Best Mine a Planet Upgrades to Test First

Measure one complete cycle

Start a timer or count a consistent sequence from the moment your drones begin working until the same repeatable endpoint, such as a full cargo return or completed planet segment. Write down the planet, drone setup, power, speed, cargo, and any visible boost. One short run can be noisy, so repeat the same observation before calling a stat the bottleneck. The goal is not to reverse-engineer hidden code; it is to make a better next purchase from visible behavior.

A comparison is meaningful only when the fleet, planet, boost state, and endpoint stay the same.

Test mining power

Power is the logical candidate when drones are consistently firing but the rock or planet progress advances slowly. Buy only one visible power step, then repeat the same cycle. If total cycle time improves while travel and cargo behavior remain similar, power addressed a real constraint. Do not publish a percentage multiplier from a single run, and do not assume the effect stays linear at later levels or on a larger world.

Test speed

Speed matters when a meaningful part of the cycle is spent moving, repositioning, returning, or waiting to reacquire a target. Observe the drones rather than relying on the stat label alone. A speed purchase may have little value if the drones already spend nearly all their time mining. It may become stronger after planet evolution changes distances or layouts, so record the world context with every result.

Compare active laser time with movement or idle time; the larger share points to the more likely constraint.

Test cargo and choose by payoff

Cargo is valuable when the fleet stops, returns, or wastes output because storage fills. If capacity never interrupts your measured cycle, another cargo level may not improve the next run. Compare the visible purchase cost with the measured time or interruption reduction, then select the smallest upgrade that changes the actual loop. Retest after evolving because bigger worlds, different ore behavior, or stronger drones can move the bottleneck.