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Dyson Sphere Program — Practical Progression Guide

Version 1.9 — complete, optional, collapsible build references

A practical route from your first factory to Mission Completed

This guide is meant to be used while you are playing, not read once from top to bottom and remembered.

The normal rhythm is:

check the guide → play for a while → come back when you need your bearings → find the next useful action → return to the game

The default route is:

Bootstrap → Blue → Red → Flight → Titanium → Yellow → ILS → Purple → Green → Dyson/Photon → White → Mission Completed

Cube names used in this guide

DSP gives the cubes formal names, but while playing you mostly need to recognize the color. This guide therefore uses the color as the normal name:

blue cube (Electromagnetic Matrix) · red cube (Energy Matrix) · yellow cube (Structure Matrix) · purple cube (Information Matrix) · green cube (Gravity Matrix) · white cube (Universe Matrix)

When a formal Matrix name appears later, it is because the guide is naming the technology you click in the tech tree. Manufactured items, rates, stockpiles, and recipes are referred to by cube color.

Warp, broad PLS deployment, Gas Giant Exploitation, interstellar power transmission, advanced mining, and Dark Fog industry are optional paths. Take them when they solve a problem you actually have.

How to use this guide without constantly rereading it

Build-ratio assumptions

The build cards use standard recipes, no rare-resource substitutions, and no proliferation. They assume Assembling Machine Mk.I at 0.75× speed and baseline-speed Smelters, Chemical Plants, Oil Refineries, Matrix Labs, and Miniature Particle Colliders.

Upgrading assemblers changes how many machines you need, but not how many ingredients the recipes consume.

Card presentation: Every phase requirement now appears in the collapsed card index. The phase text names the required output; opening a card reveals one verified construction method. Cards are closed by default.

Ratio provenance: Production recipes and recipe times were checked against the supplied runtime-derived canonical dataset. Rates are steady-state at the advertised output unless a bullet explicitly says “full-load”.

That is the whole pattern: relocate yourself → grab the useful detail → go back to the game.

  1. Jump to the phase you are in. Use the phase strip on the right. If you are unsure, use the Quick Progress Index below.
  2. Read YOU ARE HERE first. It reminds you what you just solved, what matters now, and what comes next.
  3. Scan the phase dashboard. Your useful rate, next research, likely trouble spot, and move-on condition are all there.
  4. Use the collapsed build cards only when you want the how. Every mandated phase output is listed; open one card, several, or none.
  5. Read the rest only when you need the why. You should not have to reread a chapter just to recover one number.

When that happens:

You are not expected to remember where every table or ratio lives. This guide assumes you will leave it open, disappear into the game for a while, and come back needing your bearings.

Quick Progress Index

Quick jump: BOOT · BLUE · RED · FLIGHT · TI · YELLOW · ILS · PURPLE · WARP · GREEN · DYSON · PHOTON · WHITE

Coming back from the game and not sure where you left off? Find the last milestone you clearly remember completing, then jump to the next row. Search the tag in brackets to go straight there.

Stage Search tag What you are aiming for
0 [BOOTSTRAP] The factory builds the factory
1 [BLUE] Keep blue cubes flowing
2 [RED] Keep red cubes flowing and stabilize oil
3 [FLIGHT] Drive Engine Lv2 and safe planetary escape
4 [TITANIUM] A serious off-world titanium supply
5 [YELLOW] Make 200 yellow cubes and unlock ILS
6 [ILS] Automated interplanetary titanium and silicon
7 [PURPLE] Keep purple cubes flowing and unlock both paths to green
8 [WARP] Optional targeted pre-green scouting
9 [GREEN] Keep green cubes flowing and unlock cheap Space Warpers
10 [DYSON] Dyson power and photon production prepared before they become urgent
11 [PHOTON] Critical Photons and Antimatter
12 [WHITE] Keep white cubes flowing and finish Mission Completed

Quick reference — Cube production targets

Come back to this table when an older cube line starts holding up research. The same useful numbers are repeated in the phase dashboards, so you do not need to memorize them.

These are useful targets for moving through the game, not rules for how every factory should be built.

Cube color Minimum when first established Comfortable in its own phase Later target
Blue 20/min 40/min ~60+/min before the long green/endgame run of research
Red 10/min 20/min ~60+/min before the long green/endgame run of research
Yellow 7.5/min 15/min for the ILS bootstrap ~60+/min once later research is waiting on yellow
Purple 12/min 24/min ~24–36+/min as required
Green 10/min 20/min scale toward ~40/min for a comfortable endgame pace

Do not build for the later numbers at the start. Expand the older cube line that research is clearly waiting on.

0. [BOOTSTRAP] — Stop Handcrafting the Factory

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Automate basic mining, smelting, components, belts, sorters, and factory buildings
Useful cube target Start around 20 blue/min once the line is running
Research next Electromagnetism → Automatic Metallurgy → Basic Assembling → Basic Logistics System → Electromagnetic Matrix tech (unlocks blue cubes)
Keep an eye on Power headroom and repeated handcrafting
Move on when Adding ordinary factory machinery no longer sends you back to handcrafting

Goal

Reach the point where the factory, rather than Icarus, produces the materials needed to expand itself.

The bootstrap is complete when adding a miner, smelter, assembler, belt line, or sorter no longer sends you back into repeated handcrafting.

Research first

  1. Electromagnetism
  2. Automatic Metallurgy
  3. Basic Assembling
  4. Basic Logistics System
  5. Electromagnetic Matrix — unlocks blue cubes

You do not need to clear the whole early tech tree. Just unlock the machinery that stops you doing the same jobs by hand.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

There is no useful megabase target yet.

Build enough iron, copper, Magnetic Coil, and Circuit Board capacity that factory expansion does not constantly starve cube production.

For blue cubes, begin at 20/min and move toward 40/min only when the basic factory can feed it cleanly.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Starter smelting — Iron Ingots, Copper Ingots & MagnetsMANDATEDSCALE BY USE

Input

  • Mining Machines — keep Iron Ore and Copper Ore arriving continuously.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Iron Ingots — full-load draw: 60 Iron Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Copper Ingots — full-load draw: 60 Copper Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Magnets — full-load draw: 40 Iron Ore/min.

Pipeline

  • Keep the three products on distinct belts or in distinct storage so shortages remain visible.

Output

  • Continuous Iron Ingots, Copper Ingots, and Magnets for components and buildings.

These are machine capacities, not a demand target. Add another smelter only when a downstream line is actually waiting.

Basic components — Magnetic Coils & Circuit BoardsMANDATEDCHECKLIST

No universal starter rate is mandated here. The purpose is continuous availability; the blue-phase card supplies the first exact demand target.

