Research Labs are the best way to unlock research projects which will help you craft various items in Starfield.
How does the Research Lab work in Starfield?
Starfield provides a diverse range of Workbenches, each designed for crafting a multitude of items. However, gaining access to these workbenches hinges on unlocking the corresponding Research Projects as prerequisites. This is where the Research Lab becomes crucial, as it allows you to unlock Research Projects across the following categories:
Pharmacology
Engaging in Pharmacology-related Research Projects in Starfield opens the door to unlocking items that bolster your character’s “Health” and “Stamina.” Furthermore, the “Performance Enhancement” Research Projects offer access to medicines tailored to combat specific ailments, such as Lung Damage and Infection.
Interestingly, these medicinal substances can also serve as recreational drugs, aiding your progress in the Starfield storyline. In the realm of recreational drugs, you’ll encounter the widespread production of a potent psychotropic substance known as “Aurora,” manufactured by the “Xenofresh Corporation.”
The drugs derived from the Pharmacology Research Project primarily enhance your character’s physical performance, impacting factors like Load Carrying Capacity, Health, Speed, and Strength.
Food And Drink
Unlocking the Food and Drink Research Projects in Starfield grants you access to a diverse array of recipes. These recipes extend beyond mere food items like steaks and bread, encompassing a wide range of beverages, including Fruit Juices.
As you advance through these Research Projects, you’ll unveil food recipes that have the potential to restore even greater amounts of your health. Should you opt for the “Chef” background during character creation, you can further expand your culinary repertoire by unlocking new recipes and ingredients through the “Gastronomy” skill.
This same principle applies to Research Projects focused on Specialty Ingredients.
Outpost Development
In Starfield, you can unlock Research Projects involving Outpost Developments to speed up your outpost production operation. By doing so, you can build the new structure modules of the outpost using fewer resources.
Rather than providing shelter, these outposts will be vital in producing various items from Workbenches. You can also use these outposts to store equipment to lighten up your inventory load.
Equipment
Enhancing your armor pieces, including “Helmets and Spacesuits,” involves delving into Equipment Research Projects. This avenue provides the most effective means to bolster your defensive capabilities.
Depending on the specific planet you visit, you’ll have the opportunity to unlock Spacesuits tailored to its unique climate. Similarly, Spacesuits with diverse damage resistance and thermal protection attributes become accessible through these Research Projects.
Additionally, Equipment Research Projects can unveil Booster packs designed to enhance your power, extend flight time, and elevate height restrictions. In essence, this path grants you access to Spacesuits that enable extended and improved flight capabilities.
Weaponry
Starfield provides an avenue to augment the damage-dealing capability and overall efficiency of your weapons through the Weaponry Research Projects. Within Starfield, a diverse array of weapon modifications, each with its unique attributes, is available for exploration. These modifications are elaborated upon in detail below:
- Receiver: “It changes the firing mechanism of your weapon, affecting its accuracy, range, and damage.”
- Internal: “It changes the internal components of your weapon, affecting its fire rate, recoil, and weight.”
- Optic: “It changes the scope or sight of your weapon, improving your accuracy and range.”
- Magazine and Battery: “It changes the magazine or battery of your weapon, increasing its ammo capacity or firing rate.”
- Muzzle: “It changes the muzzle of your weapon, adding a suppressor, compensator, or other attachment.”
- Stock: “This will help you with recoil.”
Starfield Research Labs locations
In Starfield, players gain early access to the Research Laboratory. The initial one you’ll encounter is situated within the Lodge.
Upon arrival, enter the Constellation headquarters and take the first door on your right. This leads to a basement housing an array of Research labs.
As you progress further in the game, another Research Lab becomes available within the “Frontier,” the name of your first ship. This ship includes a fully equipped research laboratory located in the crew residence area within Starfield.
After completing several missions, you’ll gain access to various planets within the United Colonies. Research Labs are typically found within different settlements, including “Civilian Outposts, Abandoned Factories, and Enemy Outposts.”
It’s important to note that during missions, you won’t have access to Research Labs when interacting with NPCs or engaging in combat with enemies.
How to use the Research Lab
To utilize the Research Lab in Starfield, the initial step is to gather the necessary materials for the specific Research Project of your interest. Once you have the requisite components at your disposal, proceed to interact with the Research Lab and commence the project.
The project will be marked as complete provided that all the required materials for the Research Project are present in your inventory. For instance, if your objective is to incorporate Long Barrel mods onto your weapon, you must successfully finish the “Barrel mod 1” project. This particular endeavor necessitates the following components:
- Iron
- Nickel
- Sealant
After doing so, you can head to the Weapon Workbench to craft a Long Barrel Mod and various other mods. As you progress in the game, Research Projects will get advanced and require Credits on top of materials to complete.
Research Progress Overflow Explained
In Starfield’s Research Lab, a fascinating phenomenon known as “Research Project Overflow” can occur. This occurs when you provide the required materials for your project and find that you need even fewer items to complete it.
What transpires is that once you add one material to the project, it seamlessly fills the remaining material slots, effectively completing the project. You’ll then receive an on-screen message stating “Sudden Development,” indicating the successful completion of your research project.
For instance, if your project necessitates the inclusion of “Cobalt, Lubricant, and Supercooled Magnet” for completion, luck may be on your side. You might experience progress overflow as soon as you add Cobalt to the Research Project. In such a scenario, you won’t need to add the other two materials for project completion.
How to Improve Starfield Research Lab Efficiency
You can use several skills to improve the efficiency of the Research Lab. One of these skills is “Novice Science Skill,” which will reduce the total amount of materials needed to complete the project. The same could be said for the Credits required for the project.
This skill is part of the “Research Method” skill tree, which you can rank up to 4 levels to gain more advantages in Research Lab. For that, you need to complete its prerequisites and the Credits.
Unique Research Projects
In Starfield, you’ll encounter numerous Research Projects that are initially locked and require the application of various skills to unlock. For instance, advancing within the “Master Science” skill tree will grant you access to the “Special Project Skill,” enabling you to unlock Research Projects related to “Rare, Exotic, and Unique” items.
If your goal is to gain access to Research Projects focused on unique recipes, the “Gastronomy Skill” is the key. The most effective way to do this is by advancing in the “Novice Social” skill tree.
