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Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Moderators: LawBeefaroni, Arcanis, $iljanus
- Sepiche
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
I loaded my old game and after about 10 minutes everyone left all of my research institutes and refused to work in them regardless of the new training level setting.
Looks like I might be giving this patch a few days to ripen.
Looks like I might be giving this patch a few days to ripen.
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Checked to see if I'm patched. I am. Synching still sucks. I like the homage to SMAC on exit. That was missed in the change log.
Sunva.
Same thing. Trying to figure what I want to do now.
Sunva.
Same thing. Trying to figure what I want to do now.
- Sepiche
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Apparently this affects spires too, but only existing saves... new games are fine.
Also, a hot fix is in the works for the major issues from the patch.
- LordMortis
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- Montag
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
I manually assigned my scientists to the research buildings and it took.
I do want an adjustable birth rate, not an on off.
I am not surprised on the triboelectric nerf. The toned down idiots should offset this. ON my current game, I just got deep rare metals from the bonus 3 breakthroughs, so I should not be electronics limited.
I do want an adjustable birth rate, not an on off.
I am not surprised on the triboelectric nerf. The toned down idiots should offset this. ON my current game, I just got deep rare metals from the bonus 3 breakthroughs, so I should not be electronics limited.
words
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
As I mentioned on the previous page:
So far it doesn't seem that the patch messed up that mod.I'm hoping this doesn't mess up too many of my favorite mods. For instance, their change to birth control, "Added Birth Control Policy in domes. You can now set births to allowed or forbidden (Ctrl + LMB sets birth control policy in all domes)", isn't as good as the Nurseries Limit Births mod which limits birth to the available nursery slots.
Also I started a new game and now my rockets can lift off from Mars. I haven't gotten into having colonist on the ground, but since there might be a conflict, I disabled these mods I had been using:
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Good for you. I tried to manually assign people and then nearly 20% of my workforce were unemployed and moving to the wrong the domes and doing nothing and I got fed up when I was many hours into a complete the Engineering tree research before sol 100 as USA.Montag wrote: ↑Thu Apr 05, 2018 8:02 pm I manually assigned my scientists to the research buildings and it took.
I do want an adjustable birth rate, not an on off.
I am not surprised on the triboelectric nerf. The toned down idiots should offset this. ON my current game, I just got deep rare metals from the bonus 3 breakthroughs, so I should not be electronics limited.
I think this is now "let it cook before coming back to it", for which I don't have a good track record of coming back to games when something turns me off.
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Small update from the devs this morning:
Hey everybody! You've probably noticed a quick download if you play on Steam! We got a new hotfix done and it is live NOW on Steam! Not a lot but here are the changes:
Fixed an issue where sometimes after Dust Storms, rockets won't be able to launch from Mars
Fixed an issue with some buildings not getting any workers
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Thank you! I was looking for and hoping for this, though I was happy to Nick's report of free CKII. I figured that would be my shiny for awhile, but my hear was setting this down and not returning to it.
- Montag
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Small patch out that fixes the buildings without workers issue.
words
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
I've got 86 hours in this now, which is surprising seeing as how it was going to be only a holdover till Far Cry 5 was released. Turns out I played it a lot after then, including this session, the info pulled from Green Man Gaming (I ordered SM through them):
Well, that seemed like a lot, till I looked at the next entry above:March 31, 2018 21:51
Game Activity
Played Surviving Mars for 12 hours and 10 minutes, bringing the total time played to a total of 68 hours
By the way, they also have this clever pie chart of hours played, again of games ordered through GMG:April 3, 2018 07:31
Game Activity
Played Surviving Mars for 13 hours and 21 minutes, bringing the total time played to a total of 81 hours and 21 minutes
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
As someone who wants to play all of the mysteries but does not want to try all outcomes to all of the mysteries I found this
https://survivingmars.gamepedia.com/Mysteries_of_Mars
I'm currently on the third easy mystery with the Blue whatever it's called. The mystery hasn't started yet...
https://survivingmars.gamepedia.com/Mysteries_of_Mars
I'm currently on the third easy mystery with the Blue whatever it's called. The mystery hasn't started yet...
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
News from the devs regarding the next update: Dev Diary 9: Opportunity by Boian Spasov from Haemimont Games
Surviving Mars was always planned as a game that we will keep improving and supporting post-release. The upcoming Opportunity patch is our first... well - opportunity, to add significant features to the game and evolve it in response to your feedback. In this dev diary, I will provide a brief overview with the shiny stuff in the upcoming patch and our reasoning for adding them to the game. All the features I am going to talk about are free and will become available to every owner of the game as the patch releases in the very near future.
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Some more information on the Opportunity update, posted via reddit:
- Some game rules are incompatible with others - currently only the No Disasters and high disasters ones. No new achievements for now.
