If you want to advance in OGame, you cannot limit yourself to buildings and battle units. You also have to spend time on research, because by acquiring new knowledge through research, you will be able to build more powerful ships and colonize more planets. So always remember to invest in research while upgrading your empire, in order not to fall behind in comparison to the other players.
==The power of knowledge==
The research system of OGame is actually straight-lined and easy to understand. First of all, you have to build a Research Lab, which you can find at the Facilities. After that you already can see the list of researches. At the moment, most of the researches are colored gray; that means that the requirements are not met. Lots of researches require a Research Lab on at least a certain level or another research on level x, before those are activated – one click on the belonging Techtree provides some clarity. This principle ensures that researches can only be achieved little by little, so that you are not totally over strained at the beginning.
If you have decided in favour of a research, you will only have to make the resources, which you will need, available. Nearly every research needs a specified amount of Metal, Crystal and Deuterium – if there are not enough resources on the planet, the research will appear gray-hatched and it will not be able to be started. In order to be able to build your first ship soon, you should look at the Combustion Drive more precisely and commission level 1. The event is nearly like improving buildings, researches also need a certain time, and they can be cancelled, by which you get your resources back. Completed researches cannot be cancelled.
With the combustion drive on level 1 and the shipyard, which has been built in the last chapter, you are able to build Light Fighters, now. However it is more reasonable to invest first resources in the second level of the Combustion Drive and also in the shipyard, which will activate the Small Cargo. With that practical ship you are able to transport significantly more resources than with the Light Fighters, which are rather intended for attacks.
Reward
As soon as you have built your first Small Cargo, you get 200 Deuterium as a reward.
Like that you can now activate all other buildings, ships, defensive structures and researches. You can find the requirements, which must be achieved, in the respective Techtree. However, you should not research all over the place, but you should set yourself a target and activate one unit after the other.
==You get on better together==
Besides the cost, the duration of the research is also important because you can only do one research at a time. All the other research plans have to be queued up. On the one hand, this duration depends on the costs of the technology, but on the other hand on the level of the Research Lab – the higher level Lab is, the faster you can research.
So, it is obvious, that you only will be able to activate new technologies fast enough if you have a well-improved Research Lab. Only like that you can advance in the game. But you have to bear in mind that, while researching, you are not able to improve the Lab, and while improving the Lab, you are not able to research. Furthermore, several Labs on different planets are useless, for a start, because you can research in only one Lab, and at the moment, several Labs do not have a positive effect on the research duration.
Later on that will be changed, once you have researched the Intergalactic Research Network. From now on, Labs can be combined, to accelerate your researches. Per level, a further Lab can be combined; on level 3 already 4 Labs work together on different planets. The Lab levels can just be added, 4 Labs on level 8 are the same as 1 Lab on level 32. By improving the Research Network, the research durations will be decreased; first of all, that is very important for the subsequent game progress, in which some technology levels can take weeks or months. Take notice however, that the level of the Lab that you start the research from will always be the first one to be added into the calculation. The highest one on another planet will be added after that, then the second highest etc.
Example:
Planet A - Research Laboratory level 10
Planet B - Research Laboratory level 12
Planet C - Research Laboratory level 8
If you start the research on planet C and have IRN level 1, this will take into account the Lab on that planet as first, and then next highest Lab available (in this case the Lab at planet B - 12), so in total you will have a Lab of level 20.
Another thing to take care of is that a Lab has to have the required level in order to be included into researching via IRN. If you have a Lab at level 12, and a Lab at level 3, with IRN level 1 and start researching Hyperspace Technology (which requires a level 7 Lab), the level 3 Lab won't be included in the research. In other words, you will work with a level 12 Lab, not a level 15 (12+3) Lab.
==A collection of knowledge==
A total of 16 researches, which are separated in 4 arrangements, are at your command, and each of those has its own characteristic. We have specified and explained all researches here, so that you do not invest into a wrong direction. Some technologies only make sense, until they are on a certain level, because after that, they do not have any effects. You recognize them by the bracketed number, which specifies the maximum sensible level.
==Basic researches==
Most of these researches are mainly designed for activating other researches or units.
Energy Technology
At the beginning it is only an important requirement for other researches, later it is important in combination with the Fusion Reactor, because its energy production significantly depends on this research.
Laser Technology
The Laser Technology is a requirement for some researches and ships, after activating the Battlecruiser, it is completed.
Ion Technology
The Ion Technology is only a requirement for the Plasma Technology and Cruisers. Furthermore, every new level of this technology decreases the cost to deconstruct a building by 4%, until you reach level 25 where the whole process will be for free; the new life for this technology was given by 8th OGame anniversary week (22/11/2012).
Hyperspace Technology
It is an important research, which is required for improving the Intergalactic Research Network and for researching the Hyperspace Drive.
Plasma Technology
The Plasma Technology is an important requirement for Bombers and for the strongest defensive structure, the Plasma Turret.