Input

  • Feed Magnets, Iron Ingots, and Copper Ingots from the starter smelting block.

Pipeline

  • Mk.I Assembler — Magnetic Coils.
  • Mk.I Assembler — Circuit Boards.

Output

  • Store both components where blue-cube production and the starter mall can draw from them without hand-feeding.
Starter mall — Belts, Sorters, Mining Machines, Smelters & AssemblersMANDATEDCHECKLIST

Input

  • Provide Iron Ingots, Copper Ingots, Magnets, Magnetic Coils, Circuit Boards, Gears, Stone Bricks, and Glass as the selected recipes require.

Pipeline

  • Use small dedicated Mk.I Assembler lines and output each product into limited storage.
  • Automate Conveyor Belt Mk.I, Sorter Mk.I, Mining Machine, Arc Smelter, and Assembling Machine Mk.I.

Output

  • A readily available construction inventory that stops routine factory expansion from returning to handcrafting.

This is intentionally a checklist rather than a fixed ratio. Cap storage and expand the item whose box keeps emptying.

Starter power — headroom for blue labs and oilMANDATEDCAPACITY CHECK

Input

  • Fuel or renewable generation appropriate to the starter planet.
  • Enough grid distribution to connect the planned labs and oil district.

Pipeline

  • Add generation before sustained demand reaches the grid ceiling; do not wait for a brownout cascade.

Output

  • A stable grid that can absorb Matrix Labs, Oil Extractors, and Oil Refineries without repeated power intervention.

Watch for

Overbuilding the starter layout. Most early long-distance belt decisions will eventually be superseded by logistics.

The right bootstrap factory is the one that keeps you moving, not the one you would preserve for fifty hours.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [BLUE].

1. [BLUE] — Get Blue Cubes Running

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Keep blue cubes and research labs running without hand-feeding
Good target 20 blue cubes/min minimum, 40/min comfortable
Research next High-Efficiency Plasma Control → Plasma Extract Refining → Energy Matrix tech (unlocks red cubes)
Keep an eye on Do not overbuild blue while oil and mobility are still missing
Move on when Blue is continuous and your grid has room for the oil setup

Goal

Keep blue cubes running in the background instead of making a batch every time research stalls.

Research first

To open the next cube tier:

  1. High-Efficiency Plasma Control
  2. Plasma Extract Refining
  3. Energy Matrix — unlocks red cubes

Also take Steel Smelting and Thermal Power soon enough that building the oil setup and your first off-world outpost does not turn into a materials scramble.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

Use this like a blueprint key, not a layout. Match the machine counts and input rates; route the belts however you like.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Blue cubes — 40/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • Mining Machines — collectively supply 80 Iron Ore/min and 40 Copper Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Magnets — draws 40 Iron Ore/min at stated output.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Iron Ingots — draws 40 Iron Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Copper Ingots — draws 40 Copper Ore/min.

Pipeline

  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Magnetic Coils.
  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Circuit Boards.

Output

  • 2 Matrix Labs — blue cubes.
  • Direct feed: 40 Magnetic Coils/min + 40 Circuit Boards/min.

The component assemblers have spare capacity. Scale Matrix Labs first; expand components only when their belts stop recovering.

Watch for

Do not make blue your first giant factory district. The next important transition is:

red cubes → Drive Engine Lv2 → leave the starter planet

A beautiful oversized blue complex does nothing for you if oil and mobility are still missing.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [RED].

2. [RED] — Build the Oil Economy and Keep Red Cubes Flowing

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Keep both refinery outputs moving and produce red cubes continuously
Good target 10 red/min minimum, 20/min comfortable
Research next Mecha Core Lv2 + Drive Engine Lv2, while lining up the listed PLS/ILS requirements
Keep an eye on Hydrogen or Refined Oil filling up and stopping the refinery line
Move on when Red is stable, flight is ready, and the important pre-ILS research is queued or done

Goal

Keep red cubes running, stop either refinery output from jamming the other, and research what you will need for planetary flight and the later ILS rush.

Research first

Get ready to fly

  1. Mecha Core Lv1
  2. Mecha Core Lv2
  3. Drive Engine Lv1
  4. Drive Engine Lv2

Research the ILS requirements early while the needed techs still use red cubes

Research or visibly queue:

The easy-to-miss part is:

To research PLS, you also need Thruster and Vertical Construction Lv1, even though those requirements are easy to miss in the tech tree.

Later, ILS also needs High-Strength Titanium Alloy and Reinforced Thruster.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Red cubes — 20/min with balanced refinery outputsMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • Oil Extractors — collectively supply 80 Crude Oil/min.
  • 3 Oil Refineries — Plasma Refining — process 80 Crude Oil/min at stated output.
  • Coal Mining Machines — supply 80 Coal/min.
  • 2 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — draw 80 Coal/min.

Pipeline

  • Route the refinery Hydrogen directly to the cube labs or through a buffer.
  • Route Refined Oil to storage or a consuming chemical line so the Hydrogen side cannot deadlock.

Output

  • 2 Matrix Labs — red cubes.
  • Direct feed: 40 Hydrogen/min + 40 Energetic Graphite/min.

Surplus Yield

  • 80 Refined Oil/min.

Three refineries have headroom beyond the exact target. The listed raw and byproduct rates are the steady-state flows imposed by 20 red/min.

Watch for

The classic refinery failure is not lack of crude oil. It is one output filling up and silently stopping the other.

Do not burn or discard Hydrogen reflexively; later phases consume enormous amounts of it. Early on, however, a finite buffer is better than letting storage blockage stop research.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [FLIGHT].

3. [FLIGHT] — Drive Engine Lv2 and Planetary Escape

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Reach the titanium planet safely and leave behind useful mining and smelting
Good target No cube-rate target here; bring enough fuel, power, and buildings to avoid a token trip
Research next Drive Engine Lv2 → Titanium Smelting → finish PLS requirements → Magnetic Particle Trap → Processor → Reinforced Thruster
Keep an eye on Fuel margin, destination power, and remote defense on Dark Fog runs
Move on when You can mine and preferably smelt titanium off-world without improvising the whole outpost by hand

Goal

Leave the starter planet safely and establish the ability to exploit off-world titanium.

The starter planet has no normal Titanium Ore veins. Silicon can be bootstrapped inefficiently from Stone, but Titanium has no ordinary synthetic fallback.

To reach yellow cubes, you eventually have to leave the starter planet.

