Dyson Sphere Program — Practical Progression Guide

Version 1.12 — coherent late-game mechanics and verified 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, a permanent pre-photon Dyson Sphere, 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.

Jump to the phase you are in. Use the phase strip on the right. If you are unsure, use the Quick Progress Index below.
Read YOU ARE HERE first. It reminds you what you just solved, what matters now, and what comes next.
Scan the phase dashboard. Your useful rate, next research, likely trouble spot, and move-on condition are all there.
Use the collapsed build cards only when you want the how. Every mandated phase output is listed; open one card, several, or none.
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 · SPHERE · PHOTON · WHITE

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]	Default swarm route to ≥1.655 GW Dyson generation
11	[SPHERE]	Optional slower permanent route to the photon-power target
12	[PHOTON]	Critical Photons and Antimatter
13	[WHITE]	Keep white cubes flowing and finish Mission Completed

Quick reference — Cube production targets

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	~40/min before sustained white-cube production
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

Electromagnetism
Automatic Metallurgy
Basic Assembling
Basic Logistics System
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

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

Iron and copper arrive continuously.
Basic smelting runs without manual feeding.
Magnetic Coils and Circuit Boards are automated.
Belts and sorters are readily available.
Adding ordinary factory machinery no longer requires repeated handcrafting.
Power has enough headroom for Matrix Labs and the coming oil setup.

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:

High-Efficiency Plasma Control
Plasma Extract Refining
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

Minimum: 20 blue/min
Comfortable: 40 blue/min
Later: ~60+/min when the long run of purple, green, and photon research starts waiting on blue

Quick reference — Required builds

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

Blue cubes are produced continuously.
Research labs run without hand-feeding.
Blue-cube output is at least 20/min.
Power has room for oil extraction and refining.
Basic factory components no longer consume every iron/copper batch.

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

Mecha Core Lv1
Mecha Core Lv2
Drive Engine Lv1
Drive Engine Lv2

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

Research or visibly queue:

Titanium Smelting
Magnetic Particle Trap
Processor
High-Efficiency Logistics System
Thruster
Vertical Construction Lv1
Planetary Logistics System
Reinforced Thruster

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

Minimum: 10 red/min
Comfortable: 20 red/min
Later: ~60+/min when the long run toward green and the endgame starts waiting on red

Quick reference — Required builds

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

Red cubes are produced continuously.
Red-cube output is at least 10/min.
Neither Hydrogen nor Refined Oil can permanently jam the refinery line.
Drive Engine Lv2 and Mecha Core Lv2 are reachable or complete.
The technologies needed before ILS are researched or visibly queued.

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

Drive Engine Lv2
Titanium Smelting
Finish the research needed for PLS:
- High-Efficiency Logistics System
- Thruster
- Vertical Construction Lv1
- Planetary Logistics System
Magnetic Particle Trap
Processor
Reinforced Thruster

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

Quick reference — How much is enough

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

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:

provide minimum autonomous local defense; or
accept that you may need to return and clear a new base later.

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

Ready to move on when

Drive Engine Lv2 is researched.
Titanium Smelting is researched.
PLS is researched or immediately researchable.
Magnetic Particle Trap and Processor are researched or queued.
Reinforced Thruster is researched or queued.
Fuel and core-energy margin are comfortable.
The titanium destination and its power plan are understood.

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:

Structure Matrix tech (yellow cube unlock)
High-Strength Titanium Alloy
Interstellar Logistics System

Quick reference — How much is enough

First serious haul

Aim for 810–860 Titanium Ingots.

That is a practical target for:

the 200 yellow cubes used by the ILS rush;
two initial ILS towers;
roughly 5–10 Logistics Vessels.

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

Persistent remote smelting

Minimum: ~60 Titanium Ingots/min
Comfortable starter source: ~120/min
Later: expand only when the home ILS is emptying the source faster than you can refill it

Quick reference — Required builds

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

Remote Titanium Ore extraction is operating.
Titanium is smelted at source.
The first serious return haul is large enough for the ILS rush.
Direct Silicon Ore mining is established or planned.
A persistent outpost has a power plan and, where relevant, a defense plan.

