“Surviving Mars” is a city-building simulation game developed by Haemimont Games and published by Paradox Interactive. Set on the red planet, the game challenges players to establish a sustainable colony on Mars. With its blend of strategic planning, resource management, and survival elements, “Surviving Mars” offers a deeply engaging experience. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed tips and strategies to help players successfully navigate the challenges of colonizing Mars.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Surviving Mars
Overview
“Surviving Mars” immerses players in the complexities of building and maintaining a colony on Mars. Players must manage resources, construct buildings, and ensure the well-being of their colonists. The game begins with the selection of a mission sponsor, commander profile, and location on Mars, each of which influences the gameplay experience.
Key Concepts
- Mission Sponsors: Different sponsors provide varying levels of support and resources. Choosing the right sponsor is crucial for your colony’s success.
- Commander Profiles: Each profile offers unique bonuses and abilities that can significantly impact your strategy.
- Landing Site: The choice of landing site affects the availability of resources and the difficulty of surviving Mars’ harsh environment.
Early Game Strategies
Choosing Your Mission Sponsor and Commander Profile
Selecting the appropriate sponsor and commander profile is the first critical decision in “Surviving Mars.” Here are some tips to guide your choice:
Mission Sponsors
- International Mars Mission: Ideal for beginners, this sponsor provides ample funding, resources, and a steady supply of applicants.
- USA: Offers a balance of funding and research points, making it suitable for players who want a moderate challenge.
- Europe: Focuses on research, providing significant boosts to technological advancements.
- China: Prioritizes colonist capacity, allowing for rapid population growth.
- SpaceY: Emphasizes faster rocket travel and reduced costs, ideal for efficient logistics.
- Russia: Provides robust rovers and drones, enhancing early-game resource management.
Commander Profiles
- Rocket Scientist: Grants an additional rocket, facilitating faster transportation of resources and colonists.
- Oligarch: Increases funding, providing more financial flexibility.
- City Mayor: Offers construction cost reductions, making building infrastructure more affordable.
- Inventor: Enhances drone performance and reduces maintenance requirements.
- Astrogeologist: Boosts metal extraction efficiency, essential for resource-rich colonies.
- Politician: Increases applicant pool and improves colonist morale.
Selecting a Landing Site
Choosing the right landing site is crucial for the long-term success of your colony. Consider the following factors:
- Resource Availability: Ensure that your landing site has access to essential resources like water, metals, and concrete.
- Terrain: Flat terrain simplifies construction, while mountainous areas may provide natural protection but pose logistical challenges.
- Threat Levels: Evaluate the frequency and severity of natural hazards such as dust storms, meteors, and cold waves. Sites with lower threat levels are easier to manage, especially for beginners.
Initial Base Setup
Setting up your initial base effectively is critical for the survival and growth of your colony.
Key Structures
- Drone Hub: Central to your colony’s operations, the drone hub controls drones that build and maintain structures. Place it centrally to maximize coverage.
- Moisture Vaporator: Essential for water production if natural water sources are scarce. Ensure they are placed far apart to avoid diminishing returns.
- Moxie: Produces oxygen, vital for your colonists. Place it near your living quarters.
- Solar Panels and Batteries: Solar panels provide power during the day, while batteries store excess energy for use at night.
- Depot and Storage: Establish depots for storing resources like metals, concrete, and food.
Prioritizing Construction
- Basic Infrastructure: Focus on building the essential structures mentioned above to ensure your colony’s survival.
- Research Labs: Early research advancements can provide significant benefits. Prioritize building research labs to speed up technological progress.
- Living Quarters: Once your basic infrastructure is in place, build living quarters to accommodate your first wave of colonists.
Managing Resources
Effective resource management is critical to the success of your colony. Each resource plays a unique role in maintaining your colony’s operations.
Water
Water is essential for survival, agriculture, and various industrial processes.
- Moisture Vaporators: These structures extract water from the atmosphere. Use them if natural water sources are unavailable.
- Water Extractors: Place these on water deposits to extract large quantities of water. Ensure they are powered and connected to your water grid.
- Water Tanks: Store excess water in tanks to ensure a steady supply during droughts or when extractors are under maintenance.
