FAQ

Disclaimer

(Disclaimer: Much of the below was directly copied from the Steam Community FAQ, located at https://steamcommunity.com/app/1366540/discussions/0/3111392579687729387/ . Where possible, DSP Wiki has clarified certain questions and answers, or provided links to relevant wiki articles. This FAQ was compared against the Steam version on 2/8/2021 and updated accordingly.)

(New Dark Fog FAQ)

FAQs

How advanced is the Early Access version? How long is the estimated gameplay time?

A: Don't worry: the EA version has a lot of content – the game will just grow from there. A single playthrough takes between 50 and 100 hours to complete – and that's if you focus on building the Dyson sphere. If you sneak off to explore the universe, spend time optimizing the factory layout , etc., it may take you longer than that.

Are many bugs and glitches to be expected?

A: Obviously, we can't guarantee a 100% bug-free experience (the game is still in development, so it might be rough around the edges in some aspects), but we're working really hard to release the most polished version possible. If you find a bug, you can report to us and we will fix it as soon as possible.

Are there enemies in the game?

A: Yes! With the introduction of the Dark Fog planetary and space combat was added.

Does the game have intragalactic and intergalactic logistics?

A: Yes it does! You need to research a specific technology to unlock transportation between planets, though. It is also possible to do logistics between distant galaxies solar systems.

(DSPWiki Editor's note: The game itself exists within what some might consider one "galaxy". It is unclear what is meant by galaxies in this entry of the FAQ. Your game may have anywhere between 24 and 64 Solar Systems, which the "specific technology" can permit Logistics Vessels to travel between.)

Are there black holes?

A: Big YES!

Can you build a Dyson sphere in the game?

A: Definitely yes! (Otherwise, we would have named the game differently!)

Does the game have online features?

A: For now, it is a single-player game.

Will there be mod support?

A: There is a huge amount of Mods to chose from already, ranging from extra QOL features and performance improvement, to visual changes or even complete overhauls of the core mechanics of the game.

Can I claim back land from the sea to extend the layout of my factory?

A: Yes, you are able to do it -- after researching a specific technology.

Can I change the look of the mecha?

A: Yes! The game comes with an inbuild Mecha Customizer that allows you to create your Mecha with great freedom of detail and appearance. There are also plenty Mecha Skins already made by other players to try out.

Can I land on other planets?

A: You can land, mine and build structures on most of the planets in the game. Time to explore!

Are all planets equal?

A: Not at all. Stars_and_planets have different ecological environments and materials. Some rare materials can only be found on certain planets. Their revolution and rotation are different as well, which influence how you produce solar- and wind energy.

(DSPWiki Editor's note: However all planets, other than gas and ice giants, are the same size)

Will Icarus burn if I get too close to a star?

A: Icarus is a magnificent mecha, you can even crash against a star, no worries!

Can your mecha betray and leave you?

A: Not in Dyson Sphere Program!

I heard that there are only five people in the development team.

A: Yes, we are a five-person team from Chongqing, China.

How frequently will the game be updated?

A: We will announce a development roadmap. Stay tuned!

Where can I find the saves folder and log file?

Savedata: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Dyson Sphere Program\Save
Logs: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Youthcat Studio\Dyson Sphere Program

What should I do if the download and installation process fail?

A: Please try the following ways:

1. Restart Steam
2. Change the directory of game file
3. Enter [Steam-Settings-Download-Library Folder-Right click to select the corresponding directory-Repair Library Folder]

Do my saves synch with the Steam cloud?

A: We met some tech difficulty on it, so the Steam cloud saves are not supported yet.

Does the game support Steam Workshop?

A: Right now, the focus is on fixing bugs and improving performance and stability. However, this is on the development roadmap, and it will be done when the most pressing issues have been ironed out.

Does the game have achievements?

A: Yes, achievements have been added to the game and they count towards Steam Achievements if playing the Steam version, or toward Xbox achievements if playing on the Microsoft PC or GamePass PC version.

Why are my FPS is low?

A: Please check out whether your computer meets the minimum configuration requirements first. If your computer has 2 graphic cards (integrated + dedicated GPUs), follow the steps below to set your dedicated GPU up as default:

1. Open the NVIDIA control panel
2. Click "Manage 3D Settings", and then switch to the "Program Settings" tab
3. Click the "Add" button in the first selection of custom programs, and select the application to use the discrete graphics card in the drop-down box
4. Select "High-performance NVIDIA processor" in the graphics processor in the second column, then click Apply at the bottom right corner

As many other factory games with growing factories, you will face increasing performance demand as you expand your factory.

I can’t move the mouse after changing the graphic resolution.

A: Please restart the game to solve this problem. We will fix this as soon as possible.

