Science ships play an essential role in the early game of Stellaris. They are responsible for exploring the galaxy, discovering anomalies, scouting, and assisting in research. When starting the game, players receive one Science ship with a starting scientist. While it is sufficient to use a single ship for the first few years of exploration, players must construct additional Science ships as time progresses.
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Science ships are part of the three civilian class ships in the game, and they do not possess weapons. As such, players must ensure that they keep them away from any threats that may exist in the galaxy.
Construction of civilian ships in Stellaris requires the Shipyard module in any star base, and they cost alloys to build.
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Expanding with a Science Ship
When starting a new game in Stellaris, players require a Science ship to explore the galaxy surrounding them. Players cannot build starbases in other systems and expand until they survey them. The construction of additional Science ships is a straightforward process that can be completed by following a few simple steps. The first step is having a starbase equipped with a shipyard.
If players do not know if they have a Shipyard module readily available, their home starbase comes pre-installed with one, so it is an excellent place to check first. If players have multiple Starbases, they can use the outlier menu located on the right-hand side of the interface to manage their empire more efficiently.
Under the Shipyards tab of the outlier menu, players can view every starbase they have with the Shipyard module installed. Clicking on a Starbase opens a starbase interaction menu, allowing players to access a green-highlighted Shipyard tab at the bottom of the menu. Clicking on this tab displays all available ships that a player can currently construct.
To construct a Science ship, players must select it from the available list. The Starbase will then begin the construction of the selected ship. Once construction is complete, the new Science ship will appear in orbit around the Starbase, waiting for orders.
All upgrades that a player unlocks through research to their ships, such as faster thrusters, better shields, etc., are automatically applied. These upgrades are free of charge. It is unlikely that players will require more than a handful of Science ships throughout a playthrough. These ships often find themselves in trouble while exploring the galaxy, making their replacement key to completing the exploration.
The process of building Science ships is essential to a player’s expansion and success in the game. If you have any questions or suggestions related to this guide, please leave them in the comment section below. Have fun exploring the vast expanse of the galaxy with your Science ships.