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:

80 yellow → High-Strength Titanium Alloy
120 yellow → Interstellar Logistics System

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:

Basic Chemical Engineering
Polymer Chemical Engineering
High-Strength Crystal
Structure Matrix — unlocks yellow cubes
High-Strength Titanium Alloy
Confirm the PLS required research
Confirm Reinforced Thruster
Interstellar Logistics System

ILS requires:

Planetary Logistics System
High-Strength Titanium Alloy
Reinforced Thruster, an easy-to-miss requirement

Quick reference — How much is enough

For the ILS rush:

Minimum: 7.5 yellow/min — 200 yellow cubes in about 26m40s
Comfortable: 15/min — 200 yellow cubes in about 13m20s
Later: do not build your final yellow setup yet; ILS and PLS are about to change how you move materials around the planet

Quick reference — Required builds

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

Yellow production is continuous.
Yellow-cube output is at least 7.5/min; ~15/min is comfortable.
200 yellow cubes are reserved for High-Strength Titanium Alloy and ILS.
High-Strength Titanium Alloy is complete.
ILS is complete or finishing.
Most non-yellow ILS hardware is already prepared.

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:

Applied Superconductor, if still missing
High-Strength Material
Particle Control
Processor, if still missing
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

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

Titanium arrives automatically.
Silicon arrives automatically or has an equally sustainable source.
Manual interplanetary hauling ends.
The grid can absorb ordinary ILS operation without repeated brownouts.

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

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

Titanium arrives automatically.
Silicon arrives automatically or has an equally sustainable source.
Manual interplanetary hauling is no longer routine.
Home-station charging no longer destabilizes the grid.
Imported materials can enter local PLS distribution where useful.
The main tech queue is explicitly pointed toward the Information Matrix tech (purple cube unlock).

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

Miniature Particle Collider
Strange Matter
Gravitational Wave Refraction

Branch B — Quantum Chip side

Casimir Crystal
High-Strength Glass
Wave Function Interference
Quantum Chip

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

Then unlock green

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

Minimum: 12 purple/min
Comfortable: 24/min
Later: ~40/min before sustained 40-white/min production

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

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:

silicon production rate
Processors
Plastic
Graphene
Carbon Nanotubes
Hydrogen
older blue/red/yellow cube production rates

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

Purple cubes are continuous.
Purple-cube output is at least 12/min; ~24/min is comfortable.
Processor production keeps pace.
Particle Broadband is stable.
Graphene and Carbon Nanotubes are stable.
Branch A is complete or actively progressing.
Branch B is complete or actively progressing.
Older blue/red/yellow cube rates have been rechecked.

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:

Gravitational Wave Refraction
Drive Engine Lv3
Mecha Core Lv4
Drive Engine Lv4
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

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

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:

If the answer is unclear, continue to green.

Ready to move on when

The detour has a named resource target.
Expensive pre-green warpers are not being used for routine logistics.
The target resource clearly makes an existing production problem easier.

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:

Quantum Chip
Gravitational Wave Refraction
Gravity Matrix — unlocks green cubes

After the first stable green line:

use the efficient 8:1 Space Warper recipe;
take vessel warp when an actual interstellar route needs it;
take Gas Giant Exploitation when Hydrogen, Deuterium, or Fire Ice will solve a production problem you already have;
keep the Dyson/photon lane moving in parallel.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Starter: 10 green/min
Comfortable: 20/min
For the endgame: scale toward ~40/min if you want the later research to move at a comfortable pace

Quick reference — Required builds

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:

Fire Ice can simplify Graphene
natural Organic Crystal can remove its synthetic chain
Optical Grating Crystal can alter the Casimir route
gas-giant Hydrogen/Deuterium can replace local production pressure

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

Ready to move on when

Green cubes are continuous.
Green-cube output is at least 10/min.
Quantum Chips are stable.
Strange Matter is stable.
Hydrogen and Deuterium have a deliberate supply route.
Cheap 8:1 Space Warpers are available.
Green is being scaled toward the desired endgame pace.
Dyson and photon preparation is already underway.