Why does my UI keeping flash up and down?

A: It may be caused by a low resolution. You can enter [Settings-Game-UI Layout Reference Height] to adjust your resolution.

With a 3840*2160 resolution, my game screen doesn’t look correctly.

A: We’re aware of this issue and we will fix it as soon as possible.

Is there combat in the game?

A: The current Early Access build includes the core gameplay with a sandbox universe to explore, logistics chains, etc. Combat will be implemented in the future; we will announce our development roadmap soon.

Can we customize the mecha?

A: It's not included yet, but it's in the plans and will be implemented later on. The game is currently in the Early Access stage, and there are many features yet to be developed. As we said earlier, stay tuned for our development roadmap, which will be announced soon.

(DSPWiki Editor's note: Yes, now you can!!! Check out this patch note for more info Patch_Notes-0.9.24.11182)

I see a strange ring on the planet's surface.

A: You can turn off [Planet Surface Self-Shadow] in the settings to get rid of that 'strange ring'.

I switched the game to a different language, but the text didn't change (or only partially)

A: Please restart the game to apply this change fully.

Can a building of the same style be upgraded directly without dismantling and rebuilding?

A: That is not supported yet, but will be implemented further down the road.

(DSPWiki Editor's note: Yes, there is now an upgrade tool that allows you to individually upgrade buildings or mass upgrade many parts of your factory at once (including belts and sorters!))

Can the sorter be planned in advance (with a blueprint)?

A: That is not supported yet, but will be implemented further down the road.

(DSPWiki Editor's note: Yes, blueprints are an unlockable feature through research in the game. Mass Construction. Also you can select a building with its sorters using SHIFT+LMB and then place copies of them by holding LMB and dragging a row of them (use TAB to adjust spacing between the buildings)

Why can't the sorter fill the maximum material capacity of the building?

A: In the current version of the game, you can automatically store up to 5 times the material required by the recipe, and 20 times if you do it manually. It is designed to make the assembly line more stable. It's a similar mechanic to a feature of Factorio.

I wish the direction of the conveyor belt and the sorter could be adjusted in a more convenient way.

A: We're planning for it!

(DSPWiki Editor's note: Conveyor belts can have their direction flipped as of the patch released January 5th 2023. Patch_Notes/0.9.27.15466 Please read the conveyor belts page for more details.)

What will happen if I demolish the building which contains materials?

A: The logic of dismantling a building in the current design is:

The storage tank can be dismantled, but the materials in it will disappear. The premise of the demolition of the storage is that your inventory's empty space is enough to hold the materials from the storage. When the production equipment is dismantled, if the backpack has enough space to hold the materials from it, you'll get the materials in your inventory. Otherwise, the materials will disappear.

(DSPWiki Editor's Note: There are some cases where attempting to dismantle a building with more material than your inventory can hold will prevent you from dismantling the building, rather than destroying the cargo. At this time, it is unclear what the exact criteria are. However the game now drops the excess material on the ground, rather than automatically destroying it. After clearing space in your inventory you can pick up this dropped material)

Why is the sorting function of the high-speed sorter smarter than the rapid sorter?

The high-speed sorter can automatically sort mixed materials to the corresponding manufacturing station, but the rapid sorter can't. The advanced sorter can automatically switch the materials when one specific material on the manufacturing station is full, but the rapid sorter will just stop the delivery.===

A: This is something we plan to correct soon.

Can I rebind shortcut keys/hotkeys?

A: Most shortcut keys/hotkeys can be rebound; but a few are not yet supported, e.g. 'E' for open inventory)

How come the game is only a few hundred MB? I was expecting a size of GB!

A: The game is compressed for faster downloading. The actual game size is over 2GB.

Why is my sorter not working

1. Make sure the sorter is on the same direction as the fluid.
2. Make sure the cage on the conveyor matches the recipe of the production building.

What should I do if my game crashes during the loading process or keeps loading forever?

A: Please fill this Bug Report form: Google Form. or send your hardware info and Log to [email protected] so we can help you out.

How can I discard items in my inventory?

A: Select the item you want to discard and press Del on your keyboard.

(DSPWiki Editor's Note: This now discards the item onto the ground. You could use the 'Erase All Litter' button to delete it from the ground. Of you could use SHIFT+Del to discard it directly from the game)

What's your plan of Localization?

A: Of course we want to bring Dyson Sphere Program to more players! However we are a small team, currently we are focusing on bug fixing and gameplay improvement. We will plan for localization after this stage.

Is there any place to report bugs or exchange tips for the game?

A: You can join our official [Discord] and our Steam forums. (Discord is more recommended)

Where are the saved game files located?

A: The location varies depending upon your gaming platform and can be found in Save_File_Location.