Upgrade R&D Department to Level 4 is an early station mission in Star Trek Fleet Command with a single objective: raise the R&D Department to level 4. It starts and finishes at warp 1, the game lists a recommended level of 1, and there is nothing to fight. The reward is 50 Tritanium and one 1 Minute Repair Speed Up, and completing it unlocks Upgrade Shipyard to Level 2. R&D level 4 is one of the two requirements for the Shipyard, so this small mission opens up ship building.
Upgrade R&D Department to Level 4 objectives
The story line explains that the R&D Department unlocks additional upgrades for the Shipyard and Ships. There is one objective and no choice split:
- Upgrade R&D Department to Level 4.
No system, hostile or donation is involved. The mission completes when the F&E-Abteilung finishes its level 4 upgrade.
Wo und welcher Warp
Warp 1 to start and warp 1 to complete, with no pickup system. Everything happens on your station.
The recommended level is 1. What decides when you can finish it are the building requirements listed below.
Upgrade R&D Department to Level 4 rewards
| Belohnung | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tritanium | 50 |
| 1 Minute Repair Speed Up | 1 |
Completing the mission also unlocks the next station mission, Upgrade Shipyard to Level 2.
What R&D level 4 costs
Current building data lists the early R&D Department levels like this:
| Ebene | Parsteel cost | Build time | Anforderungen | Research speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 200 | 4 minutes | Operations 4, Academy 2 | 3% |
| 3 | 350 | 6 minutes | Operations 5, Academy 3 | 4% |
| 4 | 500 | 13 minutes | Operations 5, Academy 4 | 5% |
| 5 | 800 | 22 minutes | Operations 5, Academy 5, Tritanium Warehouse 3 | 6% |
The research speed column is the R&D Department’s Research Speed Bonus at each level. Every level in this range also needs the Akademie at the same level, so the two buildings move up together.
Why level 4 matters
Die Shipyard can only be placed once Operations is at level 5 and the R&D Department is at level 4. That is why the Missionen right after this one move straight to the Shipyard:
| Bestellung | Mission | Belohnung |
|---|---|---|
| This mission | Aufwertung der F&E-Abteilung auf Stufe 4 | 50 Tritanium, 1 × 1 Minute Repair Speed Up |
| Next | Upgrade Shipyard to Level 2 | 50 Tritanium |
| Then | Upgrade Schiffswerft: Stufe 3 | 75 Tritanium |
| After that | Bau des Trockendocks B | 120 Tritanium, 1 × 1 Minute Repair Speed Up |
How Level 4 compares with other early R&D missions
Construct the R&D Department pays 25 Tritanium and the level 2 mission pays 30. Level 4 pays 50 plus a repair speed up, level 5 pays 110 plus a repair speed up, and level 9 reaches 340 Tritanium with five 1 Minute Repair Speed Ups. The rewards stay small through this stretch, but they arrive every few minutes of build time.
Tips
Upgrade the Academy first. R&D level 4 will not start until the Academy is at level 4 as well.
Keep both building queues busy. The R&D and Academy upgrades at this stage take minutes, so short sessions are enough to move several levels.
Go straight to the Shipyard missions afterwards. They pay for upgrades you need anyway, and the Shipyard’s Ship Construction Speed bonus starts at level 2 with 3%. Other missions are listed on the Missionsleitfaden.
