Dyson Sphere Program — Practical Progression Guide
A practical route from your first factory to Mission Completed
I made this guide while learning DSP because I kept losing the thread between one successful build and the next. It's meant to stay open while you're playing, not be read once from top to bottom and memorized.
The rhythm that worked for me 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 → ILS → Yellow → Purple → Green → Dyson → Photon → White → Mission Completed → Logistics
Cube names used in this guide
DSP gives every cube a formal name, but in the middle of a build 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's 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. They're real options, but this guide doesn't make them mandatory. Take one when it solves a problem you can already name.
How to use this guide without constantly rereading it
Build-card assumptions
The build cards use standard recipes, no rare-resource substitutions, and no proliferation unless an Operating Note says otherwise.
Card presentation: Cards are optional high-level production references. The guide tells you what matters and why; a card shows the complete shape of one useful line without turning its internals into a machine-count exercise.
Card grammar: Supplies names the raw or established inputs. Production Map shows short branches and their convergence in build order. Destination states the exact end-product target and where it goes. Surplus Yield names only real reusable or blocking byproduct types. Operating Note appears only when something changes how the line is built or kept running.
Finite batches, travel loadouts, research purchases, route configuration, and orbital operation remain in phase prose. Exact internal draw rates, machine counts, belt counts, fill timers, and capacity margins are intentionally left to the factory you actually build.
Recipe provenance: Production paths and technology names were checked against the supplied runtime-derived canonical dataset.
Reusable production-line references2 LINES
These are shared intermediate lines, not phase objectives. Linked cards open the exact reference they reuse.
Reusable line — Electromagnetic Turbines
Supplies
- Iron Ore.
- Copper Ore.
Production Map
Destination
- Electromagnetic Turbines → storage or the linked consuming line.
Reusable line — Graphene
Supplies
- Crude Oil.
- Stone.
- Water.
- Coal.
Production Map
Destination
- Graphene → storage or the linked consuming line.
That's the whole pattern: find your place → take the detail you need → go back to the game.
- Jump to the phase you're in. Use the phase strip on the right. If you're 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 production line that earns a card is listed; finite procedures stay in the phase text.
- Read the rest only when you need the why. You shouldn't have to reread a chapter just to recover one number.
And when you do come back:
You aren't expected to remember where every table or ratio lives. Leave the guide open, disappear into the game for a while, and come back when you can no longer remember why half the belts exist.
Quick Progress Index
Quick jump: BOOT · BLUE · RED · FLIGHT · TI · ILS · YELLOW · PURPLE · WARP · GREEN · DYSON · SPHERE · PHOTON · WHITE · LOGISTICS
Coming back from the game and not sure where you left off? Find the last milestone you can honestly remember completing, then jump to the next row. The tag in brackets takes you straight there.
| Stage | Search tag | What you're 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 | [ILS] | Turn the measured expedition reserves into two ILS towers and five vessels |
| 6 | [YELLOW] | Build sustainable yellow science after interplanetary supply is automated |
| 7 | [PURPLE] | Keep purple cubes flowing and unlock both paths to green |
| 8 | [WARP] | Optional mecha travel, vessel logistics, and rare-resource shortcuts |
| 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 |
| 14 | [LOGISTICS] | Automate the stations and carriers that make postgame expansion repeatable |
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 don't need to memorize them.
These are useful targets for keeping the run moving, not commandments for how every factory must 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 | 15/min finite ILS bootstrap | 22.5/min sustainable line | ~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 |
Don't build the endgame factory during the blue phase. Expand the older cube line that research is visibly waiting on.
0. [BOOTSTRAP] — Stop Handcrafting the Factory
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Replace routine handcrafting with four small mall blocks |
| Useful cube target | None at first; begin blue production once the no-matrix tools and first mall blocks are operating |
| Research next | Mecha Core Lv1 and affordable no-matrix unlocks → Electromagnetism → Automatic Metallurgy → Basic Assembling → Basic Logistics System → Electromagnetic Matrix |
| Keep an eye on | Power headroom and a mall block waiting on a recipe you have not researched yet |
| Move on when | Belts, Sorters, Miners, Smelters, Assemblers, storage, and basic power replenish without handcrafting |
Goal
Your first job is to stop being the factory. Build the mall in short blocks rather than one sprawling machine that tries to know the whole early tech tree in advance.
Start with logistics, then let those Belts and Sorters help build the industry, storage, and power blocks. Steel, Foundations, and combat ammunition are deliberately separate: their recipes arrive later, so they no longer leave dead belts running through the rest of the mall.
Research first
Clear useful research you can pay for with gathered parts while the mall develops. Take Mecha Core Lv1, Electromagnetism, Automatic Metallurgy, Basic Assembling, Basic Logistics System, and Mass Construction as their materials become available. Research Electromagnetic Matrix after the factory-making tools are underway.
Don't force ingredient-locked research. Steel, Energetic Graphite, and other blue-funded recipes can wait for BLUE; their mall blocks are isolated so the rest remains useful now.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Each mall block should refill its stated limited boxes without Icarus. Build the blocks sequentially and let them share the supplies already on the floor; these are small sleeping buffers, not four competing starter megabases.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Mall Logistics — buffer 600 Belts + 400 Sorters
Supplies
- Iron Ore.
- Copper Ore.
Production Map
BUILD NOW
ADD AFTER Basic Logistics System
PHASE-COMPLETE LINE
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Conveyor Belt Mk.I — limit the buffer to 600 Belts.
- Storage Mk.I — Sorter Mk.I — limit the buffer to 400 Sorters.
Mall Industry — buffer 50 Miners + 50 Smelters + 50 Mk.I Assemblers
Supplies
- Iron Ore.
- Copper Ore.
- Stone.
- Gears from Mall Logistics.
- Circuit Boards from Mall Logistics.
Production Map
ADD AFTER Automatic Metallurgy
ADD AFTER Basic Assembling
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Mining Machines — limit the buffer to 50.
- Storage Mk.I — Arc Smelters — limit the buffer to 50.
- Storage Mk.I — Assembling Machine Mk.I — limit the buffer to 50.
