Starfield:Research Laboratory

The Research Laboratory provides a mechanism to expend materials to acquire new crafting recipes for consumables, outpost components, and equipment upgrades.

The Research Laboratory screen

Most projects require completion of previous projects in the research tree before they can be started. Some projects also require the player to possess certain Skills. There is no limit to the number of in-progress projects, either within or across categories.

Mechanics & Game play

Interacting with a Research Lab opens the main Research menu, which displays the projects currently in progress for each category. Selecting one of the categories will open the projects list for that category, which displays all currently-visible projects. The current status of each project can be quickly assessed by the colored bar to the left of each entry:

• Solid green bar - project completed. There will also be a large "Completed" label to the right of the entry.
• Checkered green bar - project is in progress.
• Checkered yellow bar - project is in progress, and the player has materials in their inventory that can be contributed to the project.
• No bar - project is blocked or not started.

All level 1 projects for each category are visible by default, and have no skill requirements or prerequisites. Higher-level projects become visible as lower-level projects in the tree are finished, even if the player does not possess the skill needed to start the next project. For instance, the Performance Enhancement 2 project requires the Chemistry Rank 1 skill, and becomes visible after the player completes the Performance Enhancement 1 project even if the player does not possess Chemistry Rank 1. In these cases, the project is marked as Blocked in the Research Projects list, but the Required Skills, Required Materials, Research Tree, and Description for that project are still viewable. This allows players to plan their skill development and search for ingredients to craft items of interest.

Research projects are progressed by adding materials to the project. The numbers of required materials, and the amount of each material already added, are listed in the Research Materials window. The number of available materials in the player's inventory is also listed where applicable. When a player uses a Research Lab inside of or within range of their Home Ship, the inventory of the Home Ship is also considered.

Similar to the materials tracking system in Fallout 4, the materials required for each project can be tracked using the Track Project button. This will add magnifying glass icons to each material in the project's list, allowing the player to identify tracked items when they are encountered in the world.

Sudden Developments

An example of a Sudden Development

When adding a material to a project, there is a small chance of triggering a Sudden Development, which adds a random number of missing materials to the project. These "Overflow" materials allow the research to progress faster, even for projects which require rare or difficult-to-find materials. The chance of triggering a Sudden Development can be increased by acquiring ranks in the Research Methods skill, by taking certain chems, and by wearing certain apparel. The chance of triggering a Sudden Development also seems to increase when adding many items to the project at once, e.g., adding 10 Titanium has a higher chance of triggering a Sudden Development than adding 3 Titanium (verification needed).

Pharmacology

Pharmacology projects provide new recipes for synthesizing enhanced drugs, medicines, and other medically-related consumables. It has at least 12 projects.

