Written for Textorio 0.9.7. The colony belongs to paid-game progression. Exact tier requirements can change during Early Access; the current colony panel is the source to follow.
Separate maintenance from expansion
Continuous needs keep the settlement functioning. Food, water and power belong to that group; later tiers also require steam pressure. Meeting a requirement once is different from sustaining it while the colony continues consuming supplies.
Construction materials are used to advance the settlement. Concrete, steel and circuits can be part of that progression, but a pile of building material does not substitute for missing food. Likewise, stable food production does not mean that all the materials for the next tier are ready.
| Requirement | Its job | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Food and water | Continuing settlement supply | Production, stored stock and actual delivery |
| Power | Ongoing operation and tier needs | Available generation and connected distribution |
| Steam pressure | A later-stage continuing need | Steam production and pressure at the consuming system |
| Construction supplies | Advancing to the next tier | The current tier's material checklist |
Trace food back to water and electricity
The Nutrient Synthesizer makes rations from water and power. If food output stops, inspect those inputs before constructing another synthesizer. More machines connected to the same inadequate supply can make the original shortage harder to see.
Check whether the synthesizer is producing, whether its output has room, and whether the settlement's supply stock is actually receiving rations. Production, transport and storage are separate checkpoints. A working machine beside an empty colony supply is a useful clue about where to look next.
Use the belt checklist to trace items, and the power guide when a machine has material but cannot operate. The colony panel tells you which need is failing; the factory tells you why.
Use stored supplies as a diagnostic tool
Depots can buffer food and water. A buffer gives you time to repair a brief interruption, but watch its direction over time. If stored supply keeps falling during normal operation, your steady production or delivery is not keeping pace with demand.
Make one correction and observe it. Restoring a disconnected supply, freeing an output buffer or fixing a broken route is more informative than adding several new production buildings at once. Once the trend is stable, you can decide whether additional capacity is necessary.
Before advancing a tier, leave some headroom in the connected supply chains. The next settlement stage should be something the factory can keep supporting after the construction materials are spent.
Understand unrest and tier regression
The settlement progresses from Survivor Camp through Small Village, Village, Town, Large Town and City toward Metropolis. Unmet needs cause unrest and can make the colony regress. A regression is recoverable, so focus on restoring the failing supply rather than immediately rebuilding the expansion plan.
Pause the push for another tier while you diagnose the current one. Look for the first continuing need that fails, follow its chain back to the source, and confirm that the repair holds. Only then return to the construction checklist.
This is a useful place for a small, readable factory. A compact supply route that you can inspect is easier to rescue than a large network whose inputs and outputs are all off screen.
Operator energy is a different problem
Your operator's energy and the colony's supplies are separate systems. Resting the operator does not refill the settlement's food or water. If the colony is short of rations, investigate production and delivery even if the operator is fully rested.
Press K and point at a tile when an unfamiliar symbol makes diagnosis difficult. Check the building's description and live panel before assuming it belongs to the supply chain you are repairing.
In Kepler Online, your colony belongs to your permanent home region. Outlying regions give you room to explore and build, but do not treat each crossing as a new colony placement. Read the Kepler Online guide before planning a settlement around travel.
Your next factory starts here
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