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 → 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.
Reusable production-line references2 LINES
These two examples introduce the same production-map format used by the phase cards. They are shared intermediate lines rather than objectives; later cards link back here when they reuse one.
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 how every production line and reusable sub-line fits together. 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
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 | [ILS] | Escape the homeworld, return with measured reserves, and retire manual hauling |
| 4 | [YELLOW] | Build sustainable yellow science after interplanetary supply is automated |
| 5 | [PURPLE] | Keep purple cubes flowing and unlock both paths to green |
| 6 | [WARP] | Optional mecha travel, vessel logistics, and rare-resource shortcuts |
| 7 | [GREEN] | Keep green cubes flowing and unlock cheap Space Warpers |
| 8 | [DYSON] | Default swarm route to ≥1.655 GW Dyson generation |
| 9 | [SPHERE] | Optional slower permanent route to the photon-power target |
| 10 | [PHOTON] | Critical Photons and Antimatter |
| 11 | [WHITE] | Keep white cubes flowing and finish Mission Completed |
| 12 | [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 |
| Research first | Electromagnetism → Basic Logistics System → Automatic Metallurgy → Basic Assembling |
| Then | Mecha Core Lv1 → Mass Construction; take useful no-cube Inventory Capacity and Communication Control upgrades while the mall fills; finish with Electromagnetic Matrix |
| Keep an eye on | Power headroom and mall branches waiting on recipes that have not arrived 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, useful blocks rather than one sprawling machine that tries to predict the whole early tech tree.
The opening sequence has a practical rhythm: belts move material, smelters turn ore into useful stock, and Assemblers turn that stock into machinery. Steel, Foundations, and combat ammunition stay separate because their recipes arrive later.
Research first
Electromagnetism → Basic Logistics System → Automatic Metallurgy → Basic Assembling
That order gives the factory its basic verbs: move, smelt, assemble. Once the trio is available, the first mall blocks can grow while Icarus handles only the odd missing part.
Then take Mecha Core Lv1 and Mass Construction. The no-cube upgrade rows are fair game while the mall fills: early Inventory Capacity gives Icarus more working room, and Communication Control makes the construction drones less fussy about where you stand. Buy the material-only levels that help, then unlock Electromagnetic Matrix when the mall can support the first science line. Leave ingredient-locked research for the phase that produces those ingredients.
Quick reference — How much is enough
You have enough when routine construction starts with a visit to self-filling boxes instead of a session in the Replicator. Let each mall block refill its limited storage while you work elsewhere; these are useful reserves, 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 900 Belts + 400 Sorters
Supplies
- Iron Ore.
- Copper Ore.
Production Map
BUILD NOW
BUILD NOW
PHASE-COMPLETE LINE
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — Conveyor Belt Mk.I — limit the buffer to 900 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 (details in the card above).
- Circuit Boards (details in the card above).
Production Map
BUILD NOW
ADD AFTER Electromagnetism
PHASE-COMPLETE LINE
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
BUILD NOW
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. Build toward roughly 5–10 MW of comfortable early capacity, mainly with coal-fed Thermal Power Plants once they unlock, before the Labs and oil district arrive.
One giant mall bus. 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 grid provides roughly 5–10 MW for the working mall, Matrix Labs, and the coming oil district.
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 first | Thermal Power, then cheap utility unlocks; fold in Steel Smelting → Reclamation once blue runs |
| Keep an eye on | Power headroom and a blue line growing much faster than the factory around it |
| Move on when | Blue runs continuously and the grid has room for the oil district |
Goal
Blue cubes should become background noise—in the good sense. Once the Labs can keep researching while you are somewhere else, the first science line is doing its job.
This phase is about dependable research, not clearing every newly visible branch. Establish the line, let a small buffer grow, and carry that steady supply into RED.
Research first
Start with Thermal Power. It gives Coal a permanent job and stops early grid growth from depending on another field of Wind Turbines.
The other cheap first choices are Weapon System, Engine, Electromagnetic Drive, Fluid Storage Encapsulation, and High-Efficiency Plasma Control. They are quick, so take whichever solves an immediate problem rather than treating their order as another critical path.
Once those small unlocks are out of the way, take Smelting Purification for Energetic Graphite, Missile Turret for basic base defense, Steel Smelting → Reclamation, and Upgraded Logistics System for quality of life. Early Inventory Capacity and Communication Control upgrades are equally reasonable when carrying space or drone reach starts irritating you.
