Research points aren’t infinite. Every unlock costs time and resources you could’ve spent elsewhere. After three full playthroughs testing different tech paths, here’s what I learned about what to research first 鈥?and what can wait.
The Core Question
Every factory game has a “right” research order. Outworld Station is no different. The question isn’t “what’s useful?” 鈥?everything is useful eventually. The question is “what’s useful RIGHT NOW?”
The answer
Power infrastructure first, then oxygen, then production expansion. Everything else is situational.
Phase 1: Hour 0-2 (Survival Mode)
Priority 1: Solar Panel Efficiency
You start with basic solar panels. They’re fine for the first 30 minutes. Then you add more buildings and realize you’re power-starved.
Research: Solar Panel Efficiency upgrades before anything else.
Why: Each efficiency upgrade means fewer panels needed for the same power. This compounds 鈥?every building you add later benefits from not needing more solar infrastructure.
Priority 2: Small Battery
Batteries aren’t glamorous. They’re essential. Without them, your station shuts down every night cycle.
Research: Small Battery after first efficiency upgrade.
Why: One battery keeps your drill and smelter running through darkness. Without it, you’re restarting production every morning.
Priority 3: Basic Smelting Chain
You need processed materials to build anything meaningful.
Research: Smelter, then basic alloy recipes.
Why: Raw ore doesn’t build stations. Processed materials do. This is a gate, not a choice.
Phase 2: Hour 2-4 (Establishing Systems)
Priority 4: Oxygen Generator
Your starting oxygen runs out around the 2-hour mark if you haven’t addressed it.
Research: Oxygen Generator + related gas infrastructure.
Why: This is a hard deadline. Miss it and you’re scrambling. Hit it early and you never think about oxygen again.
Build order: Oxygen Generator 鈫?Gas Pipe 鈫?Vent. One generator supports a small station indefinitely. Don't overbuild.
Priority 5: Medium Storage
Small storage fills fast. Medium storage gives you breathing room.
Research: Medium Storage after oxygen is sorted.
Why: Buffer matters. When your drill is pumping ore faster than your smelter processes, storage prevents the backup that stops production.
Priority 6: Advanced Drilling
More ore = more everything else.
Research: Advanced Drill or Drill Speed upgrades.
Why: Ore is the bottleneck for everything. More ore throughput means faster station expansion across the board.
Phase 3: Hour 4-8 (Scaling Up)
Priority 7: Small Reactor
Solar is fine for small stations. Reactors are better for everything after that.
Research: Small Reactor + Cooling.
Why: Reactors provide consistent power regardless of day/night cycle. They require cooling infrastructure 鈥?research that first or you’ll overheat.
Don't skip cooling
A reactor without cooling will shut itself down during high demand. Research cooling AND build the infrastructure before relying on reactor power.
Priority 8: Wormhole Tech
Wormholes let you pull resources from other stations. This is the mid-game power move.
Research: Wormhole Generator after your reactor is stable.
Why: Access to remote resources means you’re no longer limited by your local asteroid. This opens up expansion without rebuilding your whole supply chain.
Priority 9: Drone Ports
Automated resource transport. Set it once, benefit forever.
Research: Drone Ports after wormholes.
Why: Drones + wormholes = resources moving where you need them without manual intervention. The combo is powerful; individually they’re less useful.
Phase 4: Hour 8+ (Endgame Prep)
Priority 10: Fusion Reactor
The big power source. Everything after this is luxury.
Research: Fusion Reactor + Nitrox Infrastructure.
Why: Fusion power is consistent and scales better than small reactors. It requires Nitrox fuel 鈥?make sure you have that production chain set up first.
Fusion checklist: Nitrox production 鈫?Storage 鈫?Reactor. Skip any step and you're building a very expensive paperweight.
Priority 11: Ark Ship Tech
This is your exit condition. Research it when you’re ready to “win.”
Research: Ark Ship components.
Why: The Ark Ship is the goal. It requires massive resources and specific tech unlocks. Don’t rush this until your production can support it.
What NOT to Research Early
Skip for now
- Large Storage 鈥?Medium is enough early; you'll know when you need bigger
- Advanced Construction Materials 鈥?The basic materials serve fine until hour 6+
- Decoration/Aesthetic Items 鈥?Fun but zero gameplay value
- Multiple Gas Types 鈥?Focus on oxygen first; other gases come later
Why they wait
- Storage: Diminishing returns early
- Materials: Production bottleneck not material bottleneck
- Decorations: Zero survival value
- Gases: Each gas type needs its own infrastructure
Research Order Summary Table
| Phase | Research | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2h | Solar Efficiency | A | Fewer panels, same power |
| 0-2h | Small Battery | S | Night cycle survival |
| 0-2h | Smelter | S | Material gate |
| 2-4h | Oxygen Generator | S | Hard deadline |
| 2-4h | Medium Storage | A | Buffer for production |
| 2-4h | Advanced Drilling | A | Remove ore bottleneck |
| 4-8h | Small Reactor | A | Consistent power |
| 4-8h | Wormhole Tech | A | Access remote resources |
| 4-8h | Drone Ports | B | Automate with wormholes |
| 8h+ | Fusion Reactor | A | Endgame power |
| 8h+ | Ark Ship | C | Victory condition |
The Path I Recommend
If you want a single research order to follow:
- Solar Efficiency (immediate power boost)
- Small Battery (night survival)
- Smelter + Alloys (material production)
- Oxygen Generator (before hour 2)
- Medium Storage (production buffer)
- Advanced Drilling (ore throughput)
- Small Reactor + Cooling (power independence)
- Wormhole Tech (expansion options)
- Drone Ports (automated logistics)
- Fusion Reactor (endgame power)
- Ark Ship (victory)
This order got me to fusion power in 7 hours on my third playthrough. My first playthrough took 12 hours because I researched randomly.
馃敆 Related Guides
Power Management
Solar panels to fusion reactors. Grid zoning, battery ratios, and how to never black out again. Covers reactor setup in detail.