Pharmacology Research Tree

Project Name	Prerequisite	Required Skills	Materials Required	Description
Performance Enhancement 1	None	None	Argon x2 Tetrafluorides x2 Metabolic Agent x3	Discover how to create Amp and Red Trench at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Performance Enhancement 2	Performance Enhancement 1	Chemistry Rank 1	Solvent x10 Carboxylic Acids x10 Membrane x5 Hippolyta x5 Infantry Alpha x5	Discover how to create Panopticon and Paramour at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Performance Enhancement 3	Performance Enhancement 2	Chemistry Rank 2	Ionic Liquids x10 Stimulant x10 Toxin x10 Squall x5 Synapse Alpha x5	Discover how to create Whiteout and Neurajack at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Performance Enhancement 4	Performance Enhancement 3	Chemistry Rank 3	Stimulant x20 Aurora x10 CQB-X x10 Squall x10 Whiteout x8	Discover how to create Frostwolf at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Medical Treatment 1	None	None	Antimicrobial x3 Amino Acids x2 Aluminum x2	Discover how to create Antibiotic Paste and Infused Bandages at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Medical Treatment 2	Medical Treatment 1	Chemistry Rank 1	Amino Acids x10 Analgesic x10 Antimicrobial x10 Battlestim x5 Heart+ x5	Discover how to create Antibiotic Paste and Infused Bandages at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Medical Treatment 3	Medical Treatment 2	Chemistry Rank 2	Sedative x10 Metabolic Agent x20 Antibiotics x10 Sealant x10	Discover how to create Antibiotic Injector and Repairing Immobilizer at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Medical Treatment 4	Medical Treatment 3	Chemistry Rank 3	Immunostimulant x5 Membrane x20 Heart+ x10 Trauma Pack x10	Discover how to create Panacea and Junk Flush at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Innovative Synthesis 1	Medical Treatment 4 Performance Enhancement 4	Chemistry Rank 3 Special Projects Rank 1	Alien Genetic Material x3 Carboxylic Acids x5 Mercury x10 Solvent x5 Tetrafluorides x5	Discover how to create Black Hole Heart and Dwarf Star Heart at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Innovative Synthesis 2	Innovative Synthesis 1	Chemistry Rank 3 Special Projects Rank 1	Alien Genetic Material x5 Solvent x5 Carboxylic Acids x10 Dwarf Star Heart x5 Aurora x5	Discover how to create Subgiant Heart and Giant Heart at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Innovative Synthesis 3	Innovative Synthesis 2	Chemistry Rank 3 Special Projects Rank 1	Alien Genetic Material x10 Ionic Liquids x8 Solvent x10 Carboxylic Acids x10 Subgiant Heart x5 Black Hole Heart x5	Discover how to create Supermassive Black Heart and Hypergiant Heart at a Pharmaceutical Lab.

Food and Drink

Food and Drink projects provide new recipes for crafting foods and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It has at least 16 projects.

Food and Drink Research Tree

Project Name	Prerequisite	Required Skills	Materials Required	Description
Old Earth Cuisine 1	None	None	Bread x3 Red Meat x2 Cheese x2	Discover how to prepare a Reuben and Meatloaf at a Cooking Station.
Old Earth Cuisine 2	Old Earth Cuisine 1	Gastronomy Rank 1	Spice x5 Cheese x5 Egg x5 Butter x5 Poultry x5	Discover how to prepare Carbonara, Chicken Marsala, and Latkes at a Cooking Station.
Old Earth Cuisine 3	Old Earth Cuisine 2	Gastronomy Rank 2	Spice x10 Nutrient x20 Beer x10 Poultry x10 Dairy x10 Egg x10	Discover how to prepare a Barbacoa Wrap, Chapaguri, and Chicken Tikka at a Cooking Station.
Beverage Development 1	None	None	Spice x2 Fiber x3 Water x3	Discover how to prepare Alien Tonic, Yellow Giant Splash, and Boba Alien Tea at a Cooking Station.
Beverage Development 2	Beverage Development 1	Gastronomy Rank 1	Aromatic x5 Benzene x5 Spice x5 Metabolic Agent x10 Tranquilitea Sunray x5	Discover how to prepare an Alien Energy Drink and Sunray Tonic at a Cooking Station.
Mixology 1	None	None	Aromatic x2 Alkanes x2 Spice x3	Discover how to prepare Alien Liquor at a Cooking Station.
Mixology 2	Mixology 1	Gastronomy Rank 1	Aromatic x10 Spice x10 Liquor x5 Can-Uck! Poutine x5	Discover how to prepare Colonel's Choice and Lumberjack Julep at a Cooking Station.

Outpost Development

Outpost Development projects provide new recipes for crafting resource fabricators and extractors, furniture and decorations, power systems, flora and fauna management, outpost defenses, and other outpost-related items. It has at least 20 projects.