Mall Storage — buffer 50 Storage Mk.I + 50 Storage Tanks
Supplies
- Iron Ore.
- Stone.
Production Map
ADD AFTER Basic Logistics System
ADD AFTER Fluid Storage Encapsulation
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Storage Mk.I — limit the buffer to 50.
- Storage Mk.I — Storage Tanks — limit the buffer to 50.
Mall Power — buffer 50 Wind Turbines + 100 Tesla Towers + 200 Combustible Units
Supplies
- Iron Ore.
- Copper Ore.
- Coal.
- Gears from Mall Logistics.
Production Map
ADD AFTER Electromagnetism
BUILD ALONGSIDE THE GRID
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Wind Turbines — limit the buffer to 50.
- Storage Mk.I — Tesla Towers — limit the buffer to 100.
- Storage Mk.I — Combustible Units — limit the buffer to 200.
Watch for
Power headroom. Add generation before sustained demand reaches the ceiling.
One giant mall bus. Six short blocks are easier to activate, troubleshoot, and abandon later than one early monument to optimism.
Ready to move on when
- Iron, copper, Magnetic Coils, and Circuit Boards arrive continuously.
- Belts, Sorters, Miners, Smelters, Assemblers, Storage Mk.I, Storage Tanks, Wind Turbines, and Tesla Towers replenish automatically.
- The Steel/Foundation block is reserved for its BLUE unlocks rather than blocking the working mall.
- Power has enough headroom for Matrix Labs and oil processing.
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 | Stabilize Electromagnetic Matrix production; RED will spend the output on graphite, Steel, Foundations, oil refining, and the red-cube unlock |
| Keep an eye on | Don't 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
Blue cubes should become background noise—in the good sense. Keep them running so research no longer waits for you to remember the recipe.
This phase is about making blue science dependable, not consuming its first output on every visible branch. Once the line holds at 20/min without hand-feeding, the RED phase will tell you exactly where those cubes go.
Research first
Electromagnetic Matrix should be the final BOOTSTRAP unlock. Set its recipe in the Matrix Labs, automate the two component feeds, and let the first blue stock accumulate.
Don't wait here for the red-science technology chain. Move on once blue is continuous; RED owns the blue-funded research for Energetic Graphite, Steel, Foundations, oil refining, and the red-cube recipe.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers you're most likely to need without rereading the whole phase.
- 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
Use this as a production outline, not a layout. Follow the material path and build enough capacity to hold the target; route the belts in whatever way still makes sense on your planet.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Blue Cubes — 40/min
Supplies
- Iron Ore.
- Copper Ore.
Production Map
Destination
- Matrix Labs — blue cubes — sustain 40 blue cubes/min into research, with overflow storage if desired.
Watch for
Don't 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.
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 | Run two red-cube Labs continuously without deadlocking Plasma Refining |
| Useful cube target | 20 red/min |
| Research next | Steel Smelting → Reclamation → Smelting Purification → Plasma Extract Refining → Energy Matrix |
| Keep an eye on | Refined Oil storage; either full refinery output can block the other |
| Move on when | Two Labs sustain 20 red/min and Refined Oil has a continuing outlet |
Goal
Build the first genuinely coupled production line: coal becomes Energetic Graphite, crude oil becomes Hydrogen and Refined Oil, and the Hydrogen plus Graphite become red cubes. The refinery does not care which output you wanted; if either one backs up, both stop.
Research first
Use blue science to unlock the production chain itself: Steel Smelting, Reclamation, Smelting Purification, Plasma Extract Refining, then Energy Matrix. Flight research belongs to the next phase, after this line works.
Quick reference — How much is enough
20 red/min is the phase target. Store the paired Refined Oil instead of treating it as waste; yellow and purple chemistry will find uses for it soon enough.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Red Cubes — 20/min
Supplies
- Crude Oil.
- Coal.
Production Map
Destination
- Matrix Labs — red cubes — sustain 20 red cubes/min into research, with overflow storage if desired.
Watch for
Full Refined Oil storage. Add another tank or a real consumer before the Hydrogen line quietly stops.
Ready to move on when
- Two Matrix Labs sustain 20 red cubes/min.
- Energetic Graphite arrives without hand-feeding.
- Hydrogen and Refined Oil both have live outlets.
- Steel and Foundations are available from the tech-bound mall block.
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 | Engine → Drive Engine Lv1 + Mecha Core Lv2 → Drive Engine Lv2; then prepare the listed titanium and PLS support research |
| 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
This isn't a sightseeing trip. Leave the starter planet safely and come back with 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
Now that red cubes are sustainable, spend them on the flight closure:
- Engine — unlocks the component needed to pay for Drive Engine Lv1.
- Drive Engine Lv1.
- Mecha Core Lv2.
- Drive Engine Lv2 — requires both Drive Engine Lv1 and Mecha Core Lv2.
While fuel and the expedition loadout are being prepared, continue through the support research that makes the titanium trip useful:
- Titanium Smelting.
- High-Efficiency Logistics System.
- Thruster and Vertical Construction Lv1.
- Planetary Logistics System.
- Magnetic Particle Trap.
- Processor.
- Reinforced Thruster.
Planetary Logistics System has implicit requirements in addition to its visible branch: Thruster and Vertical Construction Lv1. Queue them here rather than discovering the gap after the titanium trip.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Looking something up mid-build? Start here. These are the numbers you're most likely to need without rereading the whole phase.
There's no cube target here. The target is a trip that changes what your factory can do.
Before launch, carry enough fuel and core-energy margin to survive a bad approach, plus enough construction material to leave a real outpost behind. A token miner and a promise to come back don't count.
Watch for
Persistent remote outposts on Dark Fog runs
An unattended mining world can acquire an unpleasant new neighbor while you're away.
Before leaving a persistent outpost behind, make the choice explicitly:
- provide minimum autonomous local defense; or
- accept that you may need to return and clear a new base later.
Don't configure early defenses to attack orbital or Relay targets unless escalation is deliberate.
Ready to move on when
- Drive Engine Lv2 and Mecha Core Lv2 are researched.
- Titanium Smelting is researched.
- Planetary Logistics System is researched or immediately researchable.