After Reclamation, loop a small Foundation buffer into the mall: Stone becomes Stone Bricks, Iron becomes Steel, and the two meet in one Assembler. It is a simple sleeping line, so it does not need a dedicated build card.
Crystal Smelting can wait until RED, and Signal Tower can wait until you already have a reason to produce its required component. Cheap research is useful; clearing the tree for its own sake is not.
Quick reference — How much is enough
20 blue/min is enough to keep early research moving while you build. 40/min is comfortable. Much later, when long purple, green, and photon research starts waiting on blue, expand toward roughly 60+/min.
The useful test now is simple: leave the district alone for a while and come back to research still running or a growing cube buffer.
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
Power headroom. Keep roughly 5–10 MW available while the blue Labs settle in; RED will add Oil Extractors, Refineries, and more Labs soon.
Oversizing blue. This line matters forever, but it does not need to become the first giant district on the planet.
Ready to move on when
- Blue cubes are produced continuously at 20/min or better.
- Research continues without hand-feeding.
- The grid has roughly 5–10 MW available for blue science and the coming oil district.
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 target | 20 red cubes/min |
| Research first | Smelting Purification High-Efficiency Plasma Control + Fluid Storage Encapsulation → Plasma Extract Refining → Energy Matrix |
| Keep an eye on | Both refinery outputs; either full outlet can stop the other |
| Move on when | Two Labs sustain 20 red/min and Refined Oil has a continuing outlet |
Goal
Oil is the first part of DSP that insists you care about the output you did not ask for. Plasma Refining produces Hydrogen and Refined Oil together; if either belt or tank fills, the Refineries stop making both.
Hydrogen feeds red science now and becomes valuable again later. Refined Oil has no urgent consumer yet, but it will kick-start Plastic, Organic Crystal, and Sulfuric Acid chemistry. Give each product its own belt through Storage Tanks and enough room to keep moving. The lesson is not “dispose of the spare output.” It is “never let useful future stock jam today's factory.”
Research first
Smelting Purification unlocks the Energetic Graphite side of the line. If BLUE's utility pass already covered it, that branch is ready to build.
Oil branch: High-Efficiency Plasma Control + Fluid Storage Encapsulation → Plasma Extract Refining → Energy Matrix.
If BLUE already cleared the cheap prerequisites, RED becomes pleasantly direct: build the graphite and oil branches, unlock their convergence, and let the Labs run.
Quick reference — How much is enough
20 red/min is enough for this phase. More importantly, you should be able to leave the oil district alone and return to red research still running, Hydrogen still moving, and Refined Oil accumulating without blocking the Refineries.
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.
Ready to move on when
- Two Matrix Labs sustain 20 red cubes/min while Hydrogen and Refined Oil both keep leaving the Refineries.
Next
Go to [ILS].
3. [ILS] — Escape the Homeworld and Automate the First Interplanetary Route
Mission brief
This is one job in three locations, not three separate phases. Leave with a plan, build something worth returning to, then make Icarus unemployed as an interplanetary cargo vessel.
The whole route: unlock flight → pack a real outpost → smelt Titanium and Silicon remotely → return with the bootstrap cargo → build two ILS towers and five Vessels → configure automatic delivery.
Expedition manifest
| Checkpoint | What matters |
|---|---|
| Before launch | Drive Engine Lv2, Titanium Smelting, comfortable fuel, and a powered-outpost loadout |
| Return cargo | 860 Titanium Ingots and 520 High-Purity Silicon |
| Research purchase | 200 yellow cubes: 80 for High-Strength Titanium Alloy and 120 for Interstellar Logistics System |
| Final hardware | Two ILS towers and five Logistics Vessels |
| Mission complete | Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon arrive home without Icarus |
1. Get flight-ready
Unlock the trip: Engine → Drive Engine Lv1; then Mecha Core Lv2 → Drive Engine Lv2. Research Titanium Smelting before departure so the remote factory can ship finished material instead of bulky ore.
Clear the support branches while the loadout is being packed:
- Upgraded Logistics System + Magnetic Levitation → High-Efficiency Logistics System.
- Hydrogen Fuel Rod → Thruster; add Vertical Construction Lv1 → Planetary Logistics System.
