Dyson Sphere program is the new game currently in development by Youtchcat Studios and is currently available as an early access title on Steam. Clearly influenced by the likes of Factorio, Dyson Sphere Program puts in control of a giant mech as you attempt to build a Dyson Sphere in order to harness a star’s energy.
These sorts of production system games are always complicated and can be very confusing for new and experienced players alike. Whilst I haven’t yet completed my own Dyson Sphere quite yet, I have learnt a lot of lessons, made a lot of mistakes and most importantly I’ve learned how to overcome them. In this guide I want to share the main lessons I’ve picked up so you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
Watch the trailer below:
There is no rush, take your time.
With games like this, there is always a lot to do, especially at the start when you don’t have any automation set up. The key here is not to worry and not to rush. There isn’t a time limit in the game so who cares if it takes you a while to get something done? It simply doesn’t matter. With this in mind take your time and make sure that each task you complete is done properly, make sure your production areas are running efficiently and make sure everything looks pretty! When making more complicated sections check, double-check and then check again.
Have a plan for each gaming session.
Due to the sheer amount to do in the game you can easily find yourself spending hours achieving absolutely nothing. With this in mind, I’ve found it helps to have some sort of plan. For example, in your first hour, you might plan to get as far as having blue science up and running, spend your next hour setting up a mall and a power network and your third could be to get red science set up. These are purely just examples but having these plans in the back of your mind can help you be more productive.
Build a mall as soon as you can.
A mall in this style of game is essential. For the benefit of people who are new to the genre, a mall is a small production area where you mass-produce a lot of commonly used items. My early malls tend to include wind turbines, belts, sorters, gears, circuits, miners, assemblers, smelters plus stores of metal. There is no hard and fast rule regarding what you put in your mall so pay attention to what you seem to be manually crafting a lot of, these are the things you might want to add to your mall.
To see how to build a mall check out the video below:
Research one thing at a time and ensure you understand it.
This tip is mainly aimed at people completing their first playthrough. There are loads of things to research in Dyson Sphere Program to the point that it’s easy to lose track of what does what, especially when you’ve got a load of things qued in the background and you’re busy building.
I would recommend just having one tech at a time qued up and once it completes check out what it does before you start the next one. Yes, this is slower but can help newer players feel more in control and help you formulate your next steps.
Don’t be afraid to start again.
You will make loads of mistakes in this game, it’s unavoidable unless you’re some factory planning godlike being. Keep this in mind as you play and don’t be afraid to delete entire sections of your set up. Hell, if you need to start an entirely new map as this can give you a much clearer focus. I’ve started afresh a few times and on each new playthrough, I’ve been able to progress faster than previously and my setups are much more efficient. I’ve gone as far as now having two saved games running side by side, one of them is my messing about game with the second being my ‘proper’ game.
Your mech can use lots of different fuels.
Managing your mech’s fuel can be a pain at the start. If your supply runs out you’ll be moving at a snail’s pace and your construction drones will grind to a halt. It took me a while to notice this next tip but your mech can use lots of different things as fuel. To start with I would recommend coal and then upgrade to graphite as soon as you’re able. Before you get to this stage though you can actually use wood and plant matter as fuel too. It’s not very efficient, in fact, it’s god awful! but using it has got me out of a pinch more than once. Mech power becomes less of an issue later in the game as you unlock more efficient fuels but you should always keep an eye on your fuel levels.
Research mech upgrades first.
You may have noticed that on top of researching technologies you can also upgrade your mech. These upgrades include things like faster speed, more and faster drones and better energy efficiencies to name a few. Get these researched as soon as you can as these upgrades offer some great quality of life improvements.
Most of the first batch can be completed before you unlock blue science and use basic components that you can make in order to unlock them. Do these as soon as you’re able and then each time you unlock a new level of science focus on these upgrades first.
Your start area may not actually be a good place to start, take time to explore.
When you first set foot on your new planet you might be tempted to start building straight away, DON’T! Spend a bit of time looking around to check out where the resource deposits are. To start with you are looking for an area that has easy access to iron, copper, coal and stone. Taking the time to find a good area with these resources close to each other can save you a lot of leg work at the beginning.
When travelling to a new planet make sure you stock up on basics and check out it stats before you get there.
One of the great parts of Dyson Sphere Program is when you first head off to a brand new planet. You will need to do this quite often as you progress as the starter planet doesn’t have all of the resources you need. Before you head off you need to do two things. The first is to make sure you fill up your inventory with everything you might need, for example, take belts, sorters, storage, power supplies, mech fuel and so on. Remember the new planet will be undeveloped and it can be painful having to make the journey back home to collect the items you forgot to take.
Secondly, have a look at the planet details on the star map. This will show you what resources are available and what sources of power are available to name just two things. These are important as they help you plan what to take. On my first game, I set off to a new planet with loads of wind turbines only to find upon arrival that there was no wind on this new planet and that I should have brought solar equipment instead. Had I read the info in the star map I would have known this and saved myself a lengthy journey to my home planet and back.
Think big, you can never have too much stuff.
This is a hard lesson to learn but an important one. As you pregress through the game you will need more and more stuff and there is no such thing as too much. Make sure you are producing as much as possible as there is always a use for everything. There is nothing more frustrating than not having enough stuff, no matter what it may be. If you notice your belts are backing up simply put down some storage boxes as buffers and use these to ensure your production continues whilst creating a stockpile for emergencies.
In all honesty, this list could go on and on as you progress through the game but these are definitely the most important lessons I’ve leant so far.