- Magnetic Particle Trap, Processor, and Reinforced Thruster are researched or queued.
- Fuel and core-energy margin are comfortable.
- The titanium destination and its power plan are understood.
Next
Go to [TITANIUM].
4. [TITANIUM] — Provision the ILS Bootstrap
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Return with 860 Titanium Ingots and 520 High-Purity Silicon while leaving both remote smelting lines ready for ILS |
| Good target | 120/min of each smelted product |
| Research next | Only the prerequisites needed to expose the ILS bootstrap recipes |
| Keep an eye on | Inventory space, outpost power, and basic autonomous defense in Dark Fog games |
| Move on when | Both measured reserves are home and both remote lines terminate in storage beside future ILS sites |
Goal
This is not merely a titanium trip. It provisions the entire first logistics bridge.
Bring home 860 Titanium Ingots: 600 become the 200 yellow-cube research batch, 180 become Titanium Alloy, and 80 go directly into the two Planetary Logistics Stations used inside the ILS pair. Bring 520 High-Purity Silicon: that becomes the 130 Processors required by two PLS towers and five Logistics Vessels.
Smelt both materials at the source. The homeworld has neither vein, and the same two lines will become Remote Providers once the towers exist.
Research first
Do not turn the expedition into a technology holiday. Prepare the chemical, Processor, logistics, and reinforced-thruster prerequisites needed by [ILS].
Quick reference — How much is enough
- 860 Titanium Ingots in the return cargo.
- 520 High-Purity Silicon in the return cargo.
- Remote storage and power remain in place beside both smelting lines.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
First Off-World Smelting Outpost — 860 Titanium Ingots + 520 High-Purity Silicon
Supplies
- Titanium Ore veins.
- Silicon Ore veins.
- Independent outpost power.
Production Map
Destination
- Storage — Titanium Ingots — collect at least 860 for the first return trip.
- Storage — High-Purity Silicon — collect at least 520 for the first return trip.
Watch for
Hauling ore. Ore consumes twice the cargo space of the smelted product and leaves you with no ready-made remote provider line.
Unprotected infrastructure. In a Dark Fog game, leave enough defense that the outpost does not become an expensive distress call.
Ready to move on when
- 860 Titanium Ingots and 520 High-Purity Silicon are on the homeworld.
- Remote Titanium Ingot production is stable at 120/min.
- Remote High-Purity Silicon production is stable at 120/min.
- Both output storages have room for a future ILS beside them.
Next
Go to [ILS].
5. [ILS] — Build the First Automated Interplanetary Route
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Build two ILS towers and five vessels, then receive both off-world smelted products automatically |
| Fixed expedition allocation | 600 Titanium Ingots to yellow science; 180 to Titanium Alloy; 80 to two PLS components; 520 High-Purity Silicon to 130 Processors |
| Research next | Structure Matrix → High-Strength Titanium Alloy → verify Planetary Logistics System and Reinforced Thruster → Interstellar Logistics System |
| Keep an eye on | Building the component batches in sequence so one shared line is not expected to feed two consumers at once |
| Move on when | Home receives Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon without Icarus |
Goal
This is the ILS rush explained rather than invoked like a secret handshake.
- Feed 600 Titanium Ingots into the finite yellow line and make 200 cubes.
- Feed 180 Titanium Ingots, 180 Steel, and 360 Sulfuric Acid into Titanium Alloy.
- Reserve the final 80 Titanium Ingots for two PLS components.
- Feed all 520 High-Purity Silicon into the Processor line and reserve 130 Processors.
- Build 210 Electromagnetic Turbines, then 80 Particle Containers.
- Spend 80 yellow on High-Strength Titanium Alloy and 120 yellow on Interstellar Logistics System.
For the final hardware, gather 80 Steel, 80 Titanium Ingots, 130 Processors, 80 Particle Containers, 180 Titanium Alloy, and 210 Electromagnetic Turbines. Replicate or assemble two PLS components, upgrade them into two ILS towers, and build five Logistics Vessels. The 210 Turbines divide into 160 for Particle Containers and 50 for the vessels' Reinforced Thrusters.
Place one ILS at each remote smelting colony as Remote Provider. At home, use powered Remote Receiver slots for Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon, install the vessels, and filter the outbound belts. When both products arrive without you, the rush is over.
Research first
Complete the chemical and Processor prerequisites, unlock Structure Matrix, research High-Strength Titanium Alloy, confirm Planetary Logistics System and the implicit Reinforced Thruster requirement, then research Interstellar Logistics System.
Quick reference — How much is enough
- 200 yellow cubes: 80 for Titanium Alloy and 120 for ILS.
- 2 ILS towers: one source-side arrangement and one powered home receiver can service both products; separate remote towers are fine when the mines are far apart.
- 5 Logistics Vessels: enough to retire the manual hauling loop in the starting system.
Quick reference — Bootstrap procedure
- Make the finite 200-yellow-cube batch; spend 80 on High-Strength Titanium Alloy and 120 on Interstellar Logistics System.
- Build the Steel, Titanium Alloy, Processor, Electromagnetic Turbine, and Particle Container quantities listed in Goal. Use the Replicator or temporary Assemblers: this is a narrow bootstrap, not a permanent mall.
- Make two PLS components, upgrade them into two ILS towers, and build five Logistics Vessels.
- Set the remote product slots to Remote Provider. Set the powered home slots to Remote Receiver, load the Vessels there, and connect filtered output belts.
- Finish only when Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon arrive without Icarus.
Watch for
Shared lines. Fill the 210-Turbine reserve before connecting Particle Containers; otherwise the container line can consume the same Turbines you intended for vessel thrusters.
ILS charging. A new station can draw a large temporary charging load. Lower its charging-power setting rather than rebuilding the grid around a transient spike.
Ready to move on when
- Two ILS towers and five Logistics Vessels exist.
- The remote Titanium Ingot line is a Remote Provider.
- The remote High-Purity Silicon line is a Remote Provider.
- The powered home ILS receives both products automatically.
- Manual interplanetary hauling is no longer part of normal production.
Next
Go to [YELLOW] and build the sustainable cube line that the bootstrap deliberately postponed.