Research first

  1. Drive Engine Lv2
  2. Titanium Smelting
  3. Finish the research needed for PLS:
    • High-Efficiency Logistics System
    • Thruster
    • Vertical Construction Lv1
    • Planetary Logistics System
  4. Magnetic Particle Trap
  5. Processor
  6. Reinforced Thruster

Drive Engine Lv2 also needs Drive Engine Lv1 and Mecha Core Lv2.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

This phase is about being ready for the trip, not hitting a particular cube rate.

Before launch, have enough fuel and core-energy margin that a poor approach does not strand you, plus enough construction material to establish a real outpost rather than a token miner.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

First off-world industrial loadoutMANDATEDCHECKLIST

Input

  • Fuel sufficient for departure, course correction, landing, and recovery margin.
  • Prebuilt Mining Machines, Arc Smelters, power generation, Tesla Towers, belts, sorters, and storage.
  • Basic defenses when Dark Fog is active and the outpost will persist unattended.

Pipeline

  • Carry enough of each item to establish extraction, smelting, storage, and local power in one visit.
  • Confirm the destination and its power conditions before launch.

Output

  • A functioning off-world outpost rather than a token miner requiring an immediate second trip.

The source guide does not mandate universal item counts because destination conditions and player fuel technology vary. This card therefore remains a verified completeness checklist, not an invented loadout ratio.

Watch for

Persistent remote outposts on Dark Fog runs

An unattended mining world can acquire a nearby enemy base while you are away.

Before leaving a persistent outpost behind, either:

Do not configure early defenses to attack orbital or Relay targets unless escalation is deliberate.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [TITANIUM].

4. [TITANIUM] — Your First Off-World Industrial Expedition

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Establish remote titanium mining and smelt it before transport
Good target First haul: 810–860 Titanium Ingots; remote source: 60/min minimum, 120/min comfortable
Research next Only what is needed for the Structure Matrix tech (yellow cube unlock) → High-Strength Titanium Alloy → ILS
Keep an eye on Do not spend scarce first titanium on a broad PLS rollout
Move on when You have a serious titanium stockpile and direct silicon is available or planned

Goal

Return with enough titanium to break through the yellow/ILS transition without repeating several tiny manual-hauling trips.

Research first

Do not wander off into unrelated research here.

Finish only the research you need for:

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

First serious haul

Aim for 810–860 Titanium Ingots.

That is a practical target for:

The hard technical minimum for the 200-yellow research batch, two ILS towers, and one vessel is about 770 Titanium Ingots.

Persistent remote smelting

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Remote Titanium Ingots — 120/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • Mining Machines — collectively supply 240 Titanium Ore/min.

Pipeline

  • Belt the mined ore through a compact source-side smelting block, then into storage or the later source ILS.

Output

  • 4 Arc Smelters — Titanium Ingots.

Miner count is not prescribed because vein coverage and mining upgrades change extraction capacity.

First serious titanium haul — 810–860 ingotsMANDATEDFINITE BATCH

Input

  • A functioning remote Titanium Ingot line and enough personal cargo capacity for the return trip.

Pipeline

  • Let remote storage accumulate before returning; avoid repeated tiny hauling trips.

Output

  • A single serious Titanium Ingot return haul reaches the starter planet.
  • This practical batch covers the 200-yellow rush plus the first two ILS towers and roughly five starter vessels when their supporting parts are prepared.

The hard technical minimum described by the guide is about 770 ingots for the research batch, two ILS towers, and one vessel. The larger target buys useful execution margin.

Direct Silicon Ore source — sustainable supplyMANDATED OR PLANNEDRATE BY DEMAND

Input

  • Mining Machines — cover enough Silicon Ore veins to meet the home Processor demand you intend to build.

Pipeline

  • Buffer locally now; connect the source to an ILS when interplanetary logistics comes online.

Output

  • A direct Silicon Ore source that can replace the 10 Stone → 1 Silicon Ore fallback for bulk production.

Watch for

Do not spend the first scarce titanium on a broad PLS rollout.

Before ILS, PLS can clean up local transport, but it does not solve the real problem: moving titanium between planets. Build only the PLS units that will become your first ILS pair unless your local belts are genuinely wasting more time than another titanium trip.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [YELLOW].

5. [YELLOW] — Make 200 Yellow Cubes and Break the Hauling Loop

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Produce 200 yellow cubes and have the first ILS hardware ready when research finishes
Good target 7.5 yellow/min minimum, 15/min comfortable for the ILS rush
Research next Chemical branch → Structure Matrix tech (yellow cube unlock) → High-Strength Titanium Alloy → confirm PLS + Reinforced Thruster → ILS
Keep an eye on The oil-heavy Organic Crystal chain and missing ILS prerequisites
Move on when 80 yellow has gone to Titanium Alloy, 120 to ILS, and the first station pair is ready to build

Goal

Produce 200 yellow cubes, spend them on the two technologies that matter, and convert manual interplanetary hauling into automated logistics.

Default allocation:

This is one of the clearest parts of the whole run: make 200 yellow, spend it, and move on.

Research first

If the chemical branch is incomplete:

  1. Basic Chemical Engineering
  2. Polymer Chemical Engineering
  3. High-Strength Crystal
  4. Structure Matrix — unlocks yellow cubes
  5. High-Strength Titanium Alloy
  6. Confirm the PLS required research
  7. Confirm Reinforced Thruster
  8. Interstellar Logistics System

ILS requires:

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

For the ILS rush:

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Yellow cubes — 15/minMANDATEDKEEP CUBE LINE

Input

  • 2 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — collectively draw 90 Coal/min at stated output.
  • 3 Oil Refineries — Plasma Refining — process 75 Crude Oil/min.
  • 2 Arc Smelters — Titanium Ingots — draw 90 Titanium Ore/min.
  • Water Pumps — supply 15 Water/min.

Pipeline

  • 2 Chemical Plants — Plastic.
  • 2 Chemical Plants — Organic Crystals.
  • 2 Mk.I Assemblers — Titanium Crystals.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Diamonds.

Output

  • 2 Matrix Labs — yellow cubes.
  • Direct feed: 15 Titanium Crystals/min + 15 Diamonds/min.

Surplus Yield

  • 37.5 Hydrogen/min.

The three refineries have some headroom. The listed 75 Crude/min and 37.5 Hydrogen/min are the steady-state flows at 15 yellow/min.

ILS bootstrap hardware — 2 ILS + 5 Logistics VesselsMANDATEDFINITE BATCH

Input

  • 80 Steel.
  • 80 Titanium Ingots.
  • 180 Titanium Alloy.
  • 130 Processors.
  • 80 Particle Containers.
  • 50 Electromagnetic Turbines.