Outpost Management Research Tree

Project Name	Skills	Materials	Description
Manufacturing 1	Requires no trained skills	Zero Wire 2, Adaptive Frame 3, Iron 3, Sealant 3
Manufacturing 2	Outpost Engineering at level 1	Zero Wire 10, Reactive Gauge 5, Adaptive Frame 30, Iron 30, Tungsten 20,Sealant 20, Lubricant 10
Manufacturing 3	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 2	Zero Wire 20, Reactive Gauge 10, Positron Battery 5, Adaptive Frame 30, Iron 40, Tungsten 30,Sealant 30, Lubricant 10
Resource Extraction 1	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 1	Drilling Rig 5, Mag Pressure Tank 8, Adaptive Frame 10, Aluminum 30, Copper 20, Chlorosilanes 10
Resource Extraction 2	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 2	Aldumite Drilling Rig 5, Microsecond Regulator 8, Adaptive Frame 20, Aluminum 40, Caesium 20, Chlorosilanes 20
Decoration 1	Requires no trained skills	Materials: Structural 3, Fiber 3, Ornamental 2
Decoration 2	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 1	Structural 10, Aluminum 10, Fiber 10, Pigment 10, Adhesive 10
Decoration 3	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 2	Structural 30, Aluminum 30, Fiber 20, Nickel 20, Adhesive 30, Luxury Textile 5
Horticulture 1	Requires Outpost Engineering and Botany at level 1	Mag Pressure Tank 8, Adaptive Frame 10, Tungsten 10, Nutrient 10, Metabolic Agent 10
Horticulture 2	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 2 and Botany at level 1	Mag Pressure Tank 10, Adaptive Frame 20, Tungsten 20, Nutrient 30, Metabolic Agent 30, Amino Acids 10
Domestication 1	Requires Outpost Engineering and Zoology at level 1	Molecular Sieve 5, Adaptive Frame 10, Aluminum 30, Sealant 30, Adhesive 10
Domestication 2	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 2 and Zoology at level 1	Substrate Molecule Sieve 8, Adaptive Frame 20, Aluminum 40, Sealant 30, Adhesive 30, Hypercatalyst 10
Power Generation 1	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 1	Zero Wire 10, Isocentered Magnet 8, Adaptive Frame 10, Silver 30, Copper 20, Cobalt 10
Power Generation 2	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 2	Zero Wire 23, Tau Grade Rheostat 5, Supercooled Magnet 3, Power Circuit 3, Caesium 20, Beryllium 30, Titanium 30
Power Generation 3	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 3	Paramagnon Conductor 10, Tau Grade Rheostat 10, Isotopic Coolant 10, Nuclear Fuel Rod 10, Control Rod 8, Supercooled Magnet 5, Power Circuit 5, Tungsten 30, Lead 30
Power Generation 4	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 3 and Special Projects at level 1	Tasine Superconductor 8, Tau Grade Rheostat 30, Isotopic Coolant 20, Vytinium Fuel Rod 10, Control Rod 10, Rothicite Magnet 5, Power Circuit 10, Tungsten 40, Lead 50
Robots 1	Requires no trained skills	Zero Wire 2, Aluminum 3, Beryllium 3
Robots 2	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 1	Positron Battery 8, Zero Wire 30, Austenitic Manifold 8, Titanium 30, Chlorosilanes 30, Cobalt 30, Polymer 10
Outpost Defense 1	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 2	Zero Wire 8, Positron Battery 3, Aluminum 30, Titanium 10, Copper 5, Fluorine 5
Outpost Defense 2	Requires Outpost Engineering at level 3	Positron Battery 8, Veryl-Treated Manifold 3, Power Circuit 3, Titanium 30, Aluminum 40, Copper 10, Neon 10

Equipment

Equipment projects provide new recipes for enhancements (mods) to Equipment, including Helmets, Spacesuits, and Packs. It has at least 9 projects.

