SETTLEMENTS
Try to build a settlement that could actually exist on Mars!
It’s no secret that Million on Mars is inspired by what’s really happening — the SpaceX mission has inspired many to think about what our near future could be like. Our game and the Buffalo Commons book is about just that, we visualize the middle and the end of the 21st century, where humanity will finally be able to inhabit several planets.
Of course, when thinking about Mars, it is impossible not to ask yourself: how will people live there? Lack of oxygen, low temperatures, periodic meteor showers, high toxicity and radioactivity — no wonder rent on Mars is so cheap! But jokes aside, humanity is so cool that it was able to build space and underwater stations, submarines and research facilities in Antarctica, and all this once seemed unrealistic. Therefore, we invite you all to dream together abou what settlements on Mars can be like with our new Settlement mechanics!
Where to begin
Of course, a Settlement needs to be built on some territory in the first place. So that the new Martians are not squeezed, take at least three adjacent land plots. It goes without saying that they must be owned by you, otherwise how do you plan to make it your Settlement? Furthermore, it would be nice to place astronauts somewhere, so you will have to build a Habitat for them. The rest is simple: click on the gray “New Settlement” button in the interface, select three (or more) land plots, come up with the coolest name you can think of and voila — the Settlement is ready!
The Settlement opens up a few interesting opportunities for you.
Invite Friends
First, there is the possibility of some multiplayer action with your friends. You can develop your Settlement together, split responsibilities (for example, one friend handles food, and the other friend recycles metals), and also offer friends special conditions for renting buildings. Your Settlement can have a specific purpose, as well as the ability to post daily messages. “Air cleaning week”, “all efforts to make rovers”, “check out my new YouTube video” — figure out how to use it more efficiently, or just entertain your friends.
Large guilds will be able to build megacities, industrial giants on Mars. Guilds have been around for some time, but now their achievements will also be displayed on the map and in the interface.
Building Management
Speaking of the interface: the second key benefit is the ability to manage all the Settlement buildings in one menu! The convenience of this is beyond obvious. Previously, you had to remember which piece of land you placed this or that building on, but now everything is available from one menu. Set the rental price, complete tasks, post job offers or collect rewards — all on one page and in a couple of clicks!
Create realistic habitable Mars settlements!
And we approach the most important thing, namely the ideological component of the Settlements. Once upon a time, such a genre of games as simulators was popular. Driving simulators, aircraft control simulators, medical simulators — some of them were so realistic that they were even used by educational institutions for practice. So, in a sense, our Settlements are a simulation of possible future settlements on Mars!
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We invite players to look at the Settlements strategically and think about what is needed in order for people to live there. In the next updates, you will be able to settle Martizens there, they will also be an indicator of how your Settlement is suitable for life.
If we talk about what people on Mars would really need, here are a few aspects you need to consider first:
- Shelter with comfortable temperature, pressure and oxygen source. Due to the greater distance from the Sun, Mars is a rather cold place, although it seems that the Red Planet should be hot (because red is associated with warmth). But despite the unfriendly atmosphere, cold and lack of oxygen, people can still settle down there. Mankind has already created space stations with comfortable living conditions, while these stations are located in more severe conditions than on the surface of Mars. In our gameplay, this is reflected in the air sensors in the Habitats. Your task is to maintain the level of oxygen and the purity of the air sufficient for a comfortable life in the Settlement.
- Energy. It is needed for everything: powering life support systems, cleaning the air from carbon dioxide, heat, light, tools etc. Energy is produced on Mars through solar (and later, nuclear) energy, and it needs to be stored somewhere. Lithium batteries are great for fast power delivery, but not enough for large scale use. Methane, oxygen and fuel cells are excellent sources of electricity, as stored methane is extremely useful as a fuel for rockets and rovers, and as a base material for all kinds of chemicals, including fertilizers.
- Water. People die without water after 3 days — but don’t worry, your Martizens will be fine. Fortunately, Mars has a lot of ice below the surface and on the surface, as well as a lot of water-rich clay. You can bake it and collect the water in it. In order to ensure that your settlers always have clean water, consider installing a distillation column.
- Perchlorate protection. The regolith that covers most of the surface of Mars is very rich in perchlorate, which is highly toxic to human thyroid function. You should not even think about what can happen to people on Mars if this problem is left unattended. Terrestrial radiation sickness, unfortunately, will seem like a walk in the park. Cleaning the soil from perchlorate is one of the primary tasks for people on Mars.
- Food. You can pack an amazing amount of ready-to-eat dehydrated meals onto a spaceship — a starship packed ONLY with MRE can deliver 133,000 meals to Mars, and that’s enough food for 12 people for 10 years! But this solution is suitable at the initial stages. Delivery of the above MREs is fine, but locally grown food is a big topic in itself and is critical to permanent living.
- Radiation protection. Radiation exposure on the surface won’t kill you right away, but it’s about 30 to 50 times more than what you get on the Earth’s surface, so your life on Mars without radiation shielding will be measured in months, not years. For radiation protection, there are two general strategies: build settlements underground or build a thick protective layer in the form of a roof (water or stone, but water is more effective). In our world, Mama-Fi is an artificial magnetosphere and does a great job of shielding us from high-energy solar wind particles, but we would still be exposed to deep space radiation. One smart solution in reality would be building into the south facing cliffs in the northern hemisphere. Thus, it would be possible to hide from the Sun and from the sky, but maintain a side view. It would be like living in a skyscraper, which is both familiar to people and aesthetically and architecturally pleasing.
- Exercises. With a gravity of 38% of Earth’s, bone density and muscle loss would be very rapid without regular exercise. Given that people don’t always dare to get in shape even for the beach season, we need to find a way to make sports activities regular, exciting and fun!
- Entertainment. People need music, games, movies, dancing, drinking, etc. They need variety to make life on Mars enjoyable, despite all the difficulties. Installing a pirate radio, gallery and library in the Settlement would be a great start!
In Million on Mars, you can try to take all these aspects into account and create the perfect prototype of the future Mars Settlement. Who knows, perhaps it is your Settlement that will be the most comfortable for life, and perhaps it is you who will be able to help understand the optimal strategy for building the future home of mankind on Mars.
Try Settlements today!
Ad astra, Martizens!
