DSP Wiki - User contributions [en]

Dark Fog Farming

2024-03-21T00:40:25Z

Sup3r87: Revamped the "Weapons and Placement" section because it was catering to a specific farm type - there are several different ways to farm the Dark Fog in the game.

The [[Dark Fog]] is the main enemy in Dyson Sphere Program, but it can prove useful to the player. By '''farming''' the Dark Fog, it will level up and drop progressively rarer and more valuable items, some of which are used for otherwise-unobtainable [[Technologies]].

== General Overview ==
To effectively farm the Dark Fog, the player must construct facilities that automatically destroy Dark Fog units without harming the [[Planetary Base|Planetary Bases]] producing them or the [[Relay Station|Relay Stations]] powering them. Additionally, the Dark Fog [[Space Hive]] will continually deploy more and more Relay Stations to construct new Planetary Bases, so the player must have a way to address these new bases to prevent the Dark Fog from breaking free of the farm. [[Signal Tower|Signal Towers]] put the Dark Fog into overdrive mode to greatly increase the number of units produced, thereby increasing the farm's output. Finally, [[Battlefield Analysis Base|Battlefield Analysis Bases]] are necessary to automatically collect the Dark Fog's drops, and a system must be put in place to organize and store the drops so that the Battlefield Bases do not overflow.

== Cluster Generation ==
Before the game even begins, the player can adjust the Dark Fog's settings along with the cluster's settings. Farming revolves around having the Dark Fog reach high levels to drop valuable items, so setting their Initial Level to 10 allows them to begin dropping useful items immediately. This does increase all units' stats by 100%, but Raiders are fairly weak to begin with, so a good array of turrets can still handle them. Another setting worth adjusting is the Combat XP Factor, which dictates how quickly the Dark Fog can level up. At the normal 100%, the Dark Fog levels up decently slowly, so increasing this factor will save a lot of time. It can go up to a maximum of 1000%, and while this may appear daunting at first, the Dark Fog's stats increase ''linearly'' by 10% per level. Once the Dark Fog has reached the high levels necessary to drop the best items, each level will not make that much of a difference. Finally, reduce the Power Threat Factor to the minimum 1% so that the Dark Fog does not interfere with gameplay outside of farming. Combat Threat Factor can be left alone, because Planetary Bases are unable to mount an assault without a certain number of units available. By using Signal Towers, all available units will always be deployed and destroyed as quickly as they are produced.

== Power Generation ==
Like any other facility, a Dark Fog farm requires a lot of energy to stay running. However, the penalty for not meeting a farm's energy demands is far more severe; while a normal facility would just slow down or stop, a Dark Fog farm may wind up completely overrun and destroyed. Luckily, the Dark Fog itself provides a solution to this problem. By destroying Planetary Bases, holes are left behind that can have [[Geothermal Power Station|Geothermal Power Stations]] placed on them. These provide large amounts of power and have 100% uptime in all conditions; the only reason a Geothermal Power Station would stop generating power is that the Dark Fog managed to destroy it. Before setting up the farm, allow the Dark Fog to send several Relays to the planet, and wipe out each Planetary Base as fast as they are established. This will provide a solid power foundation to build the farm upon, and if more power is required at a later point, simply allow more Relays to land.

Additionally, turrets use a lot of power, but only in very short bursts. Having a bank of [[Accumulator|Accumulators]] allows power to build up whenever the turrets are not firing and helps prevent overdraw.

== Weapons and Placement ==
The next important choice to make is what weapon(s) to use to destroy the Dark Fog's units. Any type of turret can be used in a Dark Fog farm, but if you position the range of your turrets very close to the Dark Fog's base, the explosive damage from [[Missile Turret|Missile Turrets]] or [[Implosion Cannon|Implosion Cannons]] is liable to damage their camps, costing the base matter and energy. You should only use [[Gauss Turret|Gauss Turrets]] and [[Laser Turret|Laser turrets]] if your farm is positioned very, very close to the Dark Fog base, otherwise it doesn't really matter what you use to destroy the Dark Fog. If your Dark Fog farm is somewhat far away from their bases, Implosion Cannons and Missile Turrets can greatly help with dealing with the very dense waves of units that can arrive.

Some pointers on notable turrets to consider:

* Gauss Turrets are very cheap to produce, use little power, and can deal even more damage than Laser Turrets when supplied with Superally Ammunition.
* Laser Turrets cost a significant amount of energy, but require no ammunition whatsoever to run, cutting down on micromanagement.
* Implosion Cannons shoot projectiles that travel to the target instantly, and they also deal very significant damage over a large blast radius, making them great at dealing with bigger swarms of units.
* [[Jammer Tower|Jammer Towers]] can greatly hinder the damage dealt by Dark Fog units, which can help prevent your farms from having turrets and buildings destroyed by the units.
* Missile turrets will neutralize a Dark Fog base if you place a [[Signal Tower]] such that the base is in the tower's range. If you are using Signal Towers and Missile Turrets in your farm, avoid doing this.