Pipeline

  • Build 10 Reinforced Thrusters from 50 Titanium Alloy + 50 Electromagnetic Turbines.
  • Build 2 Planetary Logistics Stations.
  • Upgrade them into 2 Interstellar Logistics Stations.
  • Build 5 Interstellar Logistics Vessels.

Output

  • The prepared towers and vessel fleet can be deployed immediately when the technology completes.
  • Titanium commitment: 260 ingots for the hardware chain; together with 600 ingots embodied in 200 yellow cubes, the practical total is 860 Titanium Ingots.

This batch is a practical five-vessel bootstrap, not the absolute minimum. Add vessels later from the same production lines instead of delaying ILS activation for a full fleet.

Yellow research reserve — 200 cubesMANDATEDFINITE BATCH

Input

  • A continuous yellow line at 7.5/min minimum or 15/min comfortable.

Pipeline

  • Reserve the first 200 cubes rather than spending them on unrelated research.

Output

  • 80 yellow cubes for High-Strength Titanium Alloy.
  • 120 yellow cubes for Interstellar Logistics System.

Watch for

Do not treat the 15/min build ratio as your permanent yellow capacity.

The first 200 yellow cubes only get you through the ILS rush. Later research will eat thousands more, so come back and expand this line after ILS makes the rebuild much easier.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [ILS].

6. [ILS] — End Manual Interplanetary Hauling

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Keep the first ILS routes running and start using PLS where it actually saves effort
Good target Titanium and silicon arrive unattended; later, move older blue/red/yellow cube lines toward ~60/min each only when research is waiting on them
Research next Applied Superconductor if needed → High-Strength Material → Particle Control → Processor if needed → Information Matrix tech (unlocks purple cubes)
Keep an eye on ILS charging spikes and the temptation to rebuild the entire planet at once
Move on when Logistics is stable and the research queue is clearly pointed at purple

Goal

Replace the player-as-cargo-ship loop with continuous automated interplanetary supply and begin converting long global belts into local logistics districts.

Research first

Point the main research queue toward purple:

  1. Applied Superconductor, if still missing
  2. High-Strength Material
  3. Particle Control
  4. Processor, if still missing
  5. Information Matrix — unlocks purple cubes

The Information Matrix tech (purple cube unlock) requires Processor + Particle Control.

Do not automatically research every yellow-tier utility technology just because the titanium problem is solved.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

The important target here is not a cube rate. It is:

Once that is working, check your older cube lines from time to time. Before the long run to green, around 60/min each for blue, red, and yellow is a comfortable goal, but only expand the color your research is actually waiting on.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Automated Titanium route — source ILS to home ILSMANDATEDCONFIGURATION

Input

  • Remote Titanium Ingot production and a source ILS.
  • A powered home ILS with vessels and enough grid headroom to charge them.

Pipeline

  • Remote source ILS: Remote Supply; local setting may remain Storage/None.
  • Home ILS: Remote Demand.
  • Set the home station belt-port filter to Titanium Ingots when belting them out.
  • The powered home station may dispatch vessels to an unpowered remote source station.

Output

  • Titanium Ingots arrive automatically and manual interplanetary hauling ends for this resource.
Automated Silicon route — source ILS to home ILSMANDATED OR EQUIVALENTCONFIGURATION

Input

  • A direct Silicon Ore source with enough mining throughput for Processor demand.
  • Source and home ILS capacity, vessels, and power.

Pipeline

  • Source ILS: Remote Supply for Silicon Ore.
  • Home ILS: Remote Demand for Silicon Ore.
  • Use a dedicated home ILS when silicon competes with enough other bulk traffic to starve.

Output

  • Sustainable automated Silicon Ore delivery, or a demonstrably equivalent local source.
Local logistics district — imported resource to PLS consumerMANDATED WHERE USEFULCONFIGURATION

Input

  • Home ILS holding an imported material and Logistics Drones in the local network.
  • A consumer-district PLS with available storage slots.

Pipeline

  • Home ILS: imported item set to Local Supply after remote receipt.
  • Consumer PLS: same item set to Local Demand.
  • Keep short belts inside the production district; replace only the long global transport segment.

Output

  • Imported material delivered by drones into a compact local production district.

The intended transition is global spaghetti → drone logistics → local spaghetti. Blueprint perfection is not a phase requirement.

Watch for

ILS charging spikes

A newly placed ILS charges a large internal energy buffer and can temporarily create a dramatic grid-demand spike.

Do not build your whole power grid around that brief charging spike. Lower the station charging-power setting if the early grid cannot absorb it comfortably.

Premature total rebuilds

Replace one irritating long-distance belt route at a time. Leave anything that already works alone until it actually starts slowing you down.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [PURPLE].

7. [PURPLE] — Build the First Truly Wide Production Tier

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Keep purple cubes flowing and complete both the Strange Matter and Quantum Chip paths
Good target 12 purple/min minimum, 24/min comfortable
Research next Miniature Particle Collider → Strange Matter → Gravitational Wave Refraction and Casimir Crystal → High-Strength Glass → Wave Function Interference → Quantum Chip → Gravity Matrix tech (unlocks green cubes)
Keep an eye on Processors, Particle Broadband, Graphene/Carbon Nanotubes, and older blue/red/yellow cube rates
Move on when Purple cubes are stable and both tech branches needed for green are finished or nearly finished

Goal

Keep purple cubes running and finish the two tech branches needed to unlock green cubes.

Your next clear goal is:

sustain purple → complete the Strange Matter branch → complete the Quantum Chip branch → unlock the first green cube

Once you can make the first green cube, purple has done its job. You do not need to perfect the whole purple-era factory before moving on.

Research first

Work on both paths as your factory allows.

Branch A — Strange Matter / gravity side

  1. Miniature Particle Collider
  2. Strange Matter
  3. Gravitational Wave Refraction

Branch B — Quantum Chip side

  1. Casimir Crystal
  2. High-Strength Glass
  3. Wave Function Interference
  4. Quantum Chip

Wave Function Interference sits downstream of Casimir Crystal and High-Strength Glass.

Then unlock green

  1. Gravity Matrix — unlocks green cubes

The Gravity Matrix tech (green cube unlock) only becomes available after both the Quantum Chip path and Gravitational Wave Refraction are finished.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

A 12/min purple-cube line takes about 83 minutes to produce 1,000 cubes if purple alone sets the pace. At 24/min, the same amount takes about 42 minutes.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Processors — 24/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 1 Arc Smelter — Iron Ingots — draws 48 Iron Ore/min.
  • 2 Arc Smelters — Copper Ingots — draw 72 Copper Ore/min.
  • 4 Arc Smelters — High-Purity Silicon — draw 192 Silicon Ore/min at stated output.