6. [YELLOW] — Build Sustainable Yellow Science
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Build a continuous 22.5 yellow/min line from normalized local extraction and imported Titanium Ingots |
| Good target | 22.5 yellow/min now; expand only when research is visibly waiting on yellow |
| Research next | Applied Superconductor if needed → High-Strength Material → Particle Control → Information Matrix |
| Keep an eye on | Plastic and Organic Crystal chemistry, Refined Oil balance, and the Titanium ILS receiver |
| Move on when | Yellow runs continuously and the research queue is pointed at purple |
Goal
Now build yellow for real. The ILS bootstrap proved the recipes and bought the logistics network; this phase gives those recipes permanent extraction, continuous imported Titanium, and enough integer machine capacity to remain useful through purple research.
The production order is coal and oil first, then Plastic and Organic Crystals, then Titanium Crystals and Diamonds, and finally three yellow-cube Labs. Store every chemical surplus. Purple will arrive shortly with an appetite.
Research first
With yellow stable, point the queue toward Information Matrix through Applied Superconductor, High-Strength Material, Particle Control, and any missing Processor prerequisite.
Quick reference — How much is enough
22.5 yellow/min is the checked module. It is intentionally larger than the 200-cube bootstrap and small enough to remain a district rather than a planetary redevelopment project.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Yellow Cubes — 22.5/min
Supplies
- Crude Oil.
- Coal.
- Water.
- Titanium Ingots.
Production Map
Destination
- Matrix Labs — yellow cubes — sustain 22.5 yellow cubes/min into research, with overflow storage if desired.
Watch for
Refined Oil imbalance. Keep the line's Refined Oil tank visible; a full tank can still stop Hydrogen and the whole chemical line.
Titanium receiver settings. Imported Titanium Ingots should be a Remote Receiver at home, then belted or locally provided to the yellow district.
Ready to move on when
- Three Labs sustain 22.5 yellow cubes/min.
- Titanium Ingots arrive through ILS rather than inventory.
- Plastic, Organic Crystal, and Refined Oil surpluses have storage.
- The research queue is pointed at Information Matrix.
Next
Go to [PURPLE].
7. [PURPLE] — Build the First Truly Wide Production Tier
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Build the Processor and Particle Broadband branches, then converge them into stable purple science |
| Good target | 18 purple/min now; thicken the Processor or Particle Broadband branch only when that stored endpoint falls behind |
| Research next | Miniature Particle Collider → Gravitational Wave Refraction and Casimir Crystal → Wave Function Interference → Quantum Chip → Gravity Matrix |
| Keep an eye on | Graphene/Hydrogen outlets, ILS Titanium and Silicon receipts, and whether old yellow production is keeping research fed |
| Move on when | Three purple Labs run continuously and both green prerequisite branches are underway |
Goal
Purple is a two-branch buildout. One branch turns Iron, Copper, and Silicon into Processors. The other grows from oil, Coal, Stone, Water, Titanium, and Silicon through Graphene, Carbon Nanotubes, Plastic, and Crystal Silicon into Particle Broadband.
Build and buffer those endpoints separately. Their final convergence is simple: feed Processors and Particle Broadband into three Matrix Labs for the phase's 18-purple/min target. The cards carry the two production problems; the Labs merely join them.
Research first
Spend purple while the district fills, but let production lead the phase. Work toward both Gravitational Wave Refraction and the Casimir Crystal → Wave Function Interference → Quantum Chip branch. Both are required by Gravity Matrix.
Quick reference — How much is enough
18 purple/min is the phase target. The two reference branches provide 45 Processors/min and 22.5 Particle Broadband/min; feed both into three purple-science Labs and keep their endpoint storage visible.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Processors — 45/min
Supplies
- Iron Ore.
- Copper Ore.
- Silicon Ore.
Production Map
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Processors — receive 45 Processors/min before distribution to purple science and later consumers.
Particle Broadband — 22.5/min
Supplies
- Graphene from the reusable standard line.
- Titanium Ingots.
- High-Purity Silicon.
Production Map
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Particle Broadband — receive 22.5 Particle Broadband/min before distribution to purple science.
Watch for
Hydrogen. The oil-supported Graphene and Plastic branches return substantial Hydrogen. Give it storage or consumption before either chemical branch deadlocks.
ILS starvation. Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon are off-world inputs now. If a receiving station empties, fix the route rather than inventing a local vein.
Ready to move on when
- Three Matrix Labs sustain 18 purple cubes/min.
- Processor and Particle Broadband endpoints remain visible and supplied.
- Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon continue arriving through ILS.
- Both technology branches required by Gravity Matrix are underway.
Next
Continue to [GREEN], or use [WARP] when a named rare resource justifies the detour.
8. [WARP] — Optional Interstellar Shortcuts
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Choose a rare resource for a named baseline bottleneck, then build its real extraction and replacement line |
| Useful breakpoints | Mecha warp for scouting; vessel warp for sustained ILS traffic; green cubes for cheap Warpers |
| Research paths | Drive Engine Lv4 for Icarus; Logistics Carrier Engine Lv4 for vessels |
| Keep an eye on | Warper supply, paired Hydrogen outputs, and whether a rare deposit actually replaces the bottleneck you came for |
| Use this section until | The chosen import is stable; WARP has no completion gate |
Optional route disclaimer: Interstellar expansion diverts research, cubes, buildings, fuel, and attention from the practical completion route. The reference below explains the bargains; how many shortcuts you take is your decision.
Goal
Drive Engine Lv4 gives Icarus mecha warp for scouting and hand-carried startup loads. Logistics Carrier Engine Lv4 gives vessels warp for continuous ILS routes. Personal warp finds and starts the outpost; vessel warp keeps it supplied and exports the result.
The rare-resource table tells you where each material comes from and which standard branch it replaces. Mine or pump the rare material into a source ILS, import it to the established factory when the alternate recipe still needs ordinary supplies, and make the substitution where the full-line card names it.
Research paths
For mecha warp, complete Gravitational Wave Refraction, Drive Engine Lv3, Mecha Core Lv4, and Drive Engine Lv4. Vessel warp continues through Logistics Carrier Engine Lv4, which depends on personal warp. Before green, Warpers use the expensive Graviton Lens recipe; after Gravity Matrix, the 1 green cube → 8 Warpers recipe is the practical automation point.