Regardless of which turret is used, the placement strategy is the same. Once the Planetary Base is constructed, the Dark Fog will attempt to construct up to 3 each of Raider Camps and Plasma Sentries. These are placed in alternating order around the base, so two given Raider Camps are always separated by 120 degrees, with a spot for a Plasma Sentry between them. While the Raider Camps are the source of the Dark Fog units to farm, the Plasma Sentries throw a wrench into the works. They deal very high damage at a good range, enough to seriously damage or potentially destroy Signal Towers. Thus the best way to place turrets is such that the Planetary Base is at the very edge of their range. Make sure that the Raider Camps are not in any turret's range, but that all possible Plasma Sentry locations ''are'' within range.

== Handling Items ==
Once the player has formed a perimeter of turrets around the Planetary Base, the next step is to handle the item drops. Battlefield Analysis Bases have a lot of storage, but it is not infinite, and slots can be taken up surprisingly quickly if farming a lot of different items. Within the Battlefield Base's inventory is a menu to set the items that the Dark Fog is allowed to drop, so deselect all items that are irrelevant so they do not take up space. Each Battlefield Base also only has nine ports, so keep this in mind when selecting how many types of items should drop. Finally, add some external storage for each desired item.

== Controlling the Dark Fog ==
While it is relatively straightforward to corral a Planetary Base, the Dark Fog will still continuously try to expand throughout the system and establish new Planetary Bases. Left unchecked, these may launch assaults on the player's facilities and break down the confines of the farm. Once the player is satisfied with the number of Planetary Bases being farmed on a planet, they must prevent any new Planetary Bases from being built. Destroying the Hive itself may seem enticing, as this cuts off new Relays at the source. All established Planetary Bases will be too busy using their resources on new units to send any back to reconstruct the Hive, so it will effectively be out of commission permanently. However, the Hive is still a major source of energy for Planetary Bases. Without a Hive supplying them with energy, Planetary Bases will barely be able to produce any units, as the energy required to operate three Raider Camps in overdrive mode is much greater than the amount that the Relay can naturally generate.

Since destroying the Hive is not a viable option, the only way to prevent new bases from being constructed is to drive off Relays that attempt to reach the planet, as the farm will inevitably reach a point where the micromanagement of destroying new bases is undesirable. There are several ways to drive off Relay Stations that are arriving at a planet, with varying requirements. [[Planetary Shield Generator|Planetary Shield Generators]] prevent Relays from reaching their shielded areas, and with enough of them the entire planet can be permanently protected from any new Relays. Alternatively, [[Missile Turret|Missile Turrets]] and [[Plasma Turret|Plasma Turrets]] can attack Space targets, allowing them to destroy Relays before they reach the planet. Finally, covering the entire planet with structures will leave nowhere for a Relay to establish a base, although this is the least practical of these options. To truly eliminate micromanagement, these anti-Relay measures must be put in place on ''every'' planet in the system, as the Dark Fog will attempt to settle on each of them. While systems with only a single planet are few and far between, they are the simplest systems to farm in the late game.

The only remaining thing that will require micromanagement no matter what is the production of [[Seed|Seeds]]. The Hive will inevitably produce these, as farming allows the Dark Fog to continuously harvest matter and energy. To prevent the Dark Fog from spreading to new systems, the player must eliminate Seeds whenever they appear. Alternatively, the player can try to "prune" the Hive by attacking it and partially destroying its facilities, forcing it to use its resources on reconstruction instead of Seeds. Luckily, in both cases the player will not need to check up on the system very often. Seeds travel extremely slowly through space and are completely vulnerable, so destroying them is simple as long as the player takes notice, and the Hive takes a long time to get back to the point where it may produce Seeds if it is partially destroyed.

Battlefield Analysis Base

2024-02-29T03:12:03Z

Sup3r87: Added more detailed info on battlefield analysis base and a tip in tips & tricks.

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==Summary==
Battlefield Analysis Base is a multipurpose building that provides several different functions. It is capable of:

-Healing nearby buildings in its radius.

-Using drones to rebuild destroyed buildings (if supplied with said buildings).

-Deploying combat drones (if supplied) to help fight against invasions.

-Collecting any dark fog debris and also any littered items in its radius.

-Using drones to assist Icarus in construction.