Pipeline

  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Circuit Boards — supplies 48/min.
  • 3 Mk.I Assemblers — Microcrystalline Components — supply 48/min.

Output

  • 2 Mk.I Assemblers — Processors.
  • Direct feed: 48 Circuit Boards/min + 48 Microcrystalline Components/min.

Two Processor assemblers can make 30/min; the advertised branch consumes 24/min. Keep the spare capacity visible because Quantum Chips and Dyson components will later compete for Processors.

Graphene — 40/min with synthetic Sulfuric AcidSUPPORT ROUTESTANDARD RECIPE

Input

  • 2 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — draw 120 Coal/min.
  • 1 Oil Refinery — Plasma Refining — draws 30 Crude Oil/min.
  • Stone Mining Machines — supply 40 Stone/min.
  • Water Pumps — supply 20 Water/min.

Pipeline

  • 1 Chemical Plant — Sulfuric Acid — supplies 20/min.

Output

  • 1 Chemical Plant — Graphene — consumes 60 Energetic Graphite/min + 20 Sulfuric Acid/min.

Surplus Yield

  • 15 Hydrogen/min.

Fire Ice or a Sulfuric Acid ocean can replace much of this standard chain later.

Carbon Nanotubes — 24/min from standard GrapheneMANDATEDSTANDARD RECIPE

Input

  • 2 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — draw 108 Coal/min at stated output.
  • 1 Oil Refinery — Plasma Refining — draws 27 Crude Oil/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Titanium Ingots — draws 24 Titanium Ore/min.
  • Stone Mining Machines — supply 36 Stone/min.
  • Water Pumps — supply 18 Water/min.

Pipeline

  • 1 Chemical Plant — Sulfuric Acid — supplies 18/min.
  • 1 Chemical Plant — Graphene — supplies 36/min.

Output

  • 1 Chemical Plant — Carbon Nanotubes — consumes 36 Graphene/min + 12 Titanium Ingots/min.

Surplus Yield

  • 13.5 Hydrogen/min.
Particle Broadband — 12/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 1 Arc Smelter — High-Purity Silicon — draws 48 Silicon Ore/min at stated output.
  • 3 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — draw 132 Coal/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Titanium Ingots — draws 24 Titanium Ore/min.
  • 2 Oil Refineries — Plasma Refining — draw 51 Crude Oil/min.
  • Stone Mining Machines — supply 36 Stone/min.
  • Water Pumps — supply 18 Water/min.

Pipeline

  • 1 Arc Smelter — Crystal Silicon.
  • 1 Chemical Plant each — Sulfuric Acid, Graphene, Carbon Nanotubes, and Plastic.

Output

  • 3 Mk.I Assemblers — Particle Broadband.
  • Direct feed: 24 Carbon Nanotubes/min + 24 Crystal Silicon/min + 12 Plastic/min.

Surplus Yield

  • 25.5 Hydrogen/min.
Purple cubes — 12/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 24 Processors/min.
  • 12 Particle Broadband/min.

Pipeline

  • Bring the two prerequisite products to the cube district on separate visible feeds.

Output

  • 2 Matrix Labs — purple cubes.

Build a second copy of the full prerequisite capacity when scaling toward roughly 24 purple/min.

Watch for

Purple feels messy because several old resource networks are exposed at once:

Judge them by whether they keep up, not by whether the factory looks elegant.

A synthetic Sulfuric Acid district can be ugly and still be perfectly adequate. A beautiful Processor district that only makes half the required rate is the real problem.

Ready to move on when

Next

Default route: go to [GREEN].

For a targeted rare-resource detour, read [WARP] first.

8. [WARP] — Optional Pre-Green Interstellar Scouting

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Warp for a named resource with a clear payoff
Good target Make only a small stock of expensive pre-green Space Warpers
Research next Gravitational Wave Refraction → Drive Engine Lv3 → Mecha Core Lv4 → Drive Engine Lv4
Keep an eye on Aimless exploration and confusing personal warp with vessel warp
Move on when The target resource has been collected and you can explain exactly which painful chain it replaces or simplifies

Goal

Use personal warp early only when you already know of a rare resource that will noticeably simplify something you are struggling to produce.

Warp is not required for Mission Completed. The standard production chains can be completed inside the starting system.

Research first

For personal warp before green:

  1. Gravitational Wave Refraction
  2. Drive Engine Lv3
  3. Mecha Core Lv4
  4. Drive Engine Lv4
  5. Optional Universe Exploration Lv3 when better scouting information has a concrete payoff

Drive Engine Lv4 also needs Drive Engine Lv3, Mecha Core Lv4, and Gravitational Wave Refraction.

Personal warp and vessel warp are separate capabilities. Do not assume that because Icarus can warp, ILS vessels can automate interstellar routes.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

Before green:

1 Graviton Lens → 1 Space Warper

After green:

1 green cube → 8 Space Warpers

This economic difference is why the default route remains green first.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Pre-green Space Warpers — 4.5/min per Mk.I AssemblerOPTIONALEXPENSIVE ROUTE

Input

  • Graviton Lens production supplying 4.5 lenses/min per fully utilized Mk.I Assembler.

Pipeline

  • Keep the assembler output in deliberately limited storage; this is a scouting supply, not a routine logistics line.

Output

  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Space Warpers, feeding deliberately limited expedition storage.

The standard pre-green recipe is 1 Graviton Lens → 1 Space Warper. Green later changes the economy to 1 green cube → 8 warpers.

Named rare-resource expeditionOPTIONALDECISION CARD

Input

  • A specific named rare resource and an identified production chain it will replace or simplify.
  • Personal warpers, fuel, construction supplies, and return margin.

Pipeline

  • Scout or retrieve only the target resource; avoid open-ended exploration before cheap warpers and vessel warp.

Output

  • A concrete production problem becomes easier, after which the run returns to the green path.

Watch for

Exploration for its own sake can turn into a large detour before the factory has cheap warpers or vessel warp.

A good pre-green warp trip answers:

“What problem will this resource actually solve for me right now?”

If the answer is unclear, continue to green.

Ready to move on when

Next

Return to [GREEN].

9. [GREEN] — Green Cubes and Cheap Warp Logistics

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Keep green cubes flowing without letting Hydrogen or Deuterium take over the whole factory
Good target 10 green/min starter, 20/min comfortable, scale toward ~40/min for the endgame
Research next Quantum Chip + Gravitational Wave Refraction → Gravity Matrix tech (green cube unlock); then take vessel warp or Gas Giant Exploitation when they solve a real need
Keep an eye on Hydrogen, Deuterium, Strange Matter power use, and whether Orbital Collectors would now save real effort
Move on when Green is stable, cheap warpers exist, and Dyson/photon preparation is already moving

Goal

Keep green cubes running and make enough that the later photon and white-cube research does not suddenly turn into a multi-hour wait.