- If a storage runs out of power or malfunctions a large part of its resources become inaccessible but there's a small pallet of up to 30 resources that remains active even then (basically the mechanism that moves the pallets doesn't work).
- Can Passages only be built in a straight line? - No, they can curve so you can connect any 2 nearby domes.
- What are the length limitations on a passage (both shortest and longest)? - passages can be 16 hexes total length max
- Do they have to connect to a square next to a pathway and airlock, like all the examples in the screenshot? - no they don't need to be connected to an airlock. I just have a knack of building them that way.
- Do passages require maintenance? - Currently passages don't have maintenance though we're still deliberating on this.
- Can they develop pipe leaks or cable faults? - They can't develop leaks or faults but they can get fractures like domes if hit by a meteor
- Can buildings that need power/water access be built alongside the passage and get power/water from them? - No, you'll need to connect your buildings to the dome.
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
100+ days in to the Artificial Intelligence mystery and I'm wondering if there is a trigger I'm missing.
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Think i'm done with my sedcond game as europe, poor planning got me to 100 days but then had a metal crisis with a food crisis that I don't think I can get out of.
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
My most common crisis is an old people crisis. I think the old people work until they die is the most valuable breakthrough there is. You can create a retirement dome (or a few) but then you still have to micromanage them in to it.
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
I haven't done this mystery so I don't know. Have you solved it? I put the info on Objectives for this mystery in spoiler tags in case you want to look.LordMortis wrote: ↑Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:28 pm 100+ days in to the Artificial Intelligence mystery and I'm wondering if there is a trigger I'm missing.
Spoiler:
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
jztemple2 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:34 pmI haven't done this mystery so I don't know. Have you solved it? I put the info on Objectives for this mystery in spoiler tags in case you want to look.LordMortis wrote: ↑Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:28 pm 100+ days in to the Artificial Intelligence mystery and I'm wondering if there is a trigger I'm missing.
Spoiler:
Not yet but I'm finally advancing it again. I'm guessing the trigger was either a certain amount of advancements or hitting a certain amount of research per SOL.
AI Spoiler
Spoiler:
On Sol 109, this is the furthest I've gone into a play through as I move on to the next nationality and mystery once I've completed a mystery. I'm in a sector with almost no water so I have a pretty large network of moisture farms. My sector has meteor threat 4, so I really do need to make more tanks.
Age is really becoming a problem. Self sufficiency could be feasible, only trying to find room for all out of the workforce seniors is brutal. I also have too many children living in non children areas, creating a homeless problem. I would use the new turn children off feature in some of my domes but I need them so I can expand and make the retirement villages for retirees that need to manually forced into their oldfolks homes with required workers to support them....
I'm also wondering when officers will become part of the game. Maybe it's expected that you have angry unemployed or homeless or unfulfilled or insane people and I've just been overly concerned with maintaining a martian baby factory and retirement village utopia.
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Finished the AI mystery. Now on to the Dredgers, whatever that is.
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Opportunity update coming for PC/Mac/Linux April 25th, consoles shortly afterwards (combined Spirit/Opportunity update). Great, the day after BattleTech releases
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
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- Sepiche
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Yeah, I haven't really found a need for them yet... I don't think I've ever seen a renegade.LordMortis wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:19 pm I'm also wondering when officers will become part of the game. Maybe it's expected that you have angry unemployed or homeless or unfulfilled or insane people and I've just been overly concerned with maintaining a martian baby factory and retirement village utopia.
I wonder if there's a different build path you can go down where you save resources and workers by not building amenities and rely on officers to keep order. I feel like you'd run into issues getting people to reproduce if you were too harsh though.
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
I saw a renegade once and then meh.
I don't build up amenities for security, I do it to make babies, like you say. I imagine if I played long enough, starvation and overpopulation as well as amenities access would all start to figure in to some sort of crime level but the game doesn't justify playing a long game. The sandbox is exceptionally limited. Look another giant dome that does everything. Look another giant dome that does everything thing. Look another giant dome that does everything.
The reason to play for me right now is for the varied experience of breakthroughs, mysteries, and factions (AKA hunting achievements) Maybe some of the other mysteries will require longer games. I was surprised I want to SOL 130 for the AI mysteries. The ones before were usually wrapped by SOL 70 or 80.
I assume there is also a larger roadmap, for instance that may eventually see making babies less of a thing. Or pitting Biorobots against people or who knows. There is lots they can do and I remember one of the purchase options was to subscribe to content.
I don't build up amenities for security, I do it to make babies, like you say. I imagine if I played long enough, starvation and overpopulation as well as amenities access would all start to figure in to some sort of crime level but the game doesn't justify playing a long game. The sandbox is exceptionally limited. Look another giant dome that does everything. Look another giant dome that does everything thing. Look another giant dome that does everything.