The base can also be set to filter what items it can pick up, and have designated slots for certain items (similar to Icarus's pick-up filtering). [[Sorters]] can be used to load and unload items to and from the base. Because of this ability to automatically collect Dark Fog loot, the battlefield analysis base can be used to set up Dark Fog farms with the goal of harvesting Dark Fog loot from battles endlessly.

Even without taking advantage of the loot pickup feature, the ability for the battlefield analysis base to heal buildings automatically makes it extremely useful for building a defensive line that minimizes loss of buildings.
==Production Chain==
{{ProductionChainTable/head}}
{{ProductionChain
|Building=Assembler
|Replicator=Yes
|Technology=Battlefield Analysis Base
|Recipe=
{{ItemRecipe
|Out1=Battlefield Analysis Base
|Out1Qty=1
|CraftTime=6 s
|In1=Steel
|In1Qty=12
|In2=Circuit Board
|In2Qty=18
|In3=Microcrystalline Component
|In3Qty=6
|In4=Engine
|In4Qty=12
}}
}}
|}

==Player Tips & Tricks==
*Because of its relatively high durability and capability of healing buildings around it, battlefield analysis bases can be used as a makeshift "wall" against Dark Fog invasions.
*A [[Storage Mk.II]] can be placed atop it.
*Construction bots can be set to prioritize repair, construction, or balance (default) between them.

{{Item Navbox}}
[[Category:Building]]
[[Category:Logistics]]

Plasma Turret

2024-02-29T02:58:49Z

Sup3r87: Added more information about the plasma turret, why it's useful, what ammo it uses, and tips & tricks.

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==Summary==
After being stimulated, the matter inside an energy capsule will be in a high-energy plasma state. It will then be quickly emitted by the Plasma Turret's accelerator to generate high-speed plasma beams. Such beams are extremely penetrating and destructive, and can effectively destroy space targets.

Plasma turret is a single target turret (only damages one unit at a time) and is the only turret apart from [[Missile Turret]] that can defend against space invasions from the Dark Fog. Its projectiles travel at very extreme speed, much higher than even [[Gravity Missile Set|gravity missiles]], the fastest missiles the missile turret has to offer. Combining extreme projectile speed, extreme range, extreme damage (in comparison to missile turrets), and relatively cheap ammunition, plasma turrets are a surefire way to reduce a space invasion to dust before its even had the chance to fire at the planet.

Plasma turrets will only shoot at space Dark Fog units if they are labeled red on the starmap, which can only happen if they are attacking the player or moving to attack a planet. This means that a space hive can get close to a planet that has plasma turrets on it without the turrets shooting at the space units.

This turret consumes [[Plasma Capsule]] and [[Antimatter Capsule]]. While the ammunition does describe a blast radius, because distances in space are so large, the "radius" can only hit one space Dark Fog unit per shot.
==Production Chain==
{{ProductionChainTable/head}}
{{ProductionChain
|Building=Assembler
|Replicator=Yes
|Technology=Plasma Turret
|Recipe=
{{ItemRecipe
|Out1=Plasma Turret
|Out1Qty=1
|CraftTime=10 s
|In1=Titanium Alloy
|In1Qty=20
|In2=Titanium Glass
|In2Qty=10
|In3=Super-Magnetic Ring
|In3Qty=10
|In4=Plasma Exciter
|In4Qty=5
|In5=Processor
|In5Qty=5
}}
}}
|}
===Production Progression Chart===
{{ProgressionChartHatnote}}
==Player Tips & Tricks==

* By default Plasma Turrets are configured not to engage high-air targets, but enabling that targeting will allow them to engage Relay Stations, which provide ground bases their power and allow material to be launched back to the Space Hive. However destroying those Relay Stations will sharply increase the threat from the Space Hive. (Note: new Relay Stations destroyed as they approach the planet will not generate that Space Hive threat)

*An easy (and relatively cheap) way to keep a planet safe from space invasions (including [[Planetary Shield Generator|Planetary Shields]]) is by having a small ring of plasma turrets on the north and south poles of the planet.

* If you are on a planet that has plasma turrets on it and is orbiting close to a space Dark Fog hive, taking off from the planet will likely cause the space units to attack you. If this happens, plasma turrets will react and start shooting at the space units. This can quickly lead to the entire hive fighting the planet with plasma turrets on it, so be sure to have the planet well shielded and the plasma turrets loaded with ammo if you want the planet's buildings to survive.These kinds of battles are like planetary invasions on steroids.
{{Item Navbox}}

Laser Turret

2024-02-29T02:35:10Z

Sup3r87: Added more info about the laser turret and why it's useful.