- Semiconductor Material → Processor; continue through Magnetic Particle Trap and Reinforced Thruster for the later station and vessel hardware.
Pack for an outpost, not a visit: Miners, Smelters, Belts, Sorters, storage, independent power, Foundations where useful, and enough fuel and core-energy margin to survive an ugly approach. Add local defenses when Dark Fog makes an unattended mining world a bad neighborhood.
Launch when: Drive Engine Lv2 and Titanium Smelting are complete, the destination is understood, and the cargo can leave a powered factory behind.
2. Build an outpost worth returning to
The starter planet has no normal Titanium Ore veins, and Stone-derived Silicon is only a bootstrap. Smelt both resources at the destination: finished material uses the return trip better, and the same powered lines can feed the future source station.
The measured cargo funds the whole bridge. Keep this allocation visible while unloading so the factory does not quietly eat the parts meant to retire manual hauling.
| Return cargo | Reserve | What it funds |
|---|---|---|
| Titanium Ingots | 600 | The first 200 yellow cubes |
| Titanium Ingots | 180 | Titanium Alloy for the ILS bridge |
| Titanium Ingots | 80 | The two PLS components inside the ILS pair |
| Titanium total | 860 | Do not spend below this reserve before the bridge is built |
| High-Purity Silicon | 520 | 130 Processors for two towers and five Logistics Vessels |
Before flying home
- 860 Titanium Ingots and 520 High-Purity Silicon are aboard.
- Both smelting lines remain powered and connected to storage.
- The output area has room for the source ILS.
- Dark Fog defenses, if needed, can protect the outpost without Icarus standing guard.
3. Make the route automatic
Finish the unlock: Basic Chemical Engineering → Polymer Chemical Engineering → High-Strength Crystal → Structure Matrix. Planetary Logistics System and Reinforced Thruster must also be ready before the final ILS unlock.
| Finite yellow spend | Cubes |
|---|---|
| High-Strength Titanium Alloy | 80 |
| Interstellar Logistics System | 120 |
| Total batch | 200 |
Build the bridge:
- Protect the replication parts first. Place one Storage Mk.I beside the temporary assembly area. Reserve the PLS and ILS precursors there as they are made: 80 Steel, 80 Titanium Ingots, 130 Processors, 80 Particle Containers, 180 Titanium Alloy, and the 50 Electromagnetic Turbines intended for Reinforced Thrusters. Do not let ordinary production borrow from this box.
- Build the temporary component lines.Sulfuric AcidCrude Oil → Refined Oil; Refined Oil + Stone + Water → Sulfuric AcidSteelIron Ore → Iron Ingots → SteelTitanium AlloyReserved Titanium Ingots + Steel + Sulfuric Acid → Titanium AlloyMicrocrystalline branchHigh-Purity Silicon + Copper Ingots → Microcrystalline ComponentsCircuit branchIron Ingots + Copper Ingots → Circuit BoardsProcessorsMicrocrystalline Components + Circuit Boards → ProcessorsTurbinesBuild 210 through the reusable Electromagnetic Turbine line; reserve 160 for Particle Containers and 50 for Reinforced ThrustersParticle ContainersElectromagnetic Turbines + Graphene → Particle ContainersReinforced ThrustersTitanium Alloy + Electromagnetic Turbines → Reinforced Thrusters
- Assemble the transport hardware. Use the Replicator or temporary Assemblers to turn Steel, Titanium Ingots, Processors, and Particle Containers into two PLS components; upgrade those with Titanium Alloy and Particle Containers into two ILS towers; then combine Titanium Alloy, Processors, and Reinforced Thrusters into five Logistics Vessels. Return each finished part to the protected box until the full set exists.
- Configure the remote source. Place one unpowered ILS beside the outpost storage. Add Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon as station items and set both to the blue Remote Supply / Provider state. Belt both smelting outputs into their filtered station slots.
- Configure the home receiver. Place and power the other ILS at home, add the same two materials, set both to the orange Remote Demand / Receiver state, and install all five Vessels. Filter the station outputs toward the factory. Once the first Vessel launches, Icarus has made the final manual cargo run.
Done when
- Two ILS towers and five Logistics Vessels are deployed.
- Titanium Ingots and High-Purity Silicon arrive at home without Icarus.
Next
Go to [YELLOW] and replace the finite research batch with sustainable science.
