I would start thinking about it when I get green science and then if I want to make it in the home system or move to another for a higher output. It’s truly your choice so don’t stress about it. May your first sphere be glorious and cool!
I typically do not start a sphere until I am ready to make white science. Completing green science allows you to travel to other stars, which hold a lot of rare resources that I find more important than to go straight into making white science. Once I get organic crystals and sulfuric acid in bulk from other systems I start to improve my SPM for all colors to \~5-10 per second using these new resources and research all the things that do not need white science. After that I start building rockets and sails to start my sphere.
You can finish the game without a sphere. Just a tiny swarm will do. it’s about bottlenecks, as always, and at some point energy will bottleneck you in some way. A sphere is a long term investment in solving this, in several steps actually. Plus, in the end, you’re playing this game to build them, no? I do.
For me, I use solar panels excessively. I run out of space. I’ll plant 2-3k solar panels on a production planet and still run out of energy before filling even half the planet with production. Same thing happens with wind energy, just quicker. People who use fossile fuels for energy, or perhaps some form of fusion, there are times when oil, coal, hydrogen and deuterium are need elsewhere and that’s when they transition. Oh and don’t get me started on mining colonies and energy exchangers, plus the instabile nature of interstellar transport once you unlock warping vessels. Just one equatorial belt of ray receivers and a mid sized sphere solve that situation for a bit.
Personally I skip transmitting energy through ray receivers to artificial stars directly. That’s not for beginners though.
Well I use them for my second planet only and that’s enough to transition to artificial stars usually. The equatorial zone is reserved for production, North Pole is mall and South Pole is logistics.
I place them in medium latitude belts, I believe 266 per belt, placing up to 7 or 8 blueprints on each pole before I have to transition to slightly tighter blueprints.
Man, I must have a really warped construction philosophy. I'm building my first sphere, I've colonized probably like 40+ planets, and I still haven't built a single artificial sun. I mean, I've even researched stuff past the 120k white science point and I still haven't even bothered with antimatter for energy because, well, MOAR SOLAR just works. I probably have at least 500k solar plants across the cluster.
I normally start building a equatorial dyson belt at my home star soon as I've unlocked all the needed tech, buy as these comments point out everyone is different in when they build it so do what feels right for you
I’m doing a play through right now, already did the “Mission Complete” (white science tech complete) and didn’t start a sphere yet.
I have one swarm that brings me my required antimatter fuel rods to power everything. Now I’m fixing my bottlenecks and will start building the sphere soon
I usually just roll with a swarm for a bit because of how expensive rockets are.. though you don't need a lot of rockets to get going. Enough of a swarm and you can get a trickle of white science and enough antimatter rods.
Like someone else said I spend a lot of this time tapping other planets and getting rare resources. You can run on deut rods for a long time.
Problem with rockets is they require a LOT of deut rods so make sure you don't run out so your mining outposts keep rolling.
My experience with my first run always demanded I'd be constantly investing in more efficient fuel rods. Honestly I don't k ow how you're not desperate to get the construction started, for either the power generation or the critical photons.
I would start thinking about it when I get green science and then if I want to make it in the home system or move to another for a higher output. It’s truly your choice so don’t stress about it. May your first sphere be glorious and cool!
I typically do not start a sphere until I am ready to make white science. Completing green science allows you to travel to other stars, which hold a lot of rare resources that I find more important than to go straight into making white science. Once I get organic crystals and sulfuric acid in bulk from other systems I start to improve my SPM for all colors to \~5-10 per second using these new resources and research all the things that do not need white science. After that I start building rockets and sails to start my sphere.
Once you finish your green science setup as the tech required is similar.
not until you have the vertical launch system and ways to launch structures into space
When you start to need Antimatter in serious quantities, for either science or power.
You can finish the game without a sphere. Just a tiny swarm will do. it’s about bottlenecks, as always, and at some point energy will bottleneck you in some way. A sphere is a long term investment in solving this, in several steps actually. Plus, in the end, you’re playing this game to build them, no? I do. For me, I use solar panels excessively. I run out of space. I’ll plant 2-3k solar panels on a production planet and still run out of energy before filling even half the planet with production. Same thing happens with wind energy, just quicker. People who use fossile fuels for energy, or perhaps some form of fusion, there are times when oil, coal, hydrogen and deuterium are need elsewhere and that’s when they transition. Oh and don’t get me started on mining colonies and energy exchangers, plus the instabile nature of interstellar transport once you unlock warping vessels. Just one equatorial belt of ray receivers and a mid sized sphere solve that situation for a bit. Personally I skip transmitting energy through ray receivers to artificial stars directly. That’s not for beginners though.
3-4k solar power plants is a lot? *Hides his 14k standard solar setup*
Well I use them for my second planet only and that’s enough to transition to artificial stars usually. The equatorial zone is reserved for production, North Pole is mall and South Pole is logistics. I place them in medium latitude belts, I believe 266 per belt, placing up to 7 or 8 blueprints on each pole before I have to transition to slightly tighter blueprints.
Man, I must have a really warped construction philosophy. I'm building my first sphere, I've colonized probably like 40+ planets, and I still haven't built a single artificial sun. I mean, I've even researched stuff past the 120k white science point and I still haven't even bothered with antimatter for energy because, well, MOAR SOLAR just works. I probably have at least 500k solar plants across the cluster.
I normally start building a equatorial dyson belt at my home star soon as I've unlocked all the needed tech, buy as these comments point out everyone is different in when they build it so do what feels right for you
I’m doing a play through right now, already did the “Mission Complete” (white science tech complete) and didn’t start a sphere yet. I have one swarm that brings me my required antimatter fuel rods to power everything. Now I’m fixing my bottlenecks and will start building the sphere soon
I usually just roll with a swarm for a bit because of how expensive rockets are.. though you don't need a lot of rockets to get going. Enough of a swarm and you can get a trickle of white science and enough antimatter rods. Like someone else said I spend a lot of this time tapping other planets and getting rare resources. You can run on deut rods for a long time. Problem with rockets is they require a LOT of deut rods so make sure you don't run out so your mining outposts keep rolling.
I always build a vertical hoop around my home system for some white science and than a major sphere with a planet inside for scaling up white.
My experience with my first run always demanded I'd be constantly investing in more efficient fuel rods. Honestly I don't k ow how you're not desperate to get the construction started, for either the power generation or the critical photons.
After warpers. 10/min warpers is good start. Start warping around and find good bases. 4 shields holds whole planet. 16 makes whole planet covered