Go to [DYSON]. Use [SPHERE] instead only if you deliberately prefer the slower permanent route.

10. [DYSON] — Build the Photon Swarm

Phase dashboard

At a glance	What matters now
Main goal	Sustain 511 Solar Sail launches/min and ≥1.655 GW live swarm generation at Ray Transmission Efficiency Lv0
Good target	23 Mk.I Solar Sail assemblers feeding 80 EM-Rail Ejectors that average at least 32% firing duty
Research next	Solar Collection → Photon Frequency Conversion → Super Magnetic Field Generator → Solar Sail Orbit System → Ray Receiver
Keep an eye on	Solar Sail lifetime, star luminosity, measured Ejector firing duty, and the live Dyson generation readout
Move on when	The live swarm meets the GW target and the Ray Receiver technology is ready for the photon phase

Goal

The swarm route is a continuous production system rather than a one-time construction project:

raw materials → Solar Sails → EM-Rail Ejectors → sails in orbit → live Dyson power → Ray Receivers in [PHOTON]

Every sail launched into the swarm adds power only for its current researched lifetime. When sails expire, generation falls. Reaching the target once is therefore not enough: sail production and long-run launches must replace expiring sails at the same rate.

Why the target is 1.655 GW

The default finish pace is 40 white cubes/min. The next phase uses four fully warmed, lensed Ray Receivers to make 48 Critical Photons/min. Those receivers convert 960 MW at full output. At the starting 58% Ray Transmission Efficiency, the Dyson Swarm must generate approximately 1.655 GW to deliver that power after transmission losses.

Why the baseline needs 511 sails/min

At luminosity 1.0 and the base 5,400-second Solar Sail lifetime, a 1.655-GW swarm contains roughly 46,000 active sails. Keeping that population stable requires approximately 511 replacements/min. Use:

required launches/min = target watts × 60 ÷ (36,000 × star luminosity × sail lifetime seconds)

Higher luminosity, longer sail-life research, and better Ray Transmission Efficiency all reduce the required replacement stream. The calculated rate sizes the factory; the live Dyson generation readout is the final test.

How the launch block works

An EM-Rail Ejector launches 20 sails/min while it is firing, but it cannot fire continuously when the assigned orbit is outside its firing arc. The reference block uses 80 Ejectors: at a measured average duty of 32%, they sustain roughly 512 launches/min. If your measured duty is lower, add Ejectors; if it is higher, the block has spare capacity.

Research first

Solar Collection
Photon Frequency Conversion
Super Magnetic Field Generator
Solar Sail Orbit System
Ray Receiver

Solar Sail Orbit System has Super Magnetic Field Generator as an implicit requirement.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Requirement	Baseline target
Critical Photon capacity prepared for	48/min
Fully warmed lensed Ray Receivers prepared for	4
Receiver conversion capacity	960 MW
Live swarm generation at Ray Transmission Efficiency Lv0	≥1.655 GW
Solar Sail production and long-run launches	511/min
Reference Ejector block	80 at ≥32% average duty

Quick reference — Required builds

Solar Sails — 511/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

5 Arc Smelters — Iron Ingots — draw 255.5 Iron Ore/min.
3 Arc Smelters — Copper Ingots — draw 127.75 Copper Ore/min.
26 Arc Smelters — Glass — draw 1,533 Stone/min.
13 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — draw 766.5 Coal/min.
7 Oil Refineries — Plasma Refining — draw 191.625 Crude Oil/min at stated output.
Stone Mining Machines — supply 255.5 Stone/min for Sulfuric Acid.
Water Pumps — supply 127.75 Water/min.

Pipeline

3 Mk.I Assemblers — Circuit Boards.
12 Mk.I Assemblers — Prisms.
18 Mk.I Assemblers — Photon Combiners.
4 Chemical Plants — Sulfuric Acid.
7 Chemical Plants — Graphene.

Output

23 Mk.I Assemblers — Solar Sails → 511 Solar Sails/min.

Surplus Yield

~95.81 Hydrogen/min from Plasma Refining.