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==Summary==
High-energy laser beams will be emitted to keep strafing enemy units when they enter the defensive range. High temperatures lead to sustained damage to targets. Laser Towers' high-frequency lasers can hit targets precisely and in a short period of time, but they consume a lot of energy.

Laser turret is a single target turret (only damages one unit at a time). It is the only turret in the game that does not require any ammunition to run, making it very easy to integrate into a defensive line or set up low maintenance defenses with.
==Production Chain==
{{ProductionChainTable/head}}
{{ProductionChain
|Building=Assembler
|Replicator=Yes
|Technology=Planetary Defense System
|Recipe=
{{ItemRecipe
|Out1=Laser Turret
|Out1Qty=1
|CraftTime=6 s
|In1=Steel
|In1Qty=9
|In2=Plasma Exciter
|In2Qty=6
|In3=Circuit Board
|In3Qty=6
|In4=Photon Combiner
|In4Qty=9
}}
}}
|}
===Production Progression Chart===
{{ProgressionChartHatnote}}
==Player Tips & Tricks==
Researching Energy Weapon Damage doesn't show a +X hp added to the info box of the Laser Turret, but it does increase the damage listed under its DPS. Note that when that research says "Energy Weapons Damage +x%" it means by +x% ''of the original damage value''.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Laser Turret additional damage per level
|-
!Energy Weapon Damage Level!!Damage +x%!!Additional Damage!!Cumulative Damage
|-
| -||-||-||120.0 hp
|-
|1||+10%||12||132.0 hp
|-
|2||+10%||12||144.0 hp
|-
|3||+20%||24||168.0 hp
|-
|4||+30%||36||204.0 hp
|-
|5||+30%||36||240.0 hp
|-
|6+||+20%||24||264.0 hp
|}
*-
{{Item Navbox}}

Implosion Cannon

2024-02-29T02:19:01Z

Sup3r87: Added more information about the implosion cannon, what ammo it consumes, and player tips & tricks.

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==Summary==
After hitting a target, a 280mm shell can cause a wide-ranging explosive blast and inflict Explosive Damage to units and facilities in the vicinity. Additionally, due to its design characteristics implosion Cannon can't be used to attack close targets.

Implosion Cannon is a medium range turret capable of explosive damage (damaging a group of enemies instead of one at a time). Because the explosions can push enemies back and the projectiles fired travel to the target instantly, combined with the very high explosive damage, implosion cannons are excellent at defending against some of the worst ground invasions the Dark Fog has to offer.

This turret consumes [[Shell Set]], [[High-Explosive Shell Set]], and [[Crystal Shell Set]].
==Production Chain==
{{ProductionChainTable/head}}
{{ProductionChain
|Building=Assembler
|Replicator=Yes
|Technology=Implosion Cannon
|Recipe=
{{ItemRecipe
|Out1=Implosion Cannon
|Out1Qty=1
|CraftTime=5 s
|In1=Steel
|In1Qty=10
|In2=Electric Motor
|In2Qty=8
|In3=Circuit Board
|In3Qty=10
|In4=Super-Magnetic Ring
|In4Qty=2
}}
}}
|}
===Production Progression Chart===
{{ProgressionChartHatnote}}
==Player Tips & Tricks==
*Implosion cannons can benefit from being paired with other defensive turrets, as they are the only turret unable to shoot at Dark Fog units that are too close to it.
{{Item Navbox}}

Missile Turret

2024-02-29T01:06:55Z

Sup3r87: Added more information about the missile turret, what ammo it consumes, why it's useful, and elaborated on a point in tips & tricks

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==Summary==
Equipped with an advanced missile launcher and a target identification system, Turrets can quickly identify and locate both ground and space targets. Once they lock onto a target, they will then launch missiles. They are designed to respond to multiple threats with all-around defense.

Missile turret is the first turret the player unlocks that is capable of explosive damage (damaging a group of enemies instead of one at a time). Paired with the missile's ability to physically push enemies back on explosion, missile turrets can keep a base defended against some of the biggest ground invasions the Dark Fog can muster (with enough of them, of course).

