Your first 20 Operations levels: what unlocks, and when

EARLY GAME 3 min read

Everything here comes from the game data

The unlock levels below are read straight from Star Trek Fleet Command's own files, not from advice or memory. Every building on this site shows the same number on its own page.

KEY POINTS

Nothing can be upgraded above your Operations level, and most new buildings unlock at a set Ops level.
Plan around three unlocks: the R&D Department at Ops 4, the Shuttle Bay at Ops 8 and the Refinery at Ops 10.
Drydock A unlocks at Ops 1, B to F all unlock at Ops 5, then G at Ops 30 and H at Ops 35.

01 WHAT OPERATIONS DOES

Operations is the building in the middle of your starbase. Nothing else on your base can be upgraded above your Operations level. Most new buildings stay locked until Operations reaches a set level.

A station in the mid game. The number on each plot is that building's level, and none of them can pass the number on Operations in the centre.

02 WHAT YOU START WITH

At Ops 1 you have Operations, the Academy (where officers stay), Parsteel Generator A and Warehouse, Drydock A and Defense Platform A.

03 UNLOCKS FROM OPS 2 TO 10

Ops 2: Parsteel Generator B. Ops 4: the R&D Department. Ops 5: the Shipyard, the Tactical Deck and Drydocks B to F. Ops 6: Tritanium Generator A and the Tritanium Warehouse. Ops 8: the Shuttle Bay. Ops 9: the Astronautics Studio. Ops 10: Dilithium Generator A, the Dilithium Warehouse and the Refinery.

04 THE THREE THAT MATTER MOST

The R&D Department (Ops 4) unlocks new ships, buildings and technologies. The Shuttle Bay (Ops 8) lets you send officers on Away Team Assignments. The Refinery (Ops 10) processes raw ore, crystal and gas. The Astronautics Studio (Ops 9) researches ship hulls before the Shipyard can build them.

05 UNLOCKS FROM OPS 12 TO 20

Ops 12: Defense Platforms B to F. Ops 14: the three resource Vaults. Ops 15: the Treasury, Defense Technologies, the Holodeck and the Command Center. Ops 16: the Exocomp Factory and the Independent Archives. Ops 18: Tritanium Generator C and the Ship Hangar. Ops 19: the Court of Q. Ops 20: Dilithium Generator C, the Scrapyard and The War Room.

06 DRYDOCKS ARE NOT EVENLY SPACED

Drydocks B to F all unlock together at Ops 5. Then there is a long gap. Drydock G unlocks at Ops 30 and Drydock H at Ops 35. Plan your fleet around the ships you have, not around new slots.

07 BUILDING LEVEL CAPS

Most core buildings cap at level 80. These include Operations, generators, warehouses, drydocks, the Shipyard and the Refinery. The Tactical Deck, EPS Distributors, Exographic Targeting Arrays, plasma harvesters and plasma vaults cap at level 34. Finish those once.