Solar Sail launches — 511/minMANDATEDLAUNCH

Input

511 Solar Sails/min.
96 MW peak grid capacity for the launch block.

Pipeline

80 EM-Rail Ejectors — 20 launches/min each while firing.
32% measured average firing duty → 512 effective launches/min.

Output

≥511 Solar Sails launched/min as a measured long-run average.

Watch for

Installed Ejectors are not launch throughput. Measure sail consumption or launches over a long enough interval to include day/night and orbit-angle downtime.

The swarm is the faster route to photons, but its operating cost never stops. If the continuing sail draw feels disproportionate, use [SPHERE] and convert the same industrial base into permanent structure.

Ready to move on when

Solar Sail production sustains the recalculated replacement rate.
Measured long-run launches sustain that same rate.
The researched Ray Transmission Efficiency level is known and the matching GW target is being used.
The live Dyson Swarm generation readout meets or exceeds that target.
Ray Receiver is complete.

Go to [PHOTON].

11. [SPHERE] — Optional Permanent Dyson Sphere

Phase dashboard

At a glance	What matters now
Main goal	Build permanent nodes, frames, and shell cells until live Dyson generation reaches the four-receiver power target
Good target	5 Small Carrier Rockets/min, 5 rocket launches/min, and 15 shell-cell sails/min
Research next	Solar Collection → Photon Frequency Conversion → Super Magnetic Field Generator → Solar Sail Orbit System → Ray Receiver → High-Strength Lightweight Structure → Vertical Launching Silo
Keep an eye on	Processors, Quantum Chips, Deuteron Fuel Rods, completed frame boundaries, and the live sphere-generation readout
Move on when	The permanent sphere meets the same GW target required by the receiver array

Goal

The permanent route replaces a continuously expiring swarm with a construction project:

raw materials → Frame Material → Dyson Sphere Components → Small Carrier Rockets → Vertical Launching Silo → nodes and frames → Solar Sails absorbed as shell cells → permanent Dyson power

What rockets build

Use the Dyson Sphere Editor to create a layer, place nodes, connect those nodes with frames, and designate enclosed shell areas. Small Carrier Rockets launched by the Vertical Launching Silo build the nodes and frames. Until those boundaries exist, the shell has nowhere to absorb sails.

What the Solar Sails do

Once a shell area is enclosed by completed structure, launched Solar Sails can leave the temporary swarm and become permanent cell points. The production block below makes 45 sails/min: 30/min are consumed while producing Dyson Sphere Components and the remaining 15/min are available for shell-cell filling.

Why this route is slower

The one-Silo reference line launches only 5 rockets/min, and the total construction time depends on the layer you draw. Large radii and dense frame patterns need more structure before sails can be absorbed. The route is slower to bring online than the swarm, but completed structure and cells do not expire.

What counts as complete

The shape determines how many rockets and sails are required, so there is no universal final rocket count. The endpoint remains numerical: reach ≥1.655 GW at Ray Transmission Efficiency Lv0, or the lower target corresponding to your researched level. Use the live Dyson generation readout rather than an estimated material total.

Research first

If you came directly from [GREEN], complete the shared solar-launch path before the sphere-specific technologies:

Solar Collection
Photon Frequency Conversion
Super Magnetic Field Generator
Solar Sail Orbit System
Ray Receiver
High-Strength Lightweight Structure
Vertical Launching Silo

Solar Sail Orbit System has Super Magnetic Field Generator as an implicit requirement. The sphere route still needs Solar Sails, EM-Rail Ejectors, and Ray Receivers; it changes how Dyson power is constructed, not the downstream photon machinery.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Requirement	Reference target
Small Carrier Rocket production	5/min
Vertical Launching Silos	1 supplied continuously
Rocket launches	5/min
Solar Sails available for shell cells	15/min
Reference shell Ejector block	2 at ≥40% average duty
Live permanent generation at Ray Transmission Efficiency Lv0	≥1.655 GW

