Some thoughts after two days of three day trial

[Tisifoni12]

Thanks for the free trial PDX.

Played through twice to the first dome constructed, first twelve colonists on Mars stage. Some thoughts:

• Both times had 12 colonists, but initially only 8 jobs, that's a high unemployment rate and it's expensive to send people there to not work. Unsure if that's poor planning on my part or if better info on what's required by the colony would help.
• The answer to unemployment I thought was to mine for rare metals. Site too far from dome, so built another dome (both triangular micro domes), but couldn't see a way to reassign my four unemployed to that dome, or to provide a link between the two; would be a long, long tunnel. My solution would be to have some sort of even smaller dome or accommodation / work module at the work site; only large enough for say max. 4. Workers would have to commute there, work for ma few days and then commute back to the main dome. Some sort of 'rover' (maybe an alternative use for the 'safari') could be used for such transits, also carrying a few days supplies of food, etc.
• Unclear how to reassign between domes; there is a job for X in the other dome, why doesn't X move there ?

 

[ChoGGi_2]

You don't need to fill the rocket full, you can take less.

You can survey more before choosing the initial landing spot.

Colonists will move max one map sector to a new dome, you'll need to research (or choose a sponsor that starts with) shuttles to move them further.

 

[Shark7]

For my first passenger shuttle, I always filter my colonists and make sure to take exactly 3 botanists, 2 medics, 2 scientists, and 6 without specialization. This way I can get food production started, get a little research started, and make sure to have enough amenities to keep the colonists happy.

I build the dome with a living quarter, a gym, a small garden, a hydroponic farm, research lab, diner, small grocer and small art store. If you open up all the work shifts, you'll actually have far more jobs than you can fill, so you actually have a little room for expansion.

With this set up I usually am able to have the first human born on Mars within 3-4 sols, and end the founder stage a bit early. I do build near a rare metals location so when I load that second rocket, it can bring the geologists to get cash flowing.

There are probably a hundred different ways to start the colony, this is just the one that always seems to work out well for me.

 

[Tisifoni12]

@Shark7
Interesting, similar to my mix of dome contents, but without the art store or diner. There's no market economy with only a dozen or less people.

Surely the first batch of colonists would be all scientists, engineers, botanists, medics; focus on research with research generating funding.

 

[Shark7]

Basically my strategy is to get children being born as quickly as possible, versus focusing on any 1 area. Eventually you'll have enough births that you won't have to bring in new colonists from Earth.

Once you have enough population, you can build the Martian University, and train the native born populace to do whatever job is needed.

Like I said, it works for me. One thing I didn't mention is that I also make sure that I have 6 of each gender...again, increasing the number of births on Mars.

My way is a long term strategy aimed at building the colony.

 

[Troyen]

@Shark7
Interesting, similar to my mix of dome contents, but without the art store or diner. There's no market economy with only a dozen or less people.

Surely the first batch of colonists would be all scientists, engineers, botanists, medics; focus on research with research generating funding.

The diner alone would give you your four job slots between two shifts. I'm not actually sure why you couldn't employ 12 people as most early buildings have a lot of potential slots, usually it's harder to fill all the shifts. Even without the mine, a research lab + hydroponics has 9 job slots if you use all the daytime shifts and you can easily fill 3 jobs in a service building.

The composition of what to bring can vary depending on map, sponsor, and leader type. I've gone some maps where I don't grow any food until my fourth dome because water scarcity issues made it easier to import it (especially if you have a high-rare metal oriented start), and other maps where I grow food in the first dome. One game I didn't have people to spare for research in the first rocket and funded my first few techs through outsourcing. You're free to adapt your strategy to what you think your colony needs most.

 

[Tisifoni12]

Why would you need a diner for a population of 12 ?
An uneconomic use of labour, with all the costs of getting them there.
Surely an initial group is going to be focused on research with support like engineering.
If you have ten or eight rather than twelve shouldn't there be some extra weight allowance for cargo.

 

[YertyL]

Why would you need a diner for a population of 12 ?
An uneconomic use of labour, with all the costs of getting them there.
Surely an initial group is going to be focused on research with support like engineering.
If you have ten or eight rather than twelve shouldn't there be some extra weight allowance for cargo.

The quickest way to get the approval to fly in new colonists is to have a martian baby born. My personal recommendation is prioritizing sexy colonists (6 men 6 women), and using a fully staffed spacebar with heavy workloads as well as an infirmary with 1 person in each shift. A spacebar is good because it gives +15 comfort (diner gives +10) for two needs that most colonists have, social and relaxation. Besides that, I usually use a grocer (3 people) and 1 person in a hydro farm with wheat grass to get the "produce food" milestone ASAP.
After the first baby is born, I reduce comfort and clinic workers for a while; I tend to get productive with the second rocket of colonists, which will usually work either in a lab or a rare metal mine.