4. [YELLOW] — Build Sustainable Yellow Science
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Keep three yellow-cube Labs supplied from local chemistry and imported Titanium Ingots |
| Good target | Three Labs now; expand only when research is visibly waiting on yellow |
| Useful side research | Super Magnetic Field Generator clears the hidden prerequisite for Integrated Logistics System and its belt-quality upgrades |
| Keep an eye on | Shared chemical supplies, Refined Oil balance, and the Titanium ILS receiver |
| Move on when | Three yellow Labs run continuously |
Goal
Yellow is where the tidy little starter factory begins borrowing ingredients from every cupboard at once. Oil, Coal, Water, and imported Titanium now serve several jobs, so one neglected branch can stop machinery on the other side of the district.
Give shared materials visible supply points, keep important liquids in tanks you can glance at, and use the Statistics panel when something stops instead of interrogating every Chemical Plant on the planet. You are still playing a factory game; the goal is to spot the hungry line quickly and get back to building.
Research first
Structure Matrix was already unlocked for the ILS bridge, so sustainable yellow has no new gate to clear before you build it.
As a useful side purchase, Super Magnetic Field Generator clears the hidden prerequisite for Integrated Logistics System. Take it when stacked-belt tools sound useful; leave the actual purple unlock chain for PURPLE.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Three Labs’ worth is enough when yellow keeps researching while the chemical branches refill their own buffers. Expand only when the research queue is visibly waiting on yellow rather than on an older color or a missing prerequisite.
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 — three Labs’ worth
Supplies
- Crude Oil.
- Coal.
- Water.
- Titanium Ingots.
Production Map
TITANIUM CRYSTAL BRANCH
DIAMOND BRANCH
FINAL CONVERGENCE
Destination
- Matrix Labs — yellow cubes — sustain three Labs’ worth of yellow cubes into research, with overflow storage if desired.
Ready to move on when
- Three yellow-cube Labs produce continuously.
Next
Go to [PURPLE].
5. [PURPLE] — Build the First Truly Wide Production Tier
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Research Information Matrix and keep three purple-cube Labs producing continuously |
| Good target | 18 purple/min from two independently buffered production branches |
| Research first | Applied Superconductor → High-Strength Material → Particle Control → Information Matrix |
| Keep an eye on | Graphene and Hydrogen outlets, older cube lines, and whichever purple endpoint falls behind |
| Move on when | Three purple Labs run continuously |
Goal
Purple is where DSP hands you two yellow-sized shopping lists at once. One ends in Processors; the other disappears into a long chemical chain before coming back as Particle Broadband. Build them as separate neighborhoods, give each endpoint a visible buffer, and let logistics introduce them at the science district.
This is also where reusable blueprints and a broader mall start feeling less like preparation and more like cheating in the nicest possible way. Copy what already works, expand the branch whose box is empty, and resist the urge to route the entire planet through one final heroic belt.
Research first
Applied Superconductor → High-Strength Material → Particle Control → Information Matrix
Basic Chemical Engineering, the prerequisite for Applied Superconductor, was cleared during the ILS bridge. The other purple requirement, Processor, was built there too. Follow the new chemical branch to Information Matrix, then let production lead the phase.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Three purple Labs are enough when both endpoint stores recover while the Labs run. The reference branches are deliberately larger than the initial science draw, so watch the stored Processors and Particle Broadband rather than solving the whole district again.
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. If Titanium or Silicon runs dry, inspect the supplying station and the receiving station before expanding production. Add capacity where the queue forms, and top the first home ILS up to ten Vessels if it still has only the five used for the rush.
Ready to move on when
- Three purple-cube Labs produce continuously.
Next
Continue to [GREEN], or use [WARP] when a named rare resource justifies the detour.
6. [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. Open the Space Warper production card in GREEN when you are ready to automate the post-green recipe.
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.
7. [GREEN] — Build the Two Late-Game Ingredient Branches
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Research Gravity Matrix and keep two green-cube Labs producing continuously |
| Good target | 10 green/min from two independently buffered late-game branches |
| Research next | Miniature Particle Collider → Strange Matter → Gravitational Wave Refraction Casimir Crystal + High-Strength Glass → Wave Function Interference → Quantum Chip Both branches → 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 both endpoint stores remain stable |
Goal
Green asks for two purple-sized factories at once. The Quantum branch is a deep electronics project; the gravity branch adds Deuterium, Particle Containers, Strange Matter, and Colliders with a healthy appetite for power. One homeworld and one mining colony may finally begin to feel a little snug.