Quick reference — Required builds

Small Carrier Rockets — 5/minOPTIONAL ROUTEKEEP

Input

7 Arc Smelters — Iron Ingots — draw 362.5 Iron Ore/min at stated output.
3 Arc Smelters — Magnets — draw 110 Iron Ore/min.
4 Arc Smelters — Copper Ingots — draw 201.25 Copper Ore/min.
8 Arc Smelters — High-Purity Silicon — draw 460 Silicon Ore/min.
7 Arc Smelters — Titanium Ingots — draw 400 Titanium Ore/min.
4 Arc Smelters — Glass — draw 215 Stone/min.
14 Arc Smelters — Energetic Graphite — draw 827.5 Coal/min.
14 Oil Refineries — Plasma Refining — draw 401.875 Crude Oil/min.
Stone Mining Machines — supply 402.5 Stone/min for Sulfuric Acid.
Water Pumps — supply 261.25 Water/min.
Hydrogen logistics — supply 439.0625 Hydrogen/min external net demand.

Pipeline

2 Arc Smelters — Steel; 2 Arc Smelters — Titanium Alloy.
6 Chemical Plants — Sulfuric Acid; 7 — Graphene; 4 — Carbon Nanotubes.
2 Chemical Plants — Plastic; 2 — Organic Crystals.
1 Mk.I Assembler — Gears; 1 — Magnetic Coils; 2 — Electric Motors; 1 — Electromagnetic Turbines; 1 — Super-Magnetic Rings.
2 Mk.I Assemblers — Circuit Boards; 5 — Microcrystalline Components; 4 — Processors.
2 Mk.I Assemblers — Titanium Crystals; 2 — Casimir Crystals; 3 — Titanium Glass; 6 — Plane Filters; 2 — Quantum Chips.
2 Miniature Particle Colliders — Deuterium; 3 Mk.I Assemblers — Deuteron Fuel Rods.
1 Mk.I Assembler — Prisms; 2 — Photon Combiners; 2 — Solar Sails.
4 Mk.I Assemblers — Frame Material → 30/min.
2 Mk.I Assemblers — Dyson Sphere Components → 10/min.

Output

1 Mk.I Assembler — Small Carrier Rockets → 5 Small Carrier Rockets/min.

Surplus Yield

15 Solar Sails/min remain after 30/min are consumed by Dyson Sphere Components.

Small Carrier Rocket launches — 5/minOPTIONAL ROUTELAUNCH

Input

5 Small Carrier Rockets/min.
18 MW active grid capacity.

Pipeline

1 Vertical Launching Silo — 5 launches/min while supplied.

Output

5 Small Carrier Rockets launched/min into the planned Dyson layer.

Solar Sail launches — 15/min for shell cellsOPTIONAL ROUTELAUNCH

Input

15 Solar Sails/min.
2.4 MW peak grid capacity.

Pipeline

2 EM-Rail Ejectors — 20 launches/min each while firing.
40% measured average firing duty → 16 effective launches/min.

Output

≥15 Solar Sails launched/min for shell-cell absorption.

Watch for

Rockets cannot fill a shell by themselves, and sails cannot become permanent until completed nodes and frames enclose a designated shell area. If either launch stream appears idle, inspect the Dyson Sphere Editor before expanding production.

Processors feed both Dyson Sphere Components and Quantum Chips. Deuteron Fuel Rods feed both rockets and fusion power. This route deliberately stresses lines that green science may already be using heavily.

Ready to move on when

Small Carrier Rockets are stable at 5/min.
One Vertical Launching Silo sustains 5 launches/min.
Completed nodes and frames enclose at least one designated shell area.
At least 15 Solar Sails/min are launched for shell-cell absorption.
The researched Ray Transmission Efficiency level is known and the matching GW target is being used.
The live permanent sphere generation readout meets or exceeds that target.

Return to [PHOTON].

