Space Dock Research
Space Dock Research unlocks the Space Dock ship, increases Patrol mission capacity and debris rewards, and strengthens your Space Dock outpost.
Overview
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Advanced Research |
| Max Level | Unlimited |
| Cost | 240,000 Metal / 160,000 Crystal / 120,000 Deuterium |
| Effect | Unlocks the Space Dock ship, adds +1 active Patrol mission slot and +5% Patrol debris rewards per level, and improves Space Dock outposts |
| Prerequisites | Research Lab 4, Advanced Hyperdrive 1, plus the section 4 unlock requirement (2 cumulative section 3 levels) |
Notes
- Each level increases your Patrol mission slot cap by +1.
- Each level increases Patrol debris rewards by +5%.
- Each level gives your Space Dock outpost +2 virtual Shipyard levels, +2 virtual Research Lab levels, and +1 virtual Nanite Factory level for construction/research requirements and build speed only; these virtual levels are not real buildings and do not add building score.
- Each level increases Space Dock deuterium production by +25%.
- On first completion, you receive 1 Space Dock ship if you do not already have a Space Dock asset.
- Reaching Space Dock Research levels 10, 15, and 20 grants 1 additional Space Dock ship at each milestone. Milestone grants are one-time threshold crossings, so jumping from below a milestone to above it still grants each crossed milestone once.
- The Space Dock ship is not buildable in Shipyard and is deployed from the Galaxy view (empty-slot action).
- Initial deployment range is based on the grant colony: same galaxy within 50 systems, or adjacent galaxy (±1) within 25 systems.
- The Space Dock ship deploys to empty planet slots and creates an outpost that can launch and receive fleets.
- Space Dock outposts can only construct Deuterium Synthesizer, Solar Plant, Sensor Phalanx, and Jump Gate as buildings. Their Shipyard, Research Lab, and Nanite construction/research speed comes from Space Dock Research as virtual levels, not real score-bearing buildings.
- Space Dock outposts always have an internal Moon Base level 1 baseline (handled automatically and not player-upgradeable).
- Space Dock resource settings are fixed to 100% for all production sliders.
- Space Dock relocation is available directly from the Facilities screen on Space Dock outposts (no building prerequisite).
- In Galaxy view, selecting an in-range empty slot and pressing Dock while on a Space Dock outpost redirects to the Deploy Space Dock screen with destination coordinates pre-filled.
- Relocation carries the Space Dock, all ships docked on it, and all stored resources to the new destination.
- During active Space Dock deployment/relocation flight, the destination slot is locked against other players' colonization and Space Dock deployment attempts.
- Players can have only one active Space Dock outpost at a time.
- Space Dock outposts can be destroyed by Moon Destruction missions. When destroyed, Space Dock Research resets to level 0, and you must research it again to obtain a new Space Dock ship.