Rare-resource shortcuts
Mine ordinary rare veins, pump Sulfuric Acid oceans, or collect Fire Ice after Gas Giant Exploitation. A rare recipe replaces only the baseline inputs named in its operating note; it does not grant a free factory around them.
| Resource | Acquire it by | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Organic Crystal (mined) | Mining Organic Crystal veins | Feeds Titanium Crystals directly and removes the synthetic Plastic + Refined Oil + Water chain. |
| Sulfuric Acid | Placing Water Pumps on a Sulfuric Acid ocean | Removes the Refined Oil + Stone + Water acid process wherever imported acid is used. |
| Fire Ice | Mining Fire Ice veins or importing it from an Orbital Collector | Makes Graphene directly and returns Hydrogen as a paired output. |
| Kimberlite Ore | Mining Kimberlite veins | Smelts two Diamonds per ore and skips Energetic Graphite. |
| Fractal Silicon | Mining Fractal Silicon veins | Assembles two Crystal Silicon per ore and skips High-Purity Silicon. |
| Optical Grating Crystal | Mining Optical Grating Crystal veins | Can replace Titanium Crystals in Casimir Crystals or replace Prisms in Photon Combiners. |
| Spiniform Stalagmite Crystal | Mining Spiniform Stalagmite Crystal veins | Makes Carbon Nanotubes without Graphene or Titanium Ingots. |
| Unipolar Magnet | Mining Unipolar Magnet veins after locating a deposit | Makes Particle Containers without Electromagnetic Turbines or Graphene. |
Quick reference — How much is enough
One Mk.I Assembler making 36 Warpers/min is an intentionally arbitrary convenience line: it rapidly fills a limited buffer and then sleeps. Feed that buffer into ILS warper reserves. Rare-resource extraction is demand-led: add enough miners, pumps, or collectors to keep the chosen replacement branch supplied.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Space Warpers — 36/min from green cubes
Supplies
- Green cubes from the established GREEN convergence.
Production Map
ADD AFTER Gravity Matrix
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Space Warpers — receive 36 Space Warpers/min and feed the interstellar logistics network.
Next
WARP is optional. Return to the section that matches your actual progression whenever the shortcut you wanted is operating—or immediately, if none of these bargains is worth the detour.
9. [GREEN] — Build the Two Late-Game Ingredient Branches
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Build two complete, independently inspectable branches that meet in two green-cube Labs |
| Good target | 10 green/min from two visible branch endpoints: Quantum Chips and Graviton Lenses |
| Research next | Quantum Chip + Gravitational Wave Refraction → Gravity Matrix |
| Keep an eye on | Hydrogen tank trends, Deuterium draw, Particle Containers, and the power cost of both Colliders |
| Move on when | Two green Labs run continuously and the stored Quantum Chip, Lens, and Hydrogen branches remain stable |
Goal
Green is two factories that happen to meet in the same cube. The Quantum branch runs Organic Crystals → Titanium Crystals → Casimir Crystals → Plane Filters → Quantum Chips. The gravity branch runs Hydrogen → Deuterium and Particle Containers → Strange Matter → Graviton Lenses. Build and buffer them separately; then the final two Labs are the easy part.
The two cards trace those branches from established supplies to their reusable endpoints. Feed Quantum Chips and Graviton Lenses into two green-science Labs; the final convergence is the easy part and stays here in the phase text.
Research first
Complete Quantum Chip and Gravitational Wave Refraction, then unlock Gravity Matrix. Take Gas Giants Exploitation only when an Orbital Collector would replace a Hydrogen, Deuterium, or Fire Ice bottleneck you can name.
Quick reference — How much is enough
10 green cubes/min is the phase target. Establish 7.5 Quantum Chips/min and 7.5 Graviton Lenses/min, then feed both branches into two green-science Labs. Thicken only the branch that visibly falls behind.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Quantum Chips — 7.5/min
Supplies
- Processors from PURPLE.
- Titanium Crystals from the YELLOW branch.
- Graphene from the reusable standard line.
- Hydrogen.
- Stone.
- Water.
- Titanium Ingots.
Production Map
ADD AFTER Casimir Crystal
ADD AFTER Wave Function Interference
ADD AFTER Quantum Chip
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Quantum Chips — receive 7.5 Quantum Chips/min before green science and later rocket production.
Graviton Lenses — 7.5/min
Supplies
- Hydrogen.
- Iron Ingots.
- Coal.
- Electromagnetic Turbines from the reusable line.
- Graphene from the reusable standard line.
Production Map
ADD AFTER Miniature Particle Collider
ADD AFTER Gravitational Wave Refraction
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Graviton Lenses — receive 7.5 Graviton Lenses/min before green science and Ray Receiver lens supply.
Watch for
Hydrogen accounting. Casimir production consumes Hydrogen quickly. Feed it from a tank, watch that tank for depletion, and return reusable Hydrogen byproducts to the same supply when your chosen branches produce them.
Particle Containers. Strange Matter can empty an old component supply that looked generous during ILS. Expand that branch only if its buffer actually drains.
Ready to move on when
- Two Matrix Labs sustain 10 green cubes/min.
- Quantum Chips and Graviton Lenses each have visible storage.
- The Hydrogen tank feeding Casimir production remains stable.
- Deuterium and Strange Matter run without hand-fed batches.
- Dyson launch hardware can now be researched and manufactured.
Next
Take the fast practical route to [DYSON], or choose [SPHERE] when you deliberately want permanent structure first.
