustion Drive

Combustion Drive

Combustion Drive technology improves the speed of all ships by optimizing basic propulsion systems.

Overview

Property Value
Type Propulsion Technology
Lab Notes Research Lab level affects speed only
Effect +12% speed per level (all ships)
Prerequisites Research Lab 1 (section 1 has no cross-tech prerequisite chain)

Description

Combustion Drive uses chemical rocket propulsion. While not as advanced as Impulse or Hyperspace drives, research into combustion efficiency benefits every ship class by improving baseline thrust systems.

Effect

Speed Bonus

Speed = Base Speed * (1 + 0.12 * Combustion Level)

Impulse Drive adds a global +18% speed per level (and +6% fuel per level). Hyperspace Drive adds +25% per level for all ships (and +15% fuel per level), while Military Advanced Hyperdrive adds +20% speed and +10% fuel per level for all ships plus extra speed for selected hulls.

Speed Multiplier

Level Speed Multiplier
0 100%
1 112%
2 124%
5 160%
10 220%

Ships Using Combustion Drive

These ships rely on Combustion as their primary drive. They still benefit from the global +12% per level:

Ship Base Speed At Level 10
Small Cargo 18,000 39,600
Large Cargo 14,500 31,900
Light Fighter 15,000 33,000
Recycler 10,000 22,000
Espionage Probe 1,000,000 2,200,000

Research Costs

Formula

Metal = 400 * 2^(Level - 1)
Deuterium = 600 * 2^(Level - 1)

Cost Table

Level Metal Deuterium
1 400 600
2 800 1,200
3 1,600 2,400
4 3,200 4,800
5 6,400 9,600
10 204,800 307,200

Strategy

Early Priority

Combustion Drive should be researched early:

  • Most starting ships use it
  • Faster missions = less waiting
  • Level 2-3 is a good early target

Fuel Efficiency

Combustion levels keep fuel use stable while improving speed. If you invest in Impulse, Hyperspace Drive, or Advanced Hyperdrive later, expect fuel consumption to rise by 6% per Impulse level, 15% per Hyperspace level, or 10% per Advanced Hyperdrive level across your whole fleet.

Upgrade Ships

Some ships upgrade to better drives:

  • Small Cargo -> Impulse Drive at Impulse 5
  • Light Fighter remains Combustion

Drive upgrades still matter for requirements and ship classifications, but the Impulse and Hyperspace bonuses apply to all ships even before upgrades.

Related Technologies