Thanks to the 7th anniversary week (15/11/2012) the Plasma Technology had a grow up; every level will give a production upgrade to the Metal and Crystal mines.
Every new level of this technology will increase by a 1% the metal production and a 0.66% to the Crystal.
==Drive researches==
Any ship needs a drive to move in the universe – the type depends on the ship. But, the drive researches are not only important to activate ships; each level also heightens their flying speed.
Combustion Drive
Light Fighters, Espionage Probes, Recyclers and Small (until you research Impulse Drive level 5) and Large Cargoes fly with Combustion Drive. Every level of the research heightens the basic speed of those ships by 10%.
Impulse Drive
This research speeds up Heavy Fighters, Colony Ships, Cruisers, Bombers (until you research Hyperspace Drive level 8 ), as well as Interplanetary Missiles, about which we will talk in a different chapter. Each of these ships gains 20% more speed per level. As soon as level 5 is finished, the small Cargo starts using the Impulse Drive.
Hyperspace Drive
Battleships, Battlecruisers, Destroyers and Deathstars use this drive. As soon as it is researched to level 8, the Bomber will also fit with Hyperspace Drive. These ships will be sped up by 30% for each level of Hyperspace Drive researched.
==Advanced researches==
The advanced researches are not only requirements for important game elements; they also upgrade lots of central features of the account.
Espionage Technology
You need this research to build Espionage Probes and to be able to spy on other players. You can find more about that in the chapter <<Espionage>>.
Computer Technology
Each level of Computer Technology enables you to send one more fleet. In
addition to this, Nanite Factory is unlocked once you reach level 10.
Astrophysics
On the one hand that research impacts on the expeditions and on the other hand on the number of colonies. What exactly, you will find in the according chapter <<Expeditions>> and <<Colonisation>>.
Intergalactic Research Network
As defined in detail in this chapter, the IRN allows you to connect several Research Labs (depending on its level) and thus reduces the research time needed.
Graviton Technology
The Graviton Technology enables to build the Deathstar, the mightiest ship in OGame. There is an own chapter for it, because it has some specialities compared to other researches.
==Combat researches==
The number of ships and defenses aren't the only thing that makes a difference in a battle. The Combat researches also play a great role in the outcome of one, which is why they should not be disregarded.
Armor Technology
It heightens the structure of all ships and defense structures by 10% of the basic value, so those can take more shots.
Weapons Technology
With every level of that research, the weapons of your ships and defensive structures will cause 10% more damage.
Shielding Technology
It tightens the shield of all units by 10% per level, so less damage can reach the armor.
==The power of knowledge==
The research system of OGame is actually straight-lined and easy to understand. First of all, you have to build a Research Lab, which you can find at the Facilities. After that you already can see the list of researches. At the moment, most of the researches are colored gray; that means that the requirements are not met. Lots of researches require a Research Lab on at least a certain level or another research on level x, before those are activated – one click on the belonging Techtree provides some clarity. This principle ensures that researches can only be achieved little by little, so that you are not totally over strained at the beginning.
If you have decided in favour of a research, you will only have to make the resources, which you will need, available. Nearly every research needs a specified amount of Metal, Crystal and Deuterium – if there are not enough resources on the planet, the research will appear gray-hatched and it will not be able to be started. In order to be able to build your first ship soon, you should look at the Combustion Drive more precisely and commission level 1. The event is nearly like improving buildings, researches also need a certain time, and they can be cancelled, by which you get your resources back. Completed researches cannot be cancelled.
With the combustion drive on level 1 and the shipyard, which has been built in the last chapter, you are able to build Light Fighters, now. However it is more reasonable to invest first resources in the second level of the Combustion Drive and also in the shipyard, which will activate the Small Cargo. With that practical ship you are able to transport significantly more resources than with the Light Fighters, which are rather intended for attacks.
Reward
As soon as you have built your first Small Cargo, you get 200 Deuterium as a reward.
Like that you can now activate all other buildings, ships, defensive structures and researches. You can find the requirements, which must be achieved, in the respective Techtree. However, you should not research all over the place, but you should set yourself a target and activate one unit after the other.
==You get on better together==
Besides the cost, the duration of the research is also important because you can only do one research at a time. All the other research plans have to be queued up. On the one hand, this duration depends on the costs of the technology, but on the other hand on the level of the Research Lab – the higher level Lab is, the faster you can research.
So, it is obvious, that you only will be able to activate new technologies fast enough if you have a well-improved Research Lab. Only like that you can advance in the game. But you have to bear in mind that, while researching, you are not able to improve the Lab, and while improving the Lab, you are not able to research. Furthermore, several Labs on different planets are useless, for a start, because you can research in only one Lab, and at the moment, several Labs do not have a positive effect on the research duration.