12. [PHOTON] — Critical Photons and Antimatter

Phase dashboard

At a glance	What matters now
Main goal	Sustain 48 Critical Photons/min and convert them into 48 Antimatter/min
Good target	4 fully warmed lensed Ray Receivers feeding 1 Miniature Particle Collider
Research next	Planetary Ionosphere Utilization → Dirac Inversion Mechanism; then Controlled Annihilation Reaction only when Antimatter Fuel Rods are useful
Keep an eye on	Continuous Receiving, Receiver Strength, lens supply, available Dyson power, and returned Hydrogen
Move on when	48 Critical Photons/min and 48 Antimatter/min are continuous, and all five cube colors can reach 40/min

Goal

The photon economy connects the Dyson project to ordinary item production:

live Dyson power → lensed Ray Receivers → Critical Photons → Miniature Particle Collider → Antimatter + Hydrogen → white cubes in [WHITE]

How Ray Receivers become production buildings

Ray Receivers normally convert Dyson output into grid power. Dirac Inversion Mechanism unlocks the Photon Materialization recipe and the Receiver's Photon Generation mode. In that mode, each fully warmed receiver supplied with a Graviton Lens converts up to 240 MW and produces 12 Critical Photons/min.

Receiver output depends on three separate conditions: Continuous Receiving must warm up, Receiver Strength must reach 100%, and the swarm or sphere must have enough uncommitted generation to satisfy the requested power. A Receiver can be built, lensed, and set correctly while still producing below its advertised rate if any one of those conditions is missing.

What the Graviton Lenses do

Planetary Ionosphere Utilization allows Graviton Lenses to support the Receiver array. Four lensed Receivers consume only 0.4 lenses/min in total. Your green-science line already produces Graviton Lenses at a much higher rate, so this phase normally requires a reserved feed and local buffer rather than a new factory.

How Antimatter is made

The Photon Materialization recipe unlocked by Dirac Inversion Mechanism runs in a Miniature Particle Collider. It converts Critical Photons into Antimatter one-for-one and returns the same quantity of Hydrogen. One Collider can process 60 photons/min, so the four-Receiver stream of 48/min fits in one building with headroom.

Technology order

Photon Materialization is a recipe, not a technology. There is no separate “Antimatter” technology. The required research order for this phase is Planetary Ionosphere Utilization followed by Dirac Inversion Mechanism.

Controlled Annihilation Reaction is a real later technology. It unlocks Annihilation Constraint Spheres and Antimatter Fuel Rods; it is useful for Artificial Stars, but it is not required to manufacture Antimatter or complete the main mission.

Research first

Planetary Ionosphere Utilization
Dirac Inversion Mechanism

After Antimatter is flowing, take Controlled Annihilation Reaction only when you intend to make Antimatter Fuel Rods or continue toward Artificial Star.

Quick reference — How much is enough

Finish pace	Lensed Receivers	Critical Photons/min	Antimatter/min available
Relaxed — 20 white/min	2	24	24
Comfortable — 40 white/min	4	48	48
Fast — 80 white/min	7	84	84

The two required technologies also test the older cube lines:

Planetary Ionosphere Utilization: 2,000 blue, 2,000 red, 2,000 yellow, and 2,000 green.
Dirac Inversion Mechanism: 3,000 blue, 3,000 red, 750 yellow, 750 purple, and 1,500 green.

Quick reference — Required builds

Critical Photons — 48/minMANDATEDCOMFORTABLE TARGET

Input

≥1.655 GW live Dyson generation at Ray Transmission Efficiency Lv0, or the corresponding upgraded target.
0.4 Graviton Lenses/min.

Pipeline

4 Ray Receivers — Photon Generation.
240 MW, 0.1 Graviton Lens/min, and 12 Critical Photons/min per fully warmed receiver.

Output

48 Critical Photons/min.

Antimatter — 48/minMANDATEDKEEP

Input

48 Critical Photons/min.

Pipeline

1 Miniature Particle Collider — Photon Materialization.
60 Critical Photons/min maximum collider throughput.

Output

48 Antimatter/min.

Surplus Yield

48 Hydrogen/min.

Watch for

Receivers do not begin at full output. Let Continuous Receiving warm up before judging the array, and verify that the Dyson source is supplying the full requested power.

The Collider returns Hydrogen at the same rate as Antimatter. Route or buffer it so the output cannot back up and stop Photon Materialization.