Oxygen
Oxygen is vital for your colonists’ survival.
- Moxie: Produces oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. Ensure it is connected to your life support grid.
- Oxygen Tanks: Store surplus oxygen to maintain a steady supply.
Power
Powering your colony is crucial for all operations.
- Solar Panels: An early-game power source. They are inexpensive but only generate power during the day.
- Wind Turbines: Provide continuous power but require maintenance and metals.
- Batteries: Store excess power generated during the day for use at night or during power shortages.
Metals and Concrete
Metals and concrete are essential for construction and maintenance.
- Metal Extractors: Place these on metal deposits to gather large quantities of metals.
- Concrete Extractors: Place these on concrete deposits to ensure a steady supply for construction projects.
Food
Food production is essential for sustaining your colonists.
- Hydroponic Farms: Early-game food production that requires water and power.
- Fungal Farms: A mid-game food source that requires fewer resources but takes up more space.
- Open Farms: Late-game solution for large-scale food production, requiring significant water and power but providing high yields.
Research and Technology
Research and technology advancement are pivotal for the long-term sustainability and growth of your colony.
Research Priorities
- Biotech: Focus on technologies that improve food production, colonist health, and life support systems.
- Engineering: Invest in technologies that enhance building efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.
- Robotics: Prioritize technologies that improve drone and rover capabilities, essential for resource management.
- Physics: Research technologies that enhance power generation and storage.
Breakthrough Technologies
Breakthrough technologies provide unique and powerful benefits. Prioritize research on these when available, as they can significantly impact your colony’s success.
Managing Colonists
Ensuring the well-being and productivity of your colonists is crucial for maintaining a thriving colony.
Recruitment and Specialization
- Recruitment: Select colonists with desirable traits and avoid those with negative traits that could hinder your colony’s progress.
- Specialization: Assign colonists to jobs that match their specialization. For example, scientists should work in research labs, while engineers should operate factories.
Housing and Comfort
- Living Quarters: Provide adequate housing for your colonists. Ensure living quarters are connected to life support systems.
- Comfort and Morale: Build recreational facilities, medical centers, and dining areas to maintain high comfort and morale levels. Happy colonists are more productive and less likely to develop negative traits.
Health and Sanity
- Medical Centers: Ensure that medical centers are available to treat injured or sick colonists.
- Sanity: Build buildings like the infirmary and recreational facilities to maintain colonists’ sanity. High sanity levels reduce the risk of mental breakdowns and other negative effects.
Dealing with Crises
Crisis management is an essential skill for maintaining a stable and thriving colony.
- Natural Disasters: Prepare for dust storms, meteors, and cold waves by ensuring adequate stockpiles of resources and robust infrastructure.
- Resource Shortages: Monitor resource levels and adjust production as needed. Import resources from Earth if necessary.
- Colonist Strikes: Address the root causes of dissatisfaction among colonists to prevent strikes and maintain productivity.
Advanced Strategies and Tips
Expanding Your Colony
- New Domes: As your colony grows, build new domes to accommodate additional colonists and facilities. Plan the layout carefully to ensure efficient resource distribution.
- Transportation: Use shuttles and transport rovers to move resources and colonists between domes and distant outposts.
Managing Automation
- Drones and Rovers: Optimize the use of drones and rovers for resource gathering, construction, and maintenance. Assign tasks strategically to ensure efficiency.
- Automated Systems: Research and implement automated systems to reduce the need for constant manual intervention.
Optimizing Resource Production
- Resource Management: Balance the production and consumption of resources to avoid shortages. Monitor production rates and adjust as needed.
- Trade with Earth: Import essential resources and export surplus resources to and from Earth to balance your colony’s needs.
Balancing Research and Development
- Research Planning: Plan your research priorities based on your colony’s immediate and long-term needs. Prioritize technologies that address critical challenges and provide the most significant benefits.
- Breakthroughs and Anomalies: Investigate anomalies and prioritize breakthrough technologies to gain powerful advantages. Balancing research and development is key to ensuring your colony evolves and adapts to new challenges.
Anomaly Exploration
- Rovers: Utilize explorer rovers to investigate anomalies. These discoveries often result in valuable research points and technological breakthroughs.