10. [DYSON] — Build the Photon Swarm
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Sustain roughly 511 sail launches/min and at least 1.655 GW live Dyson generation at Ray Efficiency Lv0 |
| Checked production block | 23 Mk.I Solar Sail Assemblers provide 517.5/min installed capacity |
| Research next | Solar Collection → Photon Frequency Conversion → Super Magnetic Field Generator → Solar Sail Orbit System → Ray Receiver |
| Keep an eye on | Measured Ejector duty, Solar Sail storage trend, star luminosity, sail lifetime, and live Dyson generation |
| Move on when | Photon Receivers can begin useful production; the full GW target is a sustained-rate target, not permission to overlap phases |
Goal
The swarm path is a running chain: Circuit Boards + Prisms → Photon Combiners; Photon Combiners + Graphene → Solar Sails; Solar Sails → EM-Rail Ejectors → active swarm → live Dyson power → Ray Receivers in [PHOTON]. The card traces the complete manufactured line; orbit choice, Ejector placement, and measured launch duty remain here in the phase.
The launch requirement remains approximately 511/min at luminosity 1.0, base 5,400-second sail life, and Ray Transmission Efficiency Lv0. Higher luminosity, sail-life research, and transmission efficiency reduce that requirement. Trust the live Dyson readout over the estimate once the machinery is operating.
Research first
Solar Collection → Photon Frequency Conversion → Super Magnetic Field Generator → Solar Sail Orbit System → Ray Receiver.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Production: 517.5 Solar Sails/min installed capacity. Launches: approximately 511/min under baseline conditions. Receiver demand: at least 1.655 GW at Ray Efficiency Lv0 for four fully warmed lensed Receivers.
An Ejector launches 20 sails/min while firing. Eighty Ejectors at 32% average duty produce about 512 launches/min, but installed count is not throughput. Add Ejectors only when measured long-run launches fall short.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Solar Sails — 517.5/min installed capacity
Supplies
Production Map
ADD AFTER Photon Frequency Conversion
ADD AFTER Solar Sail Orbit System
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Solar Sails — receive 517.5 Solar Sails/min installed capacity before the Ejector feed.
Watch for
Power synchronization. A large Ejector block can switch on together when the injection point becomes visible. Stage deployment and watch the power graph.
Phase overlap. Start [PHOTON] as soon as the partial swarm supports useful Receiver output. The 1.655-GW target means the intended 48/min endpoint is fully supplied; it isn't a ban on doing useful work earlier.
Ready to move on when
- The full standard Solar Sail line is automated.
- Solar Sail production has 517.5/min installed capacity.
- Measured long-run launches are sufficient for the current Receiver demand.
- Live Dyson generation is rising or stable rather than collapsing from expired sails.
- Ray Receiver research is complete and the photon array can be placed.
Next
Go to [PHOTON] when the swarm can support useful output. Continue growing it in parallel until the Receiver array is fully supplied.
11. [SPHERE] — Optional Permanent Dyson Sphere
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Build a modular rocket factory, launch continuously, and grow permanent generation toward the Receiver demand |
| Checked rocket block | One Mk.I Rocket Assembler has 7.5/min capacity; one Silo consumes 5/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 | Hydrogen, Processors, Titanium Alloy, Deuterium, completed frame boundaries, and shell-cell absorption |
| Move on when | Partial or complete permanent generation can support useful photon production |
Goal
The permanent route is an assembly hierarchy: Casimir Crystals → Quantum Chips; Carbon Nanotubes + Titanium Alloy + High-Purity Silicon → Frame Material; Solar Sails + Frames + Processors → Dyson Sphere Components; Deuterium → Fuel Rods; then Components + Fuel Rods + Quantum Chips → Small Carrier Rockets.
Use the Sphere Editor to place nodes, connect frames, and designate enclosed shell areas. Rockets build nodes and frames. Solar Sails can become permanent cell points only after completed boundaries enclose a designated shell. The shape you draw determines the final material count, so the honest completion measure remains live Dyson generation rather than an invented universal rocket total.
Research first
Complete the shared solar path through Ray Receiver, then High-Strength Lightweight Structure and Vertical Launching Silo.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Rocket factory: 7.5/min installed capacity. One Silo: 5 launches/min. Endpoint: enough live permanent generation to supply the Receivers you are actually using; 1.655 GW at Ray Efficiency Lv0 fully supplies the four-Receiver comfortable target.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Dyson Sphere Components — 16.875/min
Supplies
- Solar Sails from DYSON.
- Processors from PURPLE.
- Carbon Nanotubes from the PURPLE branch.
- Titanium Alloy.
- High-Purity Silicon.
Production Map
ADD AFTER High-Strength Lightweight Structure
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Dyson Sphere Components — receive 16.875 Dyson Sphere Components/min before rocket assembly.
Deuteron Fuel Rods — 30/min
Supplies
- Deuterium.
- Titanium Alloy.
- Iron Ore.
- Coal.
- Electromagnetic Turbines from the reusable line.
Production Map
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Deuteron Fuel Rods — receive 30 Deuteron Fuel Rods/min before rocket assembly or fusion-power use.
Watch for
Editor state. Rockets cannot fill a shell by themselves, and sails cannot become permanent until completed frames enclose a designated shell area.
Support-line starvation. The two new cards end at Dyson Sphere Components and Deuteron Fuel Rods; Quantum Chips and Solar Sails come from established branches. Follow the first empty buffer backward instead of increasing the Rocket Assembler count.
Ready to move on when
- Dyson Sphere Components and Deuteron Fuel Rods refill their buffers.
- Quantum Chips and Solar Sails continue arriving from their established branches.
- Dyson Sphere Components, Deuteron Fuel Rods, and Quantum Chips converge into Small Carrier Rockets at up to 7.5/min.
- At least one Vertical Launching Silo fires continuously when construction demand exists.
- Live Dyson generation can support useful Ray Receiver output.
Next
Return to [PHOTON]. Continue permanent construction in parallel until the Receiver array is fully supplied.
12. [PHOTON] — Critical Photons and Antimatter
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Warm four lensed Ray Receivers and convert every produced Critical Photon into Antimatter |
| Comfortable endpoint | 48 Critical Photons/min and 48 Antimatter/min when Dyson supply is complete |
| Research next | Planetary Ionosphere Utilization → Dirac Inversion Mechanism |
| Keep an eye on | Continuous Receiving, Receiver Strength, lens supply, live Dyson supply, and the Collider's Hydrogen outlet |
| Move on when | Antimatter exists continuously; full 48/min is a finish-pace target, not a phase permission gate |
Goal
The orbital system now becomes an item line: live Dyson power → lensed Ray Receivers → Critical Photons → Photon Materialization in a Miniature Particle Collider → Antimatter + Hydrogen. Receivers warm gradually and can be supply-limited by the Dyson system; the Collider then follows whatever photon rate actually arrives.