Ready to move on when

Four Ray Receivers remain continuously lensed.
The array reaches 100% Continuous Receiving and 100% Receiver Strength.
The array sustains 48 Critical Photons/min.
One Miniature Particle Collider sustains 48 Antimatter/min.
Returned Hydrogen cannot block the Collider.
Blue, red, yellow, purple, and green cube lines can each reach 40/min.

Go to [WHITE].

13. [WHITE] — White Cubes and Mission Completed!

Phase dashboard

At a glance	What matters now
Main goal	Research the white-cube recipe, sustain 40 white cubes/min, and feed the final 4,000 into Mission Completed!
Good target	20/min relaxed, 40/min comfortable, or 80/min fast — only if every feeder can match it
Research next	Universe Matrix → Mission Completed!
Keep an eye on	The slowest older cube line; white-cube production cannot run faster than its weakest input
Move on when	Mission Completed! finishes

Goal

The final phase is a synchronization problem:

five established cube lines + Antimatter → white-cube Matrix Labs → white-cube stock and research feed → Mission Completed!

Unlock the recipe first

Universe Matrix is the technology that unlocks white-cube manufacturing. It consumes 2,000 blue, 2,000 red, 2,000 yellow, 2,000 purple, and 2,000 green cubes. This is a research batch, not part of the production build.

Then build the synchronized production line

Each white cube consumes one cube of every earlier color plus one Antimatter. A baseline Matrix Lab produces 4 white cubes/min, so the comfortable target uses 10 production Labs and requires 40/min from each of the six inputs.

The white Labs are rarely the real bottleneck. All five earlier Matrix lines must now operate together, and the final rate is set by the slowest one. Watch each feed independently and expand the starved source rather than adding idle white Labs.

Finish the main mission

After white cubes are flowing, queue Mission Completed! in the research Labs. It consumes 4,000 white cubes. At a sustained 40/min, the final batch takes 100 minutes; 20/min takes 200 minutes, and 80/min takes 50 minutes.

Research first

Universe Matrix — unlocks white-cube manufacturing
Mission Completed! — consumes the final 4,000 white cubes

Quick reference — How much is enough

White cube rate	Production Labs	Required from each cube color	Antimatter/min	Time for 4,000
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

The default [PHOTON] array supplies 48 Antimatter/min, leaving 8/min of headroom over the comfortable white-cube line.

Quick reference — Required builds

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

6 independent input feeds — each sustained at 40 items/min.

Output

10 Matrix Labs — white cubes → 40 white cubes/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 limiting factory may be a tiny blue, red, or yellow setup built many hours ago.

Ready to move on when

Universe Matrix is complete.
All five cube colors sustain the chosen white-cube rate.
Antimatter sustains the same rate; the default photon line provides 48/min.
The white-cube line is continuous.
Mission Completed! is consuming or has consumed the final 4,000 white cubes.

Mission Completed!.

After this point, there is no longer one required next step. The game opens into scale, exploration, combat, larger 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

a long belt route is difficult to extend or maintain;
several consumers need the same intermediate;
imported ILS materials need distribution around the home planet;
local routing is consuming more attention than production itself.

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

dense blocks back up at machine inputs or outputs;
ordinary sorters force awkward parallel lines;
purple or green scaling is visibly held back by insertion speed.

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

Hydrogen is actively holding back Casimir or green production;
making enough Deuterium locally is taking over too much of the factory;
Fire Ice would noticeably simplify Graphene;
your starting gas giant provides something that would solve a problem you already have.

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

a remote mining world has poor local power options;
you deliberately want centralized generation;
charged-accumulator logistics are simpler than maintaining many remote plants.

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

many remote mining worlds are already operating;
laying individual miners and collection belts dominates outpost setup time;
ILS-based extraction networks are already mature.

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

deliberate Dark Fog farming is already part of the run;
the enemy has reached the levels needed for the relevant drops;
the upgraded industrial buildings will operate long enough to repay the farming effort.