Later on that will be changed, once you have researched the Intergalactic Research Network. From now on, Labs can be combined, to accelerate your researches. Per level, a further Lab can be combined; on level 3 already 4 Labs work together on different planets. The Lab levels can just be added, 4 Labs on level 8 are the same as 1 Lab on level 32. By improving the Research Network, the research durations will be decreased; first of all, that is very important for the subsequent game progress, in which some technology levels can take weeks or months. Take notice however, that the level of the Lab that you start the research from will always be the first one to be added into the calculation. The highest one on another planet will be added after that, then the second highest etc.
Example:
Planet A - Research Laboratory level 10
Planet B - Research Laboratory level 12
Planet C - Research Laboratory level 8
If you start the research on planet C and have IRN level 1, this will take into account the Lab on that planet as first, and then next highest Lab available (in this case the Lab at planet B - 12), so in total you will have a Lab of level 20.
Another thing to take care of is that a Lab has to have the required level in order to be included into researching via IRN. If you have a Lab at level 12, and a Lab at level 3, with IRN level 1 and start researching Hyperspace Technology (which requires a level 7 Lab), the level 3 Lab won't be included in the research. In other words, you will work with a level 12 Lab, not a level 15 (12+3) Lab.
==A collection of knowledge==
A total of 16 researches, which are separated in 4 arrangements, are at your command, and each of those has its own characteristic. We have specified and explained all researches here, so that you do not invest into a wrong direction. Some technologies only make sense, until they are on a certain level, because after that, they do not have any effects. You recognize them by the bracketed number, which specifies the maximum sensible level.
==Basic researches==
Most of these researches are mainly designed for activating other researches or units.
Energy Technology
At the beginning it is only an important requirement for other researches, later it is important in combination with the Fusion Reactor, because its energy production significantly depends on this research.
Laser Technology
The Laser Technology is a requirement for some researches and ships, after activating the Battlecruiser, it is completed.
Ion Technology
The Ion Technology is only a requirement for the Plasma Technology and Cruisers. Furthermore, every new level of this technology decreases the cost to deconstruct a building by 4%, until you reach level 25 where the whole process will be for free; the new life for this technology was given by 8th OGame anniversary week (22/11/2012).
Hyperspace Technology
It is an important research, which is required for improving the Intergalactic Research Network and for researching the Hyperspace Drive.
Plasma Technology
The Plasma Technology is an important requirement for Bombers and for the strongest defensive structure, the Plasma Turret.
Thanks to the 7th anniversary week (15/11/2012) the Plasma Technology had a grow up; every level will give a production upgrade to the Metal and Crystal mines.
Every new level of this technology will increase by a 1% the metal production and a 0.66% to the Crystal.
==Drive researches==
Any ship needs a drive to move in the universe – the type depends on the ship. But, the drive researches are not only important to activate ships; each level also heightens their flying speed.
Combustion Drive
Light Fighters, Espionage Probes, Recyclers and Small (until you research Impulse Drive level 5) and Large Cargoes fly with Combustion Drive. Every level of the research heightens the basic speed of those ships by 10%.
Impulse Drive
This research speeds up Heavy Fighters, Colony Ships, Cruisers, Bombers (until you research Hyperspace Drive level 8 ), as well as Interplanetary Missiles, about which we will talk in a different chapter. Each of these ships gains 20% more speed per level. As soon as level 5 is finished, the small Cargo starts using the Impulse Drive.
Hyperspace Drive
Battleships, Battlecruisers, Destroyers and Deathstars use this drive. As soon as it is researched to level 8, the Bomber will also fit with Hyperspace Drive. These ships will be sped up by 30% for each level of Hyperspace Drive researched.
==Advanced researches==
The advanced researches are not only requirements for important game elements; they also upgrade lots of central features of the account.
Espionage Technology
You need this research to build Espionage Probes and to be able to spy on other players. You can find more about that in the chapter <<Espionage>>.
Computer Technology
Each level of Computer Technology enables you to send one more fleet. In
addition to this, Nanite Factory is unlocked once you reach level 10.
Astrophysics
On the one hand that research impacts on the expeditions and on the other hand on the number of colonies. What exactly, you will find in the according chapter <<Expeditions>> and <<Colonisation>>.
Intergalactic Research Network
As defined in detail in this chapter, the IRN allows you to connect several Research Labs (depending on its level) and thus reduces the research time needed.
Graviton Technology
The Graviton Technology enables to build the Deathstar, the mightiest ship in OGame. There is an own chapter for it, because it has some specialities compared to other researches.
==Combat researches==
The number of ships and defenses aren't the only thing that makes a difference in a battle. The Combat researches also play a great role in the outcome of one, which is why they should not be disregarded.
Armor Technology
It heightens the structure of all ships and defense structures by 10% of the basic value, so those can take more shots.
Weapons Technology
With every level of that research, the weapons of your ships and defensive structures will cause 10% more damage.
Shielding Technology
It tightens the shield of all units by 10% per level, so less damage can reach the armor.