Planetary Ionosphere Utilization enables lens-assisted receiving. Dirac Inversion Mechanism unlocks Photon Materialization and Photon Generation mode. Controlled Annihilation Reaction is later fuel technology; it is not required to make Antimatter.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Two lensed Receivers: up to 24 photons/min. Four: up to 48/min. Start white science as soon as continuous Antimatter exists; keep building Dyson supply in parallel until the desired pace is supported.
Quick reference — Receiver-to-antimatter procedure
- Place the chosen Ray Receiver array, supply Graviton Lenses, and select Photon Generation.
- Let Continuous Receiving and Receiver Strength warm up while watching whether live Dyson generation satisfies the array.
- Belt Critical Photons into a Miniature Particle Collider using Photon Materialization.
- Route Antimatter toward white science and keep the Collider's returned-Hydrogen outlet clear.
Watch for
Warm-up before diagnosis. A correctly configured Receiver still underperforms until Continuous Receiving and Receiver Strength settle.
Returned Hydrogen. Photon Materialization returns Hydrogen one-for-one. A blocked outlet stops Antimatter.
Ready to move on when
- Dirac Inversion Mechanism is complete.
- Ray Receivers remain lensed and configured for Photon Generation.
- Critical Photons reach the Collider continuously.
- Antimatter and returned Hydrogen both have live outputs.
Next
Go to [WHITE] as soon as Antimatter is continuous. Full Dyson and photon capacity can finish ramping in parallel.
13. [WHITE] — White Cubes and Mission Completed!
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Research Universe Matrix, sustain 40 white/min, and feed 4,000 into Mission Completed! |
| Final convergence | 10 production Labs supplied by the five established cube colors and Antimatter |
| Research next | Universe Matrix → Mission Completed! |
| Keep an eye on | The first earlier cube color whose input belt empties |
| Move on when | Mission Completed finishes |
Goal
White science is a convergence test, not a mysterious new factory: blue + red + yellow + purple + green + Antimatter → ten white-cube Labs → storage and research. Every feeder already has a production history; bring the six products together, then follow the first input that runs dry.
Universe Matrix costs 2,000 of every colored Matrix before white production can begin. Mission Completed! then consumes 4,000 white cubes. Build the production line while the unlock research is running, and fix only the feeder that actually starves.
Quick reference — How much is enough
40 white/min: 10 production Labs and 40/min from all six inputs. The 4,000-cube material batch takes 1 hour 40 minutes at that rate.
Quick reference — Final convergence
Bring blue, red, yellow, purple, and green cubes plus Antimatter to the white-science district. Feed all six inputs into ten Matrix Labs for the stated 40/min target, send the resulting white cubes to research, and expand only the feeder that actually starves.
Watch for
The newest line is rarely the bottleneck. White science often exposes a tiny old red, yellow, or purple district that had enough buffer to look healthy until every color was demanded continuously.
Ready to move on when
- Universe Matrix research is complete.
- All six inputs reach the white Labs continuously.
- Ten Labs sustain 40 white cubes/min.
- Mission Completed is consuming or has consumed 4,000 white cubes.
Next
Finish Mission Completed!, then go to [LOGISTICS] and automate the hardware used by whatever comes next.
14. [LOGISTICS] — Automate the Infrastructure That Moves Everything
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Build three limited-buffer kits for distribution, planetary, and interstellar expansion |
| Buffer rule | Limit every output box; these are bursty mall lines, not permanent megabase consumption targets |
| Research check | Distribution Logistics System · Planetary Logistics System · Interstellar Logistics System |
| Keep an eye on | Shared Processor, Particle Container, Titanium Alloy, and Turbine supplies when several boxes refill together |
| Move on when | All six buffers refill without handcrafting and route settings make sense at a glance |
Goal
This is a logistics mall, not six saturated factories. Each card pairs the tower or Distributor with the carriers that make it useful, traces the required component families, and ends in deliberately limited buffers. A kit wakes after you take hardware and sleeps when its boxes refill.
Use Distributors and Bots for low-volume last-mile storage and Icarus resupply; PLS and Drones for same-planet bulk movement; ILS and Vessels for planetary or interstellar bulk movement. Provider offers an item, Receiver requests it, and Depot stores it without asking that network to move it. Local controls Drone traffic; Remote controls Vessel traffic.
Research first
Distribution Logistics System unlocks Distributors and Bots. Planetary Logistics System unlocks PLS and Drones. Interstellar Logistics System unlocks ILS and Vessels. You used the stations during progression; this section automates their replacement stock.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Keep 50 Distributors + 200 Bots, 10 PLS + 200 Drones, and 10 ILS + 50 Vessels in limited buffers. Restrict the storage slots before connecting the output Sorters; these lines should sleep between expansion projects.
Quick reference — Required builds
Each card traces one useful production line from supplies to its phase target. Open only the line you want help building; the guide remains complete with every card collapsed.
Distribution Logistics Kit — buffer 50 Distributors + 200 Bots
Supplies
- Iron Ingots.
- Stone.
- Gears from Mall Logistics.
- Magnetic Coils from BLUE.
- Processors from PURPLE.
Production Map
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Logistics Distributors — limit the buffer to 50.
- Storage Mk.I — Logistics Bots — limit the buffer to 200.
Planetary Logistics Kit — buffer 10 PLS + 200 Drones
Supplies
- Iron Ingots.
- Copper Ingots.
- Steel.
- Titanium Ingots.
- Processors from PURPLE.
- Particle Containers from GREEN.
Production Map
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Planetary Logistics Stations — limit the buffer to 10.
- Storage Mk.I — Logistics Drones — limit the buffer to 200.
Interstellar Logistics Kit — buffer 10 ILS + 50 Vessels
Supplies
Production Map
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Interstellar Logistics Stations — limit the buffer to 10.
- Storage Mk.I — Logistics Vessels — limit the buffer to 50.