Research first

By now you should have finished both research paths needed here:

  1. Quantum Chip
  2. Gravitational Wave Refraction
  3. Gravity Matrix — unlocks green cubes

After the first stable green line:

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Deuterium supply — 50/min required by the starter green blockMANDATEDCHOOSE A ROUTE

Input

  • Collider route: supply 100 Hydrogen/min to one Miniature Particle Collider at the stated 50 Deuterium/min draw.
  • Fractionator route: provide a Hydrogen loop whose measured output reaches 50 Deuterium/min.
  • Collector/import route: deliver at least 50 Deuterium/min through logistics.

Pipeline

  • Buffer Deuterium between its chosen source and Strange Matter so short transport interruptions remain visible rather than silently stopping green.

Output

  • A buffered Deuterium feed continuously supplies the Strange Matter collider.

One collider can produce much more than 50 Deuterium/min at full load; the 100 Hydrogen/min figure is the actual draw imposed by this 10-green/min build.

Quantum Chips — 5/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 1 Arc Smelter — Iron Ingots — draws 20 Iron Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Copper Ingots — draws 30 Copper Ore/min.
  • 2 Arc Smelters — High-Purity Silicon — draw 80 Silicon Ore/min.
  • 2 Arc Smelters — Titanium Ingots — draw 100 Titanium Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Glass — draws 40 Stone/min.
  • Stone Mining Machines — supply another 20 Stone/min for Sulfuric Acid.
  • 2 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — draw 100 Coal/min.
  • 3 Oil Refineries — Plasma Refining — draw 65 Crude Oil/min.
  • Water Pumps — supply 40 Water/min.
  • Hydrogen logistics — supply 120 Hydrogen/min gross to Casimir Crystals.

Pipeline

  • 1 Mk.I Assembler each — Circuit Boards, Microcrystalline Components, and Processors.
  • 1 Chemical Plant each — Plastic, Organic Crystals, Sulfuric Acid, and Graphene.
  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Titanium Crystals.
  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Casimir Crystals.
  • 2 Mk.I Assemblers — Titanium Glass.
  • 3 Mk.I Assemblers — Plane Filters.

Output

  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Quantum Chips.
  • Direct feed: 10 Processors/min + 10 Plane Filters/min.

Surplus Yield

  • 32.5 Hydrogen/min from the required Plasma Refining, reducing the branch to roughly 87.5 Hydrogen/min external net demand.
Strange Matter — 5/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 3 Arc Smelters — Iron Ingots — draw 130 Iron Ore/min at stated output.
  • 2 Arc Smelters — Magnets — draw 80 Iron Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Copper Ingots — draws 60 Copper Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Energetic Graphite — draws 60 Coal/min.
  • 1 Oil Refinery — Plasma Refining — draws 15 Crude Oil/min.
  • Stone Mining Machines — supply 20 Stone/min.
  • Water Pumps — supply 10 Water/min.
  • Deuterium logistics — supply 50 Deuterium/min.

Pipeline

  • 1 Chemical Plant — Sulfuric Acid and 1 — Graphene.
  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Magnetic Coils.
  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Gears.
  • 2 Mk.I Assemblers — Electric Motors.
  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Electromagnetic Turbines.
  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Particle Containers.

Output

  • 1 Miniature Particle Collider — Strange Matter.
  • Direct feed: 10 Particle Containers/min + 10 Iron Ingots/min + 50 Deuterium/min.

Surplus Yield

  • 7.5 Hydrogen/min from the required refining support.
Graviton Lenses — 5/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 1 Arc Smelter — Energetic Graphite — draws 40 Coal/min at stated output.
  • Strange Matter supply — 5/min.

Pipeline

  • 1 Arc Smelter — Diamonds — supplies 20 Diamonds/min.

Output

  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Graviton Lenses.
  • Direct feed: 20 Diamonds/min + 5 Strange Matter/min.
Green cubes — 10/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 5 Quantum Chips/min.
  • 5 Graviton Lenses/min.

Pipeline

  • Bring both branches to the green-cube district on separate visible feeds.

Output

  • 2 Matrix Labs — green cubes.
Space Warpers — 36/min from green cubesMANDATEDCHEAP ROUTE

Input

  • Green-cube supply — 4.5 Gravity Matrices/min for one fully utilized Mk.I Assembler.

Pipeline

  • Limit output storage to the warper buffer your personal and ILS logistics actually need.

Output

  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — advanced Space Warper recipe, feeding personal and ILS warper storage.

The recipe converts 1 green cube into 8 warpers. Do not let warper production silently consume the green cubes reserved for research.

Watch for

Green is where Gas Giant Exploitation often changes from “expensive detour” to “obvious solution.”

If Hydrogen or Deuterium production is taking over the factory, Orbital Collectors are solving a real problem rather than adding another system for its own sake.

Rare resources can also change the build ratio substantially:

These are different ways to make the same materials; the research path does not change.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [DYSON].

10. [DYSON] — Prepare the Photon Economy Before You Need It

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Automate Solar Sails, launch a useful swarm, and have Ray Receivers ready
Good target ~22.5 sails/min minimum demonstration, ~45/min comfortable starter swarm
Research next Solar Collection → Photon Frequency Conversion → Super Magnetic Field Generator → Solar Sail Orbit System → Ray Receiver → Planetary Ionosphere Utilization → Dirac Inversion
Keep an eye on Launching far more short-lived sails than you can use and building receivers without enough Dyson power
Move on when Sails and receivers are ready and the path to Dirac Inversion is active

Goal

Build the stellar-energy setup alongside late-game research so Critical Photon production does not become one huge wait at the end of the run.

You do not need a finished permanent Dyson Sphere for Mission Completed. You only need enough swarm or sphere power to keep the number of Ray Receivers you chose working properly.

Research first

  1. Solar Collection
  2. Photon Frequency Conversion
  3. Super Magnetic Field Generator
  4. Solar Sail Orbit System
  5. Ray Receiver
  6. Planetary Ionosphere Utilization
  7. Dirac Inversion Mechanism

Solar Sail Orbit System also depends on Super Magnetic Field Generator.

Do not wait until every technology that uses green cubes is finished before beginning this setup.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

Solar Sail production

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Solar Sails — 45/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 1 Arc Smelter — Iron Ingots — draws 22.5 Iron Ore/min.
  • 1 Arc Smelter — Copper Ingots — draws 11.25 Copper Ore/min.
  • 3 Arc Smelters — Glass — draw 135 Stone/min at stated output.
  • 2 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — draw 67.5 Coal/min.
  • 1 Oil Refinery — Plasma Refining — draws 16.875 Crude Oil/min.
  • Stone Mining Machines — supply another 22.5 Stone/min for Sulfuric Acid.
  • Water Pumps — supply 11.25 Water/min.

