Laser Technology
Laser Technology enables construction of laser-based weapons and defenses, increases ship/defense weapon damage, boosts Recycler harvest yield with separate bonuses for each debris resource, and gives Military players an extra Battlecruiser weapon bonus.
Overview
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Weapon Technology |
| Lab Notes | Research Lab level affects speed only |
| Effect | +5% ship/defense weapon damage per level, Recycler harvest yield of +1% metal, +2% crystal, and +3% deuterium per level; Military focus Battlecruisers gain another +5% weapon strength per level |
| Prerequisites | Research Lab 1, plus the section 2 unlock requirement (8 cumulative section 1 levels) |
Description
Concentrated light beams can be focused into powerful weapons. Laser Technology research enables the construction of Light and Heavy Laser turrets, increases weapon damage for all ships and defenses by 5% per level, and increases Recycler harvest yield on Harvest missions by 1% metal, 2% crystal, and 3% deuterium per level. If your account is locked into the Military focus, Battlecruisers gain an additional +5% weapon strength per level from Laser Technology.
Unlocks
| Level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 3 | Light Laser defense |
| 6 | Heavy Laser defense |
| 3 | Ion Technology research |
Research Costs
Formula
Metal = 200 * 2^Level
Crystal = 100 * 2^Level
Cost Table
| Level | Metal | Crystal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 | 100 |
| 2 | 400 | 200 |
| 3 | 800 | 400 |
| 6 | 6,400 | 3,200 |
| 10 | 102,400 | 51,200 |
Strategy
Defense Priority
Research Laser Technology for:
- Basic defense capability
- Common pairing with Ion Technology
- Cheap, effective early defense
- Better crystal and deuterium returns from every recycler run
Level Recommendations
- Level 3: Light Laser (minimum)
- Level 6: Heavy Laser
- Level 10+: Strong milestone for advanced weapon paths
Related Technologies
- Ion Technology - Next tier
- Energy Technology - Related technology