Power is an essential component inDyson Sphere Programgameplay, especially since it forms a crux of the game’s main story objective. After all, it’s the player’s mission as an envoy of a completely virtual society to build a Dyson Sphere capable of supporting the vast computational demands of this next stage of human civilization. However, before players can even hope to create their much-awaited gigastructure, they have to solve the fundamental problem of hyper-optimizing their power generation output.
While most of the game’s infrastructure runs on electricity, it can be gathered using different power sources that can be built across the title’s assortment of planets. However, withDyson Sphere Programoffering power sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and even nuclear power, just which among these are the most practical sources of energy in a player’s arsenal?
50
11-12
2.4mW
90kW (4500W)
Source (Tech)
Assembler, Replicator (Geothermal Extraction)
Players enjoying thefactory sim elements inDyson Sphere Programmight appreciate the level of flexibilityGeothermal Power Stationsprovide in terms of overall gameplay. After all, as long as a planet has an open source of magma, players can place Geothermal Power Stations to siphon power off geothermal activity at a rate much more efficient compared to both Solar Panels and Wind Turbines.
Unfortunately, it’s also with its prerequisite where Geothermal Power Stations can set players back as an energy source. Since not all planets have an active magma source, Geothermal Power Stations won’t always be an available solution to a player’s energy woes. They are definitely must-tries in planets with active volcanic activity, but their dependent nature means they shouldn’t become a priority when players are building their production process.
72mW
Assembler, Replicator (Artificial Star)
Once players finish creatingtheir first Dyson Sphere inDyson Sphere Program, the game still allows them to continue further and play the game to their heart’s content. This usually means further hyper-optimizing their current production process, usually through the creation of Antimatter Fuel Rods that only become accessible once players have a functioning Dyson Sphere or even Dyson Swarm. The whopping 72 mW of power per unit can make the Artificial Star quite the tempting power source if not for the rather expensive production costs attached to its required components.
Despite the potential efficiency of an Artificial Star, it’s not always practical to use them in the same system where there’s a Dyson Sphere as the Ray Receivers in the area will likely be of the same energy output as that of the Antimatter Fuel Rods. Ray Receivers set to produce Critical Photos do get 8x Power Output, although this may end up being more costly in terms of overall production due to the expense in creating Antimatter Fuel Rods.
9
300kW
Assembler, Replicator (Electromagnetism)
Among the first power sources a player can acquire intheirDyson Sphere Programearly gamewould be theWind Turbine, giving them access to a planet’s Wind Resource for cheap. Its sustainable nature means it won’t cost Resources to maintain. Moreover, its cheap nature means it’s possible to form a Wind Turbine network around a planet to maximize this power source’s energy output. Perhaps the Wind Turbine’s main drawback is distance, as no two units could be placed closer than 10.5 meters.
Given this caveat, players need to maximize the strategic placement potential of their Wind Turbines to generate as much Wind Energy as possible. Doing this is possible by finding the (0,0) point in a planet’s map, or the intersection of the Equator and the Prime Meridian. Placing one Wind Turbine here and lining the four cardinal directions with Turbines can mean around 200+ Turbines on a regular planet, which should give around 65mW while players develop the first segments of their interstellar factory.
15mW
Assembler, Replicator (Mini Fusion Power Generation)
Players ofDyson Sphere Programrestart their playthroughafter getting an unideal seedlikely understand the pain (and benefits) of hyper-optimizing gameplay, and theMini Fusion Power Plantis the equivalent of such a process from the perspective of power generation. By the time players get a constant Hydrogen source, it may be the to research Deuterium Fractionation to create the Fractionator unlock Mini Fusion Power Generation. This leads to the possible fractionation of Hydrogen into Deuterium, which can then create Deuteron Fuel Rods.
When used with Mini Fusion Power Plants, Deuteron Fuel Rods net 12x more energy compared to the traditional Hydrogen Fuel Rod while consuming only 4/3 of its burn rate. This means Mini Fusion Power Plants use up less resources for more power. However, players may need to consider the rather technical nature of producing Deuterium in the game, as hyper-optimizing the process does mean locating a gas giant.
1
360kW
Assembler, Replicator (Solar Collection)
WhileHydrogen remains one of the most important Resources inDyson Sphere Program, players won’t have much use out of it without the power necessary to process it into materials for their production process. If Wind Turbines aren’t cutting it in terms of power generation, perhaps it’s time for players to go forSolar Panels. As the name suggests, Solar Panels only work when they’re directly hit by the sun and effectively shut down at night. However, Solar Panels are quite the efficient “level up” after Wind Turbines as each Solar Panel unit can generate up to 360kW of power.
At first glance, there are two ideal strategies for using Solar Panels. First would lining them along the equator as this is the part of the planet that the sun hits the most. However, one half of that equator facing away still won’t get hit by sunlight, especially if the planet isn’t tidally locked to the star. A solution for this is the other ideal method, such as to flatten the planet’s poles with foundation pieces and position Solar Panels there circularly. Since the poles are the “smallest” point in a planet’s stellar position, they will likely get the most exposure to sunlight. A bonus here is if the planet has a low axial tilt, meaning one whole half of the planet is facing the sun.
2.16mW
Assembler, Replicator (Thermal Power)
WhileDyson Sphere ProgramModscertainly remain in a player’s arsenal as endgame-enhancing tools, a nifty preparatory stage for their late-game efficiency would be the creation ofThermal Power Stations. Along the mid-game, the abundance of Coal on many planets would make Thermal Power Stations quite the efficient power source. However, as in the real world, the many - but still limited - supply of Coal in a planet would eventually run out, which means players need to slowly modify their Thermal Power Stations to consume different materials as they progress further into the game.
For instance, by the time players unlock Smelting Purification, they can process Coal into the more efficient Energetic Graphite as the latter is also a raw material for other crafting needs. Meanwhile, by the time players have the Orbit Collector and Red Matrix Cubes, they will likely be producing nigh-infinite amounts of Hydrogen. By then, Hydrogen should be the primary material for Thermal Power Plants to maximize power generation options.