Pipeline

  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Circuit Boards.
  • 1 Mk.I Assembler — Prisms.
  • 2 Mk.I Assemblers — Photon Combiners.
  • 1 Chemical Plant — Sulfuric Acid and 1 — Graphene.

Output

  • 2 Mk.I Assemblers — Solar Sails.

Surplus Yield

  • 8.4375 Hydrogen/min — shown as ~8.44/min in the guide.
EM-Rail Ejector launch blockMANDATEDCONFIGURATION

Input

  • Automated Solar Sails and enough local power for the chosen ejector count.

Pipeline

  • Build EM-Rail Ejectors with clear sky access and assign a sail orbit.
  • Observe actual firing windows and sail consumption before expanding the ejector count.
  • Keep sail production and launch capacity visible as separate constraints.

Output

  • Ejectors maintain useful swarm capacity instead of merely existing idle or starving.

The guide deliberately does not derive ejector count from the 45-sail production card. Latitude, orbit geometry, uptime, and the desired Dyson output determine useful launch capacity.

Ray Receiver preparationMANDATEDCHECKLIST

Input

  • Prepared Ray Receivers, grid connection, and a Graviton Lens supply if lensed operation is intended.

Pipeline

  • Choose receiver sites with the best practical continuous receiving conditions.
  • Leave room to expand the array after real Dyson output is known.

Output

  • A receiver array ready to switch into photon-generation mode when Dirac Inversion completes.
Dyson output — satisfy the chosen receiver demandMANDATEDCAPACITY CHECK

Input

  • A functioning swarm or permanent sphere structure and the sail/rocket infrastructure chosen for it.

Pipeline

  • Compare available Dyson power with the live demand shown by the prepared receivers.
  • Expand stellar generation only when receiver demand is not being fully supplied.

Output

  • Enough swarm or sphere power to make the selected receiver count useful in the photon phase.

Mission Completed does not require a finished permanent sphere. The operational requirement is supplied receiver demand, not aesthetic completion.

Watch for

Solar Sails have finite lifetime.

Prepare the launch system early, but do not fire an enormous swarm far in advance of need unless you deliberately accept the expiry cost.

Do not choose the number of Ejectors from the sail build ratio alone. Launch capacity and useful swarm size depend on actual operation and the Dyson output you are trying to sustain.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [PHOTON].

11. [PHOTON] — Critical Photons and Antimatter

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Produce Critical Photons and Antimatter continuously at a rate that matches your intended finish pace
Good target Pick receiver count from the photon table below; 10 ideal lensed receivers ≈ 120 photons/min
Research next Ray Receiver → Planetary Ionosphere Utilization → Dirac Inversion Mechanism → photon generation → Antimatter
Keep an eye on Actual Dyson power and older blue/red/yellow cube lines that may now be slower than the new endgame machinery
Move on when Antimatter is continuous and all five cube lines can support your planned white-cube rate

Goal

Turn Dyson output into sustained Critical Photons and Antimatter at a rate that matches the white-cube pace you want.

Research first

The important order is:

  1. Ray Receiver
  2. Planetary Ionosphere Utilization
  3. Dirac Inversion Mechanism
  4. Critical Photon generation
  5. Photon Materialization
  6. Antimatter

Planetary Ionosphere Utilization does not by itself unlock photon production. You still need Dirac Inversion before you can start making Critical Photons.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

The research just before white is expensive enough that your older cube lines need to be real production lines by now, not tiny starter setups.

Planetary Ionosphere Utilization

Cube cost:

Dirac Inversion Mechanism

Cube cost:

That is why a blue, red, or yellow line that felt perfectly fine earlier can suddenly become the thing holding up the whole endgame.

How fast to make Critical Photons

Mission Completed ultimately consumes 4000 white cubes. On the ordinary route, that implies:

At ideal 100% Continuous Receiving with Graviton Lenses and enough Dyson power:

Ideal lensed receivers Critical Photons/min Theoretical time for 4000 photons
1 12 ~333 min
5 60 ~67 min
10 120 ~33 min
20 240 ~17 min

Real output depends on receiver conditions and available Dyson power.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Critical Photons — 120/min ideal targetMANDATEDSCALABLE

Input

  • Dyson power sufficient to satisfy ten receivers in photon-generation mode.
  • Graviton Lenses supplied to the receivers when using the lensed target.

Pipeline

  • Finish Planetary Ionosphere Utilization and Dirac Inversion.
  • Place 10 Ray Receivers in Photon Generation mode.
  • Maintain ideal 100% Continuous Receiving conditions for the headline rate.

Output

  • Ten lensed Ray Receivers feed the Photon Materialization line under ideal, fully powered conditions.

Real receiver output depends on continuous receiving and available Dyson power. Scale from measured output: 1 ideal lensed receiver ≈ 12 photons/min.

Antimatter — 120/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

  • 120 Critical Photons/min.

Pipeline

  • 2 Miniature Particle Colliders — Photon Materialization — each processes 60 photons/min at full load.

Output

  • 2 Miniature Particle Colliders — Antimatter output, feeding the white-cube line.

Surplus Yield

  • 120 Hydrogen/min.

Photon Materialization is a 1:1 photon-to-Antimatter conversion and returns the same quantity of Hydrogen as a co-product.

Watch for

Do not build receiver count in isolation from Dyson output.

Twenty receivers that cannot be fully supplied are not a 240-photon/min system.

Likewise, a huge Antimatter line is irrelevant if your older yellow-cube line can only feed white at 15/min.

Ready to move on when

Next

Go to [WHITE].

12. [WHITE] — White Cubes and Mission Completed

Phase dashboard

At a glance What matters now
Main goal Unlock white cubes, then produce the final 4000
Good target 20 white/min relaxed, 40/min comfortable, 80/min fast — only if every feeder can match it
Research next Universe Matrix tech (unlocks white cubes) → Mission Completed!
Keep an eye on Your slowest older cube line; white cubes can never run faster than their weakest input
Move on when Mission Completed is finished

Goal

Feed all five cube colors plus Antimatter into a continuous white-cube line, then supply the final 4000 white cubes for Mission Completed.

Research first

  1. Universe Matrix — unlocks white cubes
  2. Mission Completed!

The research path is simple. Keeping every ingredient flowing at the same time is the hard part.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers worth checking without rereading the whole phase.

