Energy Circuit

Energy Circuit is an infinite technology that increases Mecha charging speed. In practice, this also increases Mecha shield recovery speed and Mecha laser turret firing rate, since both scale with charging speed. The research is part of the Mecha progression line and becomes increasingly valuable once long-distance travel and frequent warping make the starting charge rate feel insufficient.

The technology directly raises the basic power output of the Mecha fuel chamber. That means the Mecha charges faster, but it also consumes fuel faster while charging. The actual charging rate is further modified by the Fuel chamber gen. bonus of the fuel being used, so the displayed gain is not the whole story; different fuels can charge at different effective speeds even with the same Energy Circuit level.

Its early levels provide a steady increase of +200 kW each time. The initial value is 800 kW, so the first four levels raise the total to 1.60 MW. Level 5 is a larger jump, adding +800 kW and bringing the total to 2.40 MW. From level 6 onward, each research level adds +1.00 MW and the cost continues to scale upward.

• Initial: 800 kW
• Lv. 1: +200 kW, total 1.00 MW, requires Mecha core Lv. 1
• Lv. 2: +200 kW, total 1.20 MW, requires Mecha core Lv. 2
• Lv. 3: +200 kW, total 1.40 MW, requires Mecha core Lv. 3
• Lv. 4: +200 kW, total 1.60 MW, requires Mecha core Lv. 4
• Lv. 5: +800 kW, total 2.40 MW, requires Mecha core Lv. 5
• Lv. 6 and above: +1.00 MW per level, with increasing cost

Because the first few upgrades are relatively modest, Energy Circuit can feel less urgent during the early game. Its value rises sharply once a save reaches a stage where the player is moving across multiple star systems, building in distant regions, or repeatedly warping between locations. At that point, faster recharging reduces downtime and makes Mecha operations smoother overall.

Since the same charging speed also improves shield recovery and laser turret fire rate, the technology has combat benefits as well as mobility benefits. It is therefore useful for both exploration-heavy play and situations where the Mecha is expected to spend time under threat.