What's the point for the Dyson swarm?

[Ironballs]

I mean, it generates power which I can use - but I don't actually need it - I have plenty already so ... just stop using the swarm? focus on shell instead?

-unless its required for something else - I guess I'm only at the mid-game phase.

[StonyMike]

The swarm fills in the open slots in your sphere once you start building it. But ya it's just extra power basically.

[Dragonmaster]

Depends on power, sails are extremely cheap source of energy. If your good on power then you wont need an early swarm. Sails are needed for the actual dyson shell parts late game. But if you got extra materials laying around to make sails, they are a decent way to get some mid game power and take the strain off your fuel gens.

[Eekhoorn]

You need it to produce critical photons

I hope one day there will be a use for all that excess power we can generate.

[Dragonmaster]

Originally posted by Eekhoorn:

You need it to produce critical photons

I hope one day there will be a use for all that excess power we can generate.

Sails are not needed for those though. You can get them from rockets (frame) pieces only. The swarm and sphere itself is the same output with regards to those. You can get the final researches done without having to EVER launch a solar sail. In fact (prior to the recent update), most super end game players ONLY had frame spheres as they impact game performance a lot less then having filling in dysons.

[Eekhoorn]

Not a super player... never will be :) Just an average guy who enjoys the game.
I've only played through the game once and that's what I ended up using it for.
Thanks for the extra info... I think I might consider doing this now that I started a new game from scratch anyway.

[kris44dad]

Originally posted by Ironballs:

I mean, it generates power which I can use - but I don't actually need it - I have plenty already so ... just stop using the swarm? focus on shell instead?

-unless its required for something else - I guess I'm only at the mid-game phase.

The shell and the swarm are interchangeable, except one has a lifespan. You can complete the game with either one.

[Snail]

There's an achievement that you get if you complete a game without launching Sails.
That means only building the frame using rockets. Keep that in mind if you're looking to complete that achievement.
Aside from that, the Sails fill in the sphere between the frame.

[!?!]

They make dyson power output go brr

[Astaelan]

Sails add a lot of power to the sphere. Dyson sphere power is an unlimited free source of power (and photons), to which you can upgrade the ray receivers to be very efficient late game. This means steady, consistent power without spending power for it (even if only to power logistics to an orbital collector for hydrogen), and are space efficient unlike solar panels, wind farms, or even thermal and now geothermal plants which fit a more niche role for lava planets.
Aside from achieves on both sides (to complete without sails, and many achieves to reach certain power generation levels from the swarm/sphere), the main reason for the sphere is as mentioned to prevent sails from having a lifespan, thus becoming free energy.
I think personally unless you're going for those one or two achievements not using the sails, you're missing a big part of the game to build a whole sphere, there is something very satisfying about even building your first ring with a few GW of power kicking around to spare, I had a Doc Brown moment when I hit 1.21GW.
Which prompts you to increase your production lines to create and launch more rockets and sails, which requires more power and resources from further out and so the cycle is perpetual.
Free energy + efficient mining upgrades and placements go a long way to effective factory building. One can of course simply build and idle and let it run, but if you find yourself waiting you should be adding productions :)
All other sources of power are consuming something, in some cases it's mearly raw unlimited hydrogen, but the density of power plants to burn hydrogen versus many times the power per ray receiver, makes the ray receivers great as you breach into end game.
It's also likely that what you need for power today, will greatly change as the game introduces more complex mechanics later this year, surplus power is good.

[Ironballs]

Thanks a lot for the detailed advice guys!!

[Veny]

Except for infinite research that cannot be done without Dyson Sphere, you can make some advanced energy source thanks to it (artificial sun).
If you are into min-maxing, dyson sphere can provide dozens of GWs for entire solar system once built and recievers are small and their energy gain is good. They definitely save space on planets.
Also compared with other energy sources, Dyson sphere need no fuel or logistic once it is built - i dont know what you use, but it certainly need some fuel and transportation.

But to be clear - yes, complete sphere is another step and once you build whole sphere, swarm is useless and waste of resources.

[LorDC]

When it becomes available, Dyson Swarm is more or less useless because it is much more convenient to rush fusion power.
In the endgame Dyson swarm automatically converts itself into the shell of Dyson Sphere and it is much cheaper in terms of resources-per-watt than frame of the Sphere.