The reason to play for me right now is for the varied experience of breakthroughs, mysteries, and factions (AKA hunting achievements) Maybe some of the other mysteries will require longer games. I was surprised I want to SOL 130 for the AI mysteries. The ones before were usually wrapped by SOL 70 or 80.
I assume there is also a larger roadmap, for instance that may eventually see making babies less of a thing. Or pitting Biorobots against people or who knows. There is lots they can do and I remember one of the purchase options was to subscribe to content.
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Hmm, no one has posted in a week? But maybe everyone already knows about the Opportunity Update being released several days ago. Here are the Patch Notes:
Spoiler:
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- Isgrimnur
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Unless there are giant mechs approaching, they may be distracted.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Maybe 'Mechs will be in the first DLC for the game. Couldn't hurt!
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Lol yeah saw patch came out and was yeah maybe after a bit of battletech.
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Three domes, connected:
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- Sepiche
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Nice! I'm hoping to get some time with the new patch soon. So, I haven't been following the connection details... will people living in a dome connected to another use amenities from a connected zone? Do building bonuses effect all connected domes?
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Colonists "live" where their residences are located. Passageways allow colonists access to any adjacent dome, although no more than one passageway away (no daisy chaining). You can enable a dome to allow access for services or work or both, controlled by toggles. I think the building bonuses only apply to that dome. Also, there is a penalty for getting services or working in an adjacent dome, although I'm using the No Penalty for Non-Home Domes mod to negate those penalties, as I think just the travel time alone is enough of a penalty.
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Since I haven't posted my list for awhile, here it is:
Mods I'm currently using as of May 4th, 2018:
Some of these I have currently disabled either because of a possible conflict with the Opportunity update or because (like the Drones Carry More mod) I've decided to not use them to keep the challenge.
These mods make things a bit better, including automating some manual tasks:
Mods I'm currently using as of May 4th, 2018:
Some of these I have currently disabled either because of a possible conflict with the Opportunity update or because (like the Drones Carry More mod) I've decided to not use them to keep the challenge.
These mods make things a bit better, including automating some manual tasks:
- Drone Load Balancing
- ExtractorAvailableDeposit
- AutoDemolishExtractors
- AutoShuttleConstruction
- AutoScanMap currently disabled
- AutoExplore
- AutoHelpRover
- AutoGatherTransport
- Info Bar
- Show Research Progress on HUD
- Mod Config
- Low Resource Warning
- Research Autorepeat
- Better Zoom Distance (30K)
- Show Resources on Resupply Screen
- Autosave each Sol
- Drones Fix Leaks Faster
- Colonists Can Live Outside Longer
- Drones Carry More currently disabled
- Electronics Factory Maintenance Change
- Not as many Pipe Pillars
- Mass Waste Rock Dump
- No Penalty for Non-Home Domes
- Nurseries Limit Births
- Martian Economy
- Smarter Migration AI currently disabled
- Smarter Worker AI currently disabled
- Workplace filter currently disabled
- Better AI
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Finally started a serious game utilizing the new features of the Opportunity update. The passageways feature is interesting and not as easy to use as it might seem. First of all, I started off in an area where uneven terrain limited the layout of my domes. I finally opted for a three dome configuration where the the two outside domes only connected with the center one, due to the rough terrain. My first dome was one of the outside ones so I decided I would build it with the three basics, infirmary, grocery and diner, in one triangle, use four others for housing and the last for a nursery and the passageway connection to the center dome. In the center I put the space bar, the outdoor gym, the school and the university, plus some hydroponic towers and the connects to the two other domes. The other outside dome mirrored the first one except instead of a nursery I left room for a factory.
What's interesting is that I was boxed in on two of the domes, the southern outside and the center, so I couldn't connect any more domes to them. And this meant that I now had to keep in mind what jobs could be provided for the residents. And this was further complicated when I opened the university and when I started to get seniors who dropped out of the workforce.
So a good lesson from this is to plan the layout of the domes, which I do by placing them but immediately stopping work, this gives me a place holder. And since the passageways have a limited length, that also has to be kept in mind. I'll post some more when I get further along.
What's interesting is that I was boxed in on two of the domes, the southern outside and the center, so I couldn't connect any more domes to them. And this meant that I now had to keep in mind what jobs could be provided for the residents. And this was further complicated when I opened the university and when I started to get seniors who dropped out of the workforce.
So a good lesson from this is to plan the layout of the domes, which I do by placing them but immediately stopping work, this gives me a place holder. And since the passageways have a limited length, that also has to be kept in mind. I'll post some more when I get further along.
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Still Battletech addicted. Opportunity had patched itself into my last game when I set it down. I was working the the Spheres mystery, I'm sure, with the Europeans, I think. I'd have to through through list. I think it's the Europeans because it was around SOL 100 and I almost finished the tech tree, which is atypical for me.
Spoiler?
Spoiler?