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]

Basic mining and smelting automated
Magnetic Coils and Circuit Boards automated
Belts and sorters readily available
Power margin exists

[BLUE]

Sustained blue cubes
20/min minimum; ~40/min comfortable
Plasma refining path open

[RED]

Sustained red cubes
10/min minimum; ~20/min comfortable
Hydrogen and Refined Oil both managed
Drive Engine Lv2 + Mecha Core Lv2
Research needed before ILS prepared

[FLIGHT]

Titanium Smelting
Research needed for PLS prepared
Magnetic Particle Trap + Processor prepared
Reinforced Thruster prepared
Reliable expedition fuel and outpost kit

[TITANIUM]

Remote titanium extraction
Titanium smelted at source
810–860 ingot practical first-haul target
Direct silicon established if convenient
Persistent outpost power/defense decision made

[YELLOW]

7.5/min minimum; ~15/min comfortable
80 yellow → High-Strength Titanium Alloy
120 yellow → ILS
First ILS hardware prepared in parallel

[ILS]

Automated titanium
Automated silicon or equivalent sustainable supply
Manual interplanetary hauling retired
ILS charging spike understood
Long import belts beginning to move onto PLS where useful
Information Matrix tech (purple cube unlock) prioritized

[PURPLE]

12/min minimum; ~24/min comfortable
Processor production keeps up
Particle Broadband stable
Graphene/Carbon Nanotube production keeps up
Miniature Particle Collider → Strange Matter → Gravitational Wave Refraction
Casimir Crystal + High-Strength Glass → Wave Function Interference → Quantum Chip
Older blue/red/yellow cube rates rechecked

[WARP]

Concrete rare-resource payoff? → optional detour
No concrete payoff? → continue directly to green

[GREEN]

10/min minimum; ~20/min comfortable
Hydrogen/Deuterium route deliberately chosen
Cheap 8:1 Space Warpers available
Scale toward ~40/min for a brisk endgame pace

[DYSON]

Solar Sail line automated
Ejectors operating
Ray Receivers prepared
Useful swarm/sphere output available

[PHOTON]

Planetary Ionosphere Utilization
Dirac Inversion
Critical Photons continuous
Antimatter continuous
Photon rate matched to intended finish pace

[WHITE]

2000 of each cube color budgeted for the Universe Matrix tech
Chosen white-cube rate supported by every cube color
Antimatter supports the same rate
4000 white cubes supplied to Mission Completed

When you are not sure what is wrong

When progression stalls, ask these questions in order:

Can I research the technology?
If not, check which earlier technology is still missing.
Can I build the recipe or machine?
If not, check whether you are missing another technology or the machine that actually makes it.
Can I keep supplying every required material?
If not, find the material you cannot yet mine, make, or import reliably.
Does the line still depend on me carrying or hand-feeding materials?
If yes, automate the missing transport or storage step.
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.

Dyson Sphere Program — Practical Progression Guide

A practical route from your first factory to Mission Completed

Cube names used in this guide

How to use this guide without constantly rereading it

Quick Progress Index

Quick reference — Cube production targets

0. [BOOTSTRAP] — Stop Handcrafting the Factory

Phase dashboard

Goal

Research first

Quick reference — How much is enough

Quick reference — Required builds

Input

Pipeline

Output

Input

Pipeline

Output

Input

Pipeline

Output

Input

Pipeline

Output

Watch for

Ready to move on when

Next

1. [BLUE] — Get Blue Cubes Running

Phase dashboard

Goal

Research first

Quick reference — How much is enough

Quick reference — Required builds

Input

Pipeline

Output

Watch for

Ready to move on when

Next

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

Phase dashboard

Goal

Research first

Get ready to fly

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

Quick reference — How much is enough

Quick reference — Required builds

Input

Pipeline

Output

Surplus Yield

Watch for

Ready to move on when

Next

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

Phase dashboard

Goal

Research first

Quick reference — How much is enough

Quick reference — Required builds

Input

Pipeline

Output

Watch for

Persistent remote outposts on Dark Fog runs

Ready to move on when

Next

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

Phase dashboard

Goal

Research first

Quick reference — How much is enough

First serious haul

Persistent remote smelting

Quick reference — Required builds

Input

Pipeline

Output

Input

Pipeline