The Research Costs quest in The Cycle: Frontier provides players another opportunity to earn Faction Points to level up the Korolev Heavy Industries faction.
The Cycle: Frontier Research Costs Quest
The following guide will walk you through this 9-part quest that can be started by speaking with Vadim Tanayev in The Cycle: Frontier and covers every task assigned to you throughout the quest.
Research Costs Quest Part 1
In the first part of this quest, you will be asked to deliver 8 Optic Glass, 5 Rattler Skins, and 1 Portable Lab
Optic Glass can be found in Cabinets, but it may also spawn around some POIs. You can loot Rattler Skins from dead Rattlers. To find a Portable Lab, you must search Medical Areas or Briefcases.
They have a higher spawn rate on Crescent Falls, but you might also find them in the northern area of Bright Sands like the Crashed Ship. They also have a slight chance to spawn in Cabinets or on the ground, so be on the lookout.
You will get 750 FP, 26 Korolev Scrip, and 1200 Krypto Marks as a reward for completing this part.
Research Costs Quest Part 2
The second part asks you to visit the Dig Site and kill 15 creatures of any type in that area. Striders drop spinal Bases upon death so remember to loot them. When the storm comes, gathering and killing them in one place increases the drop rate.
Completing this part earns you 750 FP, 5 Radio Equipment, 1 Smart Mesh, and 26 Korolev Scrip.
Research Costs Quest Part 3
For part 3 of the Research Costs quests, your objectives include Stashing 2 Radio Equipment at Swamp Camp, Base Came Office, and Comms Tower.
You can find Radio Equipment in Cabinets, Bins, and Industrial Areas or as static spawns across the map. This is a Dead Drop mission, so you’ll need 6 Radio Equipment to bring with you in-raid and deposit them at the designated locations.
Remember to click Deposit after transferring your items. You’ll find the Dead Drop Locations in the image below.
After completing this part, you’ll earn 930 FP, 35 Korolev Scrip, and 1400 Krypto Marks.
Research Costs Quest Part 4
For this part, you are asked to visit Greens Prospect on Crescent Falls, Stash 10 Clear Veltecite, and 5 Pure Veltecite in the Stockpile Dead Drop.
You’ll be doing Dead Drops in this mission, so you must bring 10 Clear Veltecite and 5 Pure Veltecite in-raid and deposit them at the designated locations. Remember to click Deposit after transferring your items. You’ll find the Dead Drop Locations in the image below.
Rewards for completing this part are 930 FP, 1 KBR Longshot, 35 Korolev Scrip, and 140000 Krypto Marks.
Research Costs Quest Part 5
For part 5 of the quest, you must visit the Waterfall Lab on Bright Sands and collect 5 Letium Bio Samples. These can be found around the POI (under decks, drawers next to beds, racks, shelves). So, you’ll find them everywhere as static spawns. Finishing all of this in one run is completely possible.
Upon completion, you’ll receive 1200 FP, 48 Korolev Scrip, and 15000 Krypto Marks.
Research Costs Quest Part 6
For part 6 of the quest, you need to kill 30 creatures or players using a Korolev weapon. The set weapons eligible for this quest are:
- KM-9 ‘Scrapper
- PKR Maelstrom
- Hammer
- KBR Longshot
- KOR-47
Rewards for completing this part are 600 FP, 19 Korolev Scrip, and 11000 Krypto Marks.
Research Costs Quest Part 7
For part 7, your task will be to deliver 5 Hardened Bone Plates and 8 Toxic Glands.
Dead Marauders drop hardened Bone Plates found in both Bright Sands and Crescent Falls. Blast Ticks and Acid Ticks, Red and Green drop Toxic Glands. They spawn in places around the swamp and in rivers. Remember that they can also spawn across rivers. The image below shows blast ticks spawn locations.
You’ll earn 1200 FP, 48 Korolev Scrip, and 1500 Krypto Marks for completing this part.
Research Costs Quest Part 8
For part 8, your task will be to deliver 3 Marauders Flesh, 5 Rattler Eyes, and 10 Strider Flesh.
Marauders drop Marauder Flesh when they die, dead Rattlers drop Rattler’s eyes, and dead Striders drop Strider Flesh
Rewards for completing this part are 1500 FP, 64 Korolev Scrip, and 17000 Krypto Marks.
Research Costs Quest Part 9
For the last part, your tasks are to visit the Starport Landing Pad Uplink and Skeleton Observation Uplink on Crescent Falls and deliver 3 Unique Data Drives.
The locations for Starport Landing Pad Uplink and Skeleton Observation Uplink are:
You can purchase the common variant of Data Drives from the ICA or find them in the Comms Base. The Data Drive is then upgraded to a higher quality variant at an in-raid uplink terminal. This upgrade is a repeatable process, so the Data Drive is upgraded each time the station completes the download. You should stop at the “Unique” (Legendary) variant.
You can find these stations at the South-East Uplink, North Uplink, Comms Base, and some places on Crescent Falls.
Even though you can complete the Data Drive upgrade at any station visiting both places on Crescent Falls is necessary.
Completing this task earns you 1800 FP, 87 Korolev Scrip, and 18000 Krypto Marks.
Research Costs Quest Rewards
For completing all parts of the Research Costs quest, you will receive a Heavy Duty Backpack as a reward.