Unlock the white recipe first

The Universe Matrix tech (white cube unlock) costs:

Only after that research finishes can you manufacture white cubes.

Each white cube then consumes:

A Matrix Lab produces 4 white cubes/min at baseline recipe speed.

White cube rate Production labs Required rate from each cube color Antimatter/min Time for 4000 white cubes
20/min 5 20/min each 20 200 min
40/min 10 40/min each 40 100 min
80/min 20 80/min each 80 50 min

A 40-white/min design is still only a 15-white/min factory if one older cube line can only produce 15/min.

At ideal lensed photon output, matching 20/40/80 Antimatter per minute requires roughly 2/4/7 fully supplied receivers respectively. Real conditions may require more.

Quick reference — Required builds

The collapsed card titles are the complete mandated-output list for this phase. Open a card when you want a verified build method; leave it closed when you prefer to solve the production chain yourself.

Universe Matrix technology — unlock batchMANDATEDFINITE BATCH

Input

  • 2,000 blue cubes.
  • 2,000 red cubes.
  • 2,000 yellow cubes.
  • 2,000 purple cubes.
  • 2,000 green cubes.

Pipeline

  • Feed the five cube colors into research labs and finish the Universe Matrix technology before constructing the white-cube production line.

Output

  • The Universe Matrix manufacturing recipe becomes available.
White cubes — 40/minMANDATEDCOMFORTABLE TARGET

Input

  • 40 blue cubes/min.
  • 40 red cubes/min.
  • 40 yellow cubes/min.
  • 40 purple cubes/min.
  • 40 green cubes/min.
  • 40 Antimatter/min.

Pipeline

  • Bring all six inputs to the white-cube district on independently observable feeds.
  • Scale the slowest feeder line rather than adding idle white labs.

Output

  • 10 Matrix Labs — white cubes.
  • Each baseline Matrix Lab produces 4 white cubes/min.

At 40/min, the final 4,000-white research batch takes 100 minutes if every feeder sustains the same rate.

Mission Completed — final 4,000 white cubesMANDATEDFINITE BATCH

Input

  • 4,000 white cubes.

Pipeline

  • Feed the completed white-cube production into research labs running Mission Completed.
  • Keep all six white-cube inputs healthy until the final cube is consumed.

Output

  • Mission Completed research finishes.
  • Theoretical batch times: 200 min at 20 white/min, 100 min at 40/min, or 50 min at 80/min.

Watch for

The most common endgame mistake is assuming the newest production line is the important one.

White-cube production asks every earlier cube line to work at once. The thing slowing you down may be a tiny blue, red, or yellow setup you built many hours ago and never touched again.

Ready to move on when

Next

Mission Completed.

After this point, there is no longer one required next step. The game opens up into scale, exploration, combat, permanent Dyson construction, rare-resource shortcuts, and megabase design.

Optional Paths

These are worth taking when they solve a problem you can already see. None of them needs to interrupt the main route just because it has become available.

[PLS] — Planetary Logistics as a Spaghetti-Reduction Tool

What it is for

Replace long cross-planet belts with drone transport while preserving functioning local production districts.

Take it when

Before ILS, avoid a broad rollout if it consumes titanium needed for the ILS rush.

Do this

Use:

Producer district → PLS Local Provider → drones → PLS Local Receiver → consumer district

For imported goods:

Remote ILS Provider → vessel → Home ILS Remote Receiver + Local Provider → drones → PLS Local Receiver

Replace one painful long-distance relationship at a time.

Return to the main route when

The goal is not a blueprint-perfect planet.

The goal is:

global spaghetti → drone logistics → local spaghetti

[PILE SORTER] — Integrated Logistics

What it is for

Fix production lines that are being held back by how quickly items can enter or leave the machines.

Take it when

Do this

Research it when machine input or output speed is already the problem.

Do not take it merely because it is available.

Return to the main route when

Once the sorters are no longer what is slowing the line down, return to the main progression path.

[GAS GIANT] — Orbital Collectors

What it is for

Use Orbital Collectors when making enough Hydrogen, Deuterium, or Fire Ice locally is becoming more trouble than it is worth.

Take it when

Do this

Take Orbital Collectors because you actually need the gas, not because the technology happens to be available in yellow.

Green is often the point where the economics become obvious.

Return to the main route when

Once gas supply is no longer slowing green or later production, return to the main route.

[INTERSTELLAR POWER] — Energy Exchangers and Accumulator Shipping

What it is for

Use this when powering remote worlds locally is awkward and shipping charged accumulators is genuinely easier.

Take it when

Do this

Compare the ongoing logistics burden with simply building local generation.

Remember that a new ILS can create a large temporary charging spike; do not mistake that brief load for the remote world's permanent demand.

Return to the main route when

Use the simpler power system. Do not create a logistics network merely to avoid a few easy local generators.

[ADVANCED MINING] — Large Remote Extraction Networks

What it is for

Make large multi-world mining networks quicker and less tedious to build.

Take it when

Do this

Treat it as a convenience upgrade for a factory that is already spread across many worlds.

It is not required for an efficient Mission Completed run.

Return to the main route when

If mining is no longer what is slowing expansion down, go fix whatever production or logistics problem actually is.

[DARK FOG] — Hidden Industrial Technology

What it is for

Access the hidden Dark Fog industrial branch in a long-run combat-focused game.

Take it when

Do this

Treat Dark Fog industry as a separate progression lane.

Holo Beacon can help you manage deliberate Relay interaction, but you still need the Dark Fog to reach the right levels and drop the required items.

Return to the main route when

For the default Mission Completed route: do not enter this branch at all.

One-Screen Default Checklist

[BOOTSTRAP]

[BLUE]

[RED]

[FLIGHT]

[TITANIUM]

[YELLOW]

[ILS]

[PURPLE]

[WARP]

[GREEN]

[DYSON]

[PHOTON]

[WHITE]

When you are not sure what is wrong

When progression stalls, ask these questions in order:

  1. Can I research the technology?
    If not, check which earlier technology is still missing.

  2. Can I build the recipe or machine?
    If not, check whether you are missing another technology or the machine that actually makes it.

  3. Can I keep supplying every required material?
    If not, find the material you cannot yet mine, make, or import reliably.

  4. Does the line still depend on me carrying or hand-feeding materials?
    If yes, automate the missing transport or storage step.

  5. Does everything work, but progress still crawls?
    Compare your production rates with the numbers in this guide and fix the slowest line.

A production line below the minimum for this stage is probably what you should fix first.

A line between minimum and comfortable is usually good enough to leave alone.

A line already above the comfortable target usually does not need more attention unless the next part of the game has started asking much more from it.