Spoiler:
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
My Mars colony died due to poor management. I had only one water source but was so busy building and laying out passageways that I neglected to note that it was running out. The next nearest water was a quarter of the map away from me. A Manhattan Project level of effort was put into place to reach it but it was too late. And I ran out of money before I could buy enough Vaporators.
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- LordMortis
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
I monitor water because it's not easily monitored and it's hard to judge when a well will run dry while you are expanding. Until you can build atmospheric water extractors reliably and quickly, it's the one thing I can't bounce back a major problem if a haven't pre-planned. I tend to overbuild water tanks, run drone hubs in range of every well I find whether I build a well or not, and not upgrade extractors all as a safeguard against, "oops! I wasn't paying attention!"jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue May 08, 2018 11:11 pm My Mars colony died due to poor management. I had only one water source but was so busy building and laying out passageways that I neglected to note that it was running out. The next nearest water was a quarter of the map away from me. A Manhattan Project level of effort was put into place to reach it but it was too late. And I ran out of money before I could buy enough Vaporators.
- Sepiche
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Yeah, that's one thing I look at hard when I'm picking a starting site... how much water does it have and how much is nearby to expand to.LordMortis wrote: ↑Wed May 09, 2018 8:58 amI monitor water because it's not easily monitored and it's hard to judge when a well will run dry while you are expanding. Until you can build atmospheric water extractors reliably and quickly, it's the one thing I can't bounce back a major problem if a haven't pre-planned. I tend to overbuild water tanks, run drone hubs in range of every well I find whether I build a well or not, and not upgrade extractors all as a safeguard against, "oops! I wasn't paying attention!"jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue May 08, 2018 11:11 pm My Mars colony died due to poor management. I had only one water source but was so busy building and laying out passageways that I neglected to note that it was running out. The next nearest water was a quarter of the map away from me. A Manhattan Project level of effort was put into place to reach it but it was too late. And I ran out of money before I could buy enough Vaporators.
- Montag
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
I do use batteries for night usage. Works well with scrubbers and shift management. I think the metal cost and maintenance for solar plus polymer on batteries is lower - especially in early game.
I tend to rely on vaporators for water since perpetual resource. It does suck that tech is high on the list and they are not cheap to buy. Maybe us groundwater up until you unlock tech.
I tend to rely on vaporators for water since perpetual resource. It does suck that tech is high on the list and they are not cheap to buy. Maybe us groundwater up until you unlock tech.
words
- jztemple2
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Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
I restarted the map (first time I tried that, it works well) and this time I ignored the pre-scouted landing square and instead used my five probes to search the plateau in the northwest. I opted for a location that gave me access to rare metals but no water so I could start making some money earlier and would just live with using vaporators for the time being. After some initial expansion I put down two dome, making one a residence and one for some services and farms. I also remembered a crater with four huge water sources from my first playthrough way down on the plain to the southeast so I built a tunnel and a lot of pipes and cables and now have a large reserve of water.
My big problem is money. I've gotten in three groups of colonists, which is enough to staff the services, support the farms and work two shifts on the rare metals mine. Problem is I keep having to fly in the advanced resources since I don't have the people to staff factories. Eventually I'll be able to do this and I think that will turn the corner for me.
Big helps for me are a couple of mods. The first is AutoExplore. This keeps me from having to manually tell my explorer to go here and then go there, go get charged and then remember it's charging. While I agree that too much automation would spoil the game, there's little decision making in moving the explorer around, so this keeps me from spending time on it.
In a similar vein is AutoGatherTransport. When enabled the transport starts gathering metals and polymers on the surface and dumping them at a central location or a depot. Again, it's something I could do myself but the process is pretty boring. So automating it helps. And it means I don't have to be in any rush to open a metals mine.
My big problem is money. I've gotten in three groups of colonists, which is enough to staff the services, support the farms and work two shifts on the rare metals mine. Problem is I keep having to fly in the advanced resources since I don't have the people to staff factories. Eventually I'll be able to do this and I think that will turn the corner for me.
Big helps for me are a couple of mods. The first is AutoExplore. This keeps me from having to manually tell my explorer to go here and then go there, go get charged and then remember it's charging. While I agree that too much automation would spoil the game, there's little decision making in moving the explorer around, so this keeps me from spending time on it.
In a similar vein is AutoGatherTransport. When enabled the transport starts gathering metals and polymers on the surface and dumping them at a central location or a depot. Again, it's something I could do myself but the process is pretty boring. So automating it helps. And it means I don't have to be in any rush to open a metals mine.
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold
- jztemple2
- Posts: 11680
- Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:52 am
- Location: Brevard County, Florida, USA
Re: Surviving Mars - Start a Colony on Mars, from Haemimont Games/Paradox Interactive
Triangle linked dome configuration:
My father said that anything is interesting if you bother to read about it - Michael C. Harrold