Equipment Research Tree

Project Name	Skills	Materials	Description
Helmet Mods 1	Requires no trained skills	Tungsten 3, Cosmetic 3, Polymer 3
Helmet Mods 2	Requires Spacesuit Design at level 1	Sterile Nanotubes 5, Postitron Battery 5, Zero Wire 8, Titanium 10, Adhesive 10
Helmet Mods 3	Requires Spacesuit Design at level 2	Microsecond Regulator 8, Indicite Wafer 5, High-Tensile Spidroin 8, Caelumite 10, Tungsten 30, Polymer 10
Spacesuit Mods 1	Requires Spacesuit Design at level 1	Polytextile 8, Copper 5, Cosmetic 5
Spacesuit Mods 2	Requires Spacesuit Design at level 2	Semimetal Wafer 5, Positron Battery 5, Polytextile 10, Titanium 10, Adhesive 10
Spacesuit Mods 3	Requires Spacesuit Design at level 3	Materials: Microsecond Regulator 8, Indicite Wafer 5, Positron Battery 8 Caelumite 10, Tungsten 30, Lubricant 20
Pack Mods 1	Requires Spacesuit Design at level 1	Monopropellant 5, Mag Pressure Tank 8, Aluminum 10, Beryllium 10
Pack Mods 2	Requires Spacesuit Design at level 2	Zero-G Gimbal 5, Monopropellant 10, Beryllium 10, Polymer 8, Sealant 10
Pack Mods 3	Requires Spacesuit Design at level 3 and Special Projects at level 1	Zero-G Gimbal 10, Monopropellant 20, Tau Grade Rheostat 10, Beryllium 20, Biosuppressant 10, Amino Acids 20

Weaponry

Weaponry projects provide new recipes for enhancements (mods) to Weapons. It has at least 19 projects.

Equipment Research Tree

Project Name	Skills	Materials
Barrel Mods 1	None	Iron 20, Nickel 20, Sealant 10
Barrel Mods 2	Weapon Engineering 1	Tungsten 5, Nickel 10, Lubricant 5
Grip and Stock Mods 1	None	Aluminum 3, Nickel 3, Sealant 3
Grip and Stock Mods 2	Weapon Engineering 1	Tungsten 8, Polymer 5, Adhesive 10
Grip and Stock Mods 3	Weapon Engineering 2	Titanium 10, Polymer 10, Adhesive 20
Optic and Laser Mods 1	None	Aluminum 3, Chlorosilanes 2, Sealant 3
Optic and Laser Mods 2	Weapon Engineering 1	Zero Wire 8, Chlorosilanes 8, Aluminum 10, Adhesive 8
Optic and Laser Mods 3	Weapon Engineering 2	Zero Wire 10, Vanadium 20, Iridium 20, Adhesive 20
Muzzle Mods 1	Weapon Engineering 1	Titanium 5, Tungsten 10, Sealant 5
Muzzle Mods 2	Weapon Engineering 2	Zero Wire 8, Tantalum 10, Titanium 10, Polymer 10
Muzzle Mods 3	Weapon Engineering 3, Special Projects 1	Isotopic Coolant 10, Ytterbium 10, Titanium 17, Polymer 10, Adhesive 20
Magazine and Battery Mods 1	Weapon Engineering 2	Titanium 5, Lead 8, Adhesive 5
Magazine and Battery Mods 2	Weapon Engineering 3	Isocentered Magnet 8, Tau Grade Rheostat 8, Uranium 10, Lead 20, Adhesive 10
Magazine and Battery Mods 3	Weapon Engineering 3, Special Projects 1	Positron Battery 8, Toxin 20, Ytterbium 17, Lead 30, Adhesive 17
Internal Mods 1	Weapon Engineering 2	Zero Wire 5, Iridium 8, Tungsten 10, Sealant 10
Internal Mods 2	Weapon Engineering 3	Isocentered Magnet 8, Zero Wire 8, Tantalum 10, Titanium 10, Adhesive 10
Internal Mods 3	Weapon Engineering 4	Power Circuit 2, Zero Wire 10, Europium 20, Ytterbium 10, Titanium 20, Polymer 10
Receiver Mods 1	Weapon Engineering 3	Isotopic Coolant 5, Microsecond Regulator 3, Ytterbium 10, Titanium 30, Lubricant 10
Receiver Mods 2	Weapon Engineering 4	Isotopic Coolant 7, Microsecond Regulator 4, Ytterbium 17, Polymer 17, Lubricant 17