Give both branches visible endpoints and expand the one that actually falls behind. If moving all this material becomes a bigger chore than building it, the optional [LOGISTICS] section can help automate the transport hardware—but it is an invitation, not homework. Either way, this is the last major ingredient build before the factory reaches for the star.
Research first
Gravity branch: Miniature Particle Collider → Strange Matter → Gravitational Wave Refraction.
Quantum branch: Casimir Crystal + High-Strength Glass → Wave Function Interference → Quantum Chip.
When Gravitational Wave Refraction and Quantum Chip are both complete, research Gravity Matrix and bring the two manufactured endpoints together at science.
Quick reference — How much is enough
Two green Labs are enough when Quantum Chip and Graviton Lens storage both recover while the Labs run. The reference branches provide more than the initial science draw; thicken only the one whose endpoint 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.
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.
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.
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 green-cube Labs produce continuously.
- Quantum Chips and Graviton Lenses each have visible storage.
Next
Take the fast practical route to [DYSON], or choose [SPHERE] when you deliberately want permanent structure first.
8. [DYSON] — Build the Photon Swarm
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Automate Solar Sail production and keep a working EM-Rail launch network supplied |
| Good target | A partial swarm that already gives Ray Receivers useful output; continue scaling it during PHOTON |
| Research first | 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 | Antimatter production is reliable and its output can reach the science district |
Goal
The factory has reached the point where the next power plant belongs in space. Solar Sails leave the planet, settle into orbit, and become the megastructure that will carry this run through Antimatter, white science, and victory. Every working Ejector makes that finish a little less theoretical.
Build the sail line, spread the Ejectors across useful firing zones, and watch the live Dyson readout climb. The full reference swarm is a planning target, not a locked door: lensed Ray Receivers can start making Critical Photons long before the sky is full. Begin PHOTON as soon as that partial swarm produces dependable work, then keep launching while the endgame advances underneath it.
Research first
Solar Collection → Photon Frequency Conversion → Super Magnetic Field Generator → Solar Sail Orbit System → Ray Receiver
Quick reference — How much is enough
This is an averaged planning target, not a magic finish line. The baseline model uses 517.5 Solar Sails/min of installed production, approximately 511 launches/min, and at least 1.655 GW of live Dyson generation to fully supply four warmed, lensed Receivers at Ray Efficiency Lv0. Orbit geometry, firing duty, sail lifetime, star luminosity, and upgrades will move the real result.
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. More importantly, the Receivers will begin banking the 4,000 Antimatter needed for the finish well before this whole reference system reaches equilibrium. Treat the numbers as comfortable capacity to grow toward while PHOTON and WHITE proceed—not as permission to start them.
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.
EM-Rail Ejectors — buffer 80
Supplies
Production Map
ADD AFTER Solar Sail Orbit System
Destination
- Storage Mk.I — EM-Rail Ejectors — limit the deployment buffer to 80 Ejectors.
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 is not a ban on doing useful work earlier.
Ready to move on when
- Critical Photons are becoming Antimatter reliably, and that Antimatter can reach the science district without Icarus carrying it.
Next
Start [PHOTON] as soon as the swarm can support useful Receiver output. Keep the Ejectors firing in parallel until Antimatter production is comfortably carrying the finish.
9. [SPHERE] — Optional Permanent Dyson Sphere
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Build a steady rocket line and grow the Dyson Sphere that will carry the factory over the final stretch |
| Good target | A small closed structure that already gives Ray Receivers useful output; expand it during PHOTON |
| Research first | Solar Collection → Photon Frequency Conversion → Super Magnetic Field Generator → Solar Sail Orbit System → Ray Receiver Then High-Strength Lightweight Structure → Vertical Launching Silo |
| Keep an eye on | Whether rockets can reach an unfinished node or frame, whether a completed boundary encloses a shell, and which established component store empties first |
| Move on when | Antimatter production is reliable and its output can reach the science district |
Goal
The permanent route trades a quick consumable swarm for a slower structure that stays with the star. Rockets build the skeleton—nodes and the frames between them—while Solar Sails fill shell areas only after those frames close a valid boundary.