Watch for
Shared supplies. Several kits draw Processors, Particle Containers, Titanium Alloy, and Electromagnetic Turbines. If multiple buffers refill together, expand only the established supply that actually empties.
Station charging. Newly placed logistics stations can create a temporary power spike while charging. Lower charging power or stage placement instead of redesigning a healthy grid around a transient load.
Ready to move on when
- Distributors and Logistics Bots refill limited buffers.
- PLS towers and Logistics Drones refill limited buffers.
- ILS towers and Logistics Vessels refill limited buffers.
- A Remote Provider → Vessel → Remote Receiver route can be configured without guessing.
- A Local Provider → Drone → Local Receiver route can be configured without guessing.
Next
The critical path is finished and the transport layer is reusable. Pick a project: interstellar expansion, a permanent sphere, Dark Fog industry, a cleaner factory, or something gloriously unnecessary.
Optional Paths
These aren't side quests you owe the tech tree. Take one when it solves a problem you can already see; otherwise leave it alone and keep moving.
[PILE SORTER] — Integrated Logistics
What it's 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—not when the icon merely starts glowing.
Don't take it merely because it's available.
Return to the main route when
Once the sorters are no longer what's slowing the line down, return to the main progression path.
[GAS GIANT] — Orbital Collectors
What it's for
Use Orbital Collectors when making enough Hydrogen, Deuterium, or Fire Ice locally is becoming more trouble than it's 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 need the gas, not because the technology happens to be sitting there looking affordable.
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's 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 continuing logistics burden with the unglamorous alternative of simply building local generation.
Remember that a new ILS can create a large temporary charging spike; don't mistake that brief load for the remote world's permanent demand.
Return to the main route when
Use the simpler power system. Don't create a logistics network merely to avoid a few easy local generators.
[ADVANCED MINING] — Large Remote Extraction Networks
What it's 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's already spread across many worlds, not as permission to spread too early.
It isn't required for an efficient Mission Completed run.
Return to the main route when
If mining is no longer what's slowing expansion down, go fix whatever production or logistics problem actually is.
[DARK FOG] — Hidden Industrial Technology
What it's 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: don't enter this branch at all.
One-Screen Default Checklist
[BOOTSTRAP]
- Four mall blocks refill their limited buffers
- Basic mining, smelting, Magnetic Coils, and Circuit Boards are automated
- Belts, Sorters, storage, and starter power hardware are readily available
- Power margin exists
[BLUE]
- Two Matrix Labs sustain 40 blue cubes/min
- Magnetic Coils and Circuit Boards keep blue science and their mall buffers supplied
- The Plasma Extract Refining path is open
[RED]
- Two Matrix Labs sustain 20 red cubes/min
- Energetic Graphite arrives without hand-feeding
- Hydrogen and Refined Oil both have live outlets
- Steel and Foundations are available from the tech-bound mall block
[FLIGHT]
- Drive Engine Lv2 and Mecha Core Lv2 are researched
- Titanium Smelting is researched
- Planetary Logistics System is researched or immediately researchable
- Magnetic Particle Trap, Processor, and Reinforced Thruster are researched or queued
- Fuel, core energy, outpost power, and the destination are understood
[TITANIUM]
- Remote Titanium Ingot production is stable at 120/min
- Remote High-Purity Silicon production is stable at 120/min
- 860 Titanium Ingots and 520 High-Purity Silicon are on the homeworld
- Both remote outputs terminate in storage beside future ILS sites
[ILS]
- The finite 200-yellow-cube research batch is complete
- Two ILS towers and five Logistics Vessels exist
- Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon arrive through Remote Provider → Vessel → Remote Receiver routes
- Manual interplanetary hauling is retired
[YELLOW]
- Three Matrix Labs sustain 22.5 yellow cubes/min
- Titanium Ingots arrive through ILS rather than inventory
- Plastic, Organic Crystal, and Refined Oil surpluses have storage
- The research queue is pointed at Information Matrix
[PURPLE]
- Three Matrix Labs sustain 18 purple cubes/min
- Processor and Particle Broadband endpoints remain visible and supplied
- Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon continue arriving through ILS
- Both technology branches required by Gravity Matrix are underway
[WARP]
- Mecha warp is available when personal scouting or hand-carrying is useful
- Vessel warp is available when an interstellar ILS route should run unattended
- Each imported rare resource has a named baseline chain to replace
- A green-cube Warper buffer feeds the ILS network when routine travel begins
[GREEN]
- Two Matrix Labs sustain 10 green cubes/min
- Quantum Chips and Graviton Lenses each have visible storage
- The Hydrogen tank feeding Casimir production remains stable
- Deuterium and Strange Matter run without hand-fed batches
- Dyson launch hardware can be researched and manufactured
[DYSON]
- The full standard Solar Sail line is automated at 517.5/min installed capacity
- Measured long-run launches support the current Receiver demand
- Live Dyson generation is rising or stable rather than collapsing from expired sails
- Ray Receiver research is complete and the photon array can be placed
[PHOTON]
- Dirac Inversion Mechanism is complete
- Ray Receivers remain lensed and configured for Photon Generation
- Critical Photons reach the Collider continuously
- Antimatter and returned Hydrogen both have live outputs
[WHITE]
- Universe Matrix research is complete
- All five cube colors and Antimatter reach the white Labs continuously
- Ten Matrix Labs sustain 40 white cubes/min
- Mission Completed is consuming or has consumed 4,000 white cubes
[LOGISTICS]
- Logistics Distributors and Bots refill limited buffers
- PLS towers and Logistics Drones refill limited buffers
- ILS towers and Logistics Vessels refill limited buffers
- Provider, Receiver, Depot, Local, and Remote settings make sense at a glance
When you aren't sure what's wrong
When the factory stops making sense, resist the urge to rebuild it on instinct. 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're missing another technology or the machine that actually makes it.Can I keep supplying every required material?
If not, find the material you can't 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 line below the minimum for the phase is usually the first thing worth fixing.
A line between minimum and comfortable is usually doing its job. Leave it alone unless the evidence says otherwise.
A line already above the comfortable target has probably earned some peace until the next phase starts asking more of it.