This turret consumes [[Missile Set]], [[Supersonic Missile Set]], and [[Gravity Missile Set]]. In addition to better damage and blast radius, the better versions of missile set also cause the missile to fly at a greater speed, reaching the target sooner.
==Production Chain==
{{ProductionChainTable/head}}
{{ProductionChain
|Building=Assembler
|Replicator=Yes
|Technology=Weapon System
|Recipe=
{{ItemRecipe
|Out1=Missile Turret
|Out1Qty=1
|CraftTime=6 s
|In1=Steel
|In1Qty=8
|In2=Electric Motor
|In2Qty=6
|In3=Circuit Board
|In3Qty=12
|In4=Engine
|In4Qty=5
}}
}}
|}
===Production Progression Chart===
{{ProgressionChartHatnote}}
==Player Tips & Tricks==
* All the missile turrets on a planet can target any enemies within range of any [[Signal Tower|signal tower]] on the planet -- making them very effective as wiping out Dark Fog forces from long range. This is also true for Dark Fog land buildings, allowing the player to power and place a signal tower in range of the buildings of a base to "siege" it from long range. However, because missiles take time to travel across a planet, it is recommended to use the better versions of missile set in order to destroy the Dark Fog defenses before they can destroy the signal tower. Once a missile has targeted a Dark Fog unit or base, even if the signal tower is destroyed, the missile will still travel to and hit the target.
* By default, Missile Turrets are configured not to engage high-air targets, but enabling that targeting will allow them to engage Relay Stations, which provide ground bases their power and allow material to be launched back to the Space Hive. However destroying those Relay Stations will increase the threat from the Space Hive. (Note: new Relay Stations destroyed as they approach the planet will not generate that Space Hive threat, and missiles linked to polar Signal Towers are more than capable of destroying those attempts to land new bases)
{{Item Navbox}}

Gauss Turret

2024-02-29T00:47:35Z

Sup3r87: Added more information about gauss turret, what it consumes, and tips & tricks.

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==Summary==
An EM field is used to accelerate bullet speed. 48mm bullets form dense and intense firepower. The damage inflicted to low-air units as a result should not be underestimated.

Gauss turret is a single target turret (only damages one unit at a time) and the first turret that the player can unlock in the game. It can handle skirmishes fine, but is easily overwhelmed when the dark fog begins to invade in large swarms.

This turret consumes [[Magnum Ammo Box]], [[Titanium Ammo Box]], and [[Superalloy Ammo Box]].

==Production Chain==
{{ProductionChainTable/head}}
{{ProductionChain
|Building=Assembler
|Replicator=Yes
|Technology=Weapon System
|Recipe=
{{ItemRecipe
|Out1=Gauss Turret
|Out1Qty=1
|CraftTime=4 s
|In1=Iron Ingot
|In1Qty=8
|In2=Gear
|In2Qty=8
|In3=Circuit Board
|In3Qty=2
|In4=Magnetic Coil
|In4Qty=4
}}
}}
|}

===Production Progression Chart===
{{ProgressionChartHatnote}}
==Player Tips & Tricks==
* -Gauss turret does a solid job defending the base at the early game. However, once the dark fog starts sending larger swarms of units, the player should be ready to integrate [[Missile Turret|missile turrets]] into the defensive line as they can not only damage groups of enemies but also push them back. A combination of gauss turrets and missile turrets can keep most starter bases on planets safe.

{{Item Navbox}}
[[Category:Item]]
[[Category:Building]]
[[Category:Turret]]

Planetary Shield Generator

2024-02-28T23:00:27Z

Sup3r87: Added more info about planetary shield behavior and an extra tip

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==Summary==
They can create Planetary Shields on planets to resist attacks from space. Massive amounts of energy are required for a Planetary Shield. If the shield becomes ineffective, it will leave the planet exposed to serious threads from space. Additionally, the number of Shield Generators that can be built on a planet is limited. Planetary Shield can only resist damage from space, it cannot defend ground damage.

Planetary shield generators behave similarly to energy exchangers and batteries in that, if the power grid can't fully support their charging, they will use less energy instead of causing the power grid to go under 100% satisfaction.

If two generators are placed nearby, their coverage areas will melt together rather than simply overlapping, increasing coverage considerably.
==Production Chain==
{{ProductionChainTable/head}}
{{ProductionChain
|Building=Assembler
|Replicator=Yes
|Technology=Planetary Defense System
|Recipe=
{{ItemRecipe
|Out1=Planetary Shield Generator
|Out1Qty=1
|CraftTime=30 s
|In1=Steel
|In1Qty=20
|In2=Electromagnetic Turbine
|In2Qty=20
|In3=Super-Magnetic Ring
|In3Qty=5
|In4=Particle Container
|In4Qty=5
}}
}}
|}
===Production Progression Chart===
{{ProgressionChartHatnote}}
==Player Tips & Tricks==
Relay Stations are unable to create new planetary bases on any portion of planet covered by a planetary shield of any strength; even the pale blue fringes of the shield will prevent landings.

Because planetary shields can melt together, landings via relay station can be prevented with just 8 shields minimum (typically 2 on the poles and 6 reasonably evenly spaced on the equator).
{{Item Navbox}}