- Prioritize Anomalies: Some anomalies are more beneficial than others. Focus on investigating those that promise the most significant rewards, such as those that unlock new technologies or provide large amounts of research points.
Expanding Infrastructure
- Resource Outposts: Establish resource outposts near distant deposits of metals, concrete, water, and other vital resources. Use transport rovers and shuttles to ferry resources back to your main colony.
- Interconnected Domes: As your colony expands, connect domes with tunnels to facilitate easy movement of colonists and resources. Ensure that each new dome has adequate life support and power connections.
Economic Management
- Funding and Trade: Balance your economy by importing critical resources and exporting surplus resources. Utilize the trade screen to negotiate favorable deals with Earth or other colonies.
- Rare Metals Export: Once you have established a steady production of rare metals, consider exporting them to Earth for additional funding.
Disaster Preparedness
- Backup Systems: Establish backup power systems, water tanks, and oxygen tanks to ensure your colony can withstand prolonged disasters like dust storms and meteor impacts.
- Disaster Drills: Regularly conduct drills and simulations to prepare for potential disasters. Train colonists in emergency procedures and ensure all critical systems have redundancy.
Special Projects and Megadomes
Special Projects
- Terraforming: Engage in long-term projects like terraforming to gradually alter the Martian environment. This can make the planet more hospitable and reduce the reliance on life support systems.
- Project Mohole: Consider undertaking this late-game project to access an infinite supply of resources, including metals and rare metals.
Megadomes
- Advanced Planning: Plan the construction of megadomes carefully. These large structures can house more colonists and facilities but require significant resources and planning.
- Specialized Zones: Use megadomes to create specialized zones within your colony, such as research hubs, manufacturing centers, or residential areas.
Challenges and Achievements
In-Game Challenges
- Storylines: Engage with the game’s various storylines and challenges to unlock unique rewards and achievements. These storylines add depth and complexity to your colony’s development.
- Mysteries: Each playthrough features a unique mystery that introduces new challenges and opportunities. Address these mysteries to uncover their secrets and gain powerful bonuses.
Achievements
- Milestones: Achieve in-game milestones to unlock rewards and earn achievements. These milestones often require strategic planning and efficient management of resources.
- Leaderboards: Compete with other players by achieving high scores on the global leaderboards. Optimize your colony’s efficiency and growth to rank among the best.
Community and Modding
Engaging with the Community
- Forums and Social Media: Participate in community forums, social media groups, and discussion boards to share tips, strategies, and experiences with other players.
- Multiplayer and Challenges: Some versions of the game feature multiplayer modes or community challenges. Engage with these modes to test your skills against other players.
Modding
- Using Mods: The modding community for “Surviving Mars” is vibrant and active. Utilize mods to customize your gameplay experience, adding new buildings, technologies, and gameplay features.
- Creating Mods: If you’re inclined, consider creating your own mods to share with the community. The game’s modding tools are robust and user-friendly, allowing for a wide range of creative possibilities.
Tips for Longevity and Sustainability
Long-Term Resource Management
- Renewable Resources: Focus on technologies and strategies that promote the use of renewable resources. For example, invest in renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines.
- Sustainable Farming: Develop sustainable farming practices to ensure a steady supply of food. This includes rotating crops and using advanced agricultural technologies.
Population Growth
- Balanced Growth: Ensure that your colony’s population grows at a sustainable rate. Overpopulation can strain resources, while underpopulation can hinder productivity.
- Education and Training: Invest in education and training facilities to ensure that your colonists are skilled and capable of performing specialized jobs.
Continuous Improvement
- Ongoing Research: Never stop researching new technologies. Continuous improvement is essential for overcoming new challenges and enhancing your colony’s capabilities.
- Feedback Loops: Establish feedback loops within your colony’s management systems to continuously monitor performance and make necessary adjustments.
Conclusion
“Surviving Mars” is a complex and rewarding simulation game that offers a deep and engaging experience for players willing to invest the time and effort to master its mechanics. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can build a thriving, sustainable colony on the red planet. Remember to adapt to new challenges, continuously improve your strategies, and engage with the community to make the most of your time on Mars. Happy colonizing!