Start small in the Sphere Editor. Draw something your first rocket line can finish, keep the Silo supplied, and add a shell to the completed frame instead of designing the final monument on day one. The shape determines the total material bill, so live Dyson generation remains the useful measure of progress.
Research first
Shared receiver path: Solar Collection → Photon Frequency Conversion → Super Magnetic Field Generator → Solar Sail Orbit System → Ray Receiver.
Permanent construction path: High-Strength Lightweight Structure → Vertical Launching Silo. Vertical Launching Silo also carries an implicit Quantum Chip requirement, already satisfied by GREEN.
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 need unfinished nodes or frames to build, and Sails cannot become permanent until completed frames enclose a designated shell area.
Support-line starvation. Follow the first empty component store backward instead of increasing the Rocket Assembler count. The permanent route reuses several mature branches at once.
Ready to move on when
- Critical Photons are becoming Antimatter reliably, and that Antimatter can reach the science district without Icarus carrying it.
Next
Progress to [PHOTON]. Continue permanent construction in parallel until the Receiver array is fully supplied.
10. [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 | At least 2,000 Antimatter is stored and the live production trend feels strong enough to continue into WHITE |
Goal
The orbital project finally pays out as an ordinary factory item. The chain is short, but every link matters:
Receivers warm gradually and can only draw what the swarm or sphere supplies. The Collider simply processes the Critical Photons that arrive, so this phase is mostly about keeping four Receivers lensed, watching the orbital source grow, and refusing to let returned Hydrogen block the final conversion.
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. Production ramps as Receivers warm and orbital power grows, so judge the trend rather than demanding an instant rate. Once at least 2,000 Antimatter is waiting in storage, half the final white-science supply is already banked; decide whether the live rate is good enough to carry the rest while WHITE begins.
Quick reference — Receiver-to-antimatter procedure
- Place four Ray Receivers, supply Graviton Lenses, and select Photon Generation on every building.
- Let Continuous Receiving and Receiver Strength warm up while checking whether live Dyson generation satisfies the array.
- Belt Critical Photons into a Miniature Particle Collider set to Photon Materialization.
- Send Antimatter toward visible storage beside the white-science district and keep the Collider's returned-Hydrogen outlet clear.
- Keep tending the swarm or sphere while the Antimatter reserve grows; this is the rare late-game wait where checking four lens slots is useful work.
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
- At least 2,000 Antimatter is stored, and you are satisfied that the still-rising production rate can supply the rest while WHITE runs.
Next
Go to [WHITE] when the 2,000-Antimatter reserve is banked and the live rate feels trustworthy. Keep expanding the swarm or sphere in parallel.
11. [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.
12. [LOGISTICS] — Automate the Infrastructure That Moves Everything
Phase dashboard
| At a glance | What matters now |
|---|---|
| Main goal | Build limited hardware buffers 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 the point where a good blueprint can become a whole factory district in a few clicks. Keep Distributors, towers, and their carriers waiting in limited mall buffers; when a new line needs supplies, paste the layout, place the transport hardware, choose the requested items, and let the network do the walking.
Distributors and Bots handle the last few meters between storage and Icarus or nearby boxes. PLS towers and Drones move bulk cargo around one planet. ILS towers and Vessels cross the gap between planets—and, with Warpers, between stars. Provider offers an item, Receiver asks for it, and Depot simply stores it. Local settings control Drones; Remote settings control Vessels.
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 makes their replacement stock refill itself.
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 Hardware — 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 Hardware — 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 Hardware — 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 hardware lines 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.
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
[ILS]
- Drive Engine Lv2, Mecha Core Lv2, and the outpost technology prerequisites are ready
- Fuel, core energy, outpost power, and the destination are understood before takeoff
- Remote Titanium Ingot and High-Purity Silicon production are stable at 120/min each
- 860 Titanium Ingots and 520 High-Purity Silicon return to the homeworld
- 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
- Yellow science is stable enough to fund the purple unlock chain
[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
- The 80-Ejector deployment buffer is automated and useful latitude blocks are firing
- Live Dyson generation is rising or stable rather than collapsing from expired sails
- Critical Photons are becoming Antimatter reliably and reaching science storage
[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
- At least 2,000 Antimatter is waiting in storage before WHITE begins
[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.