Energy Resources & Systems

Power Generation

To ensure survival on Mars colonists need to obtain power producing machines. These power producing machines come in several forms and provide energy to colonist bases and vehicles. Currently there are 4 types of these machines that players are able to construct. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages so it will be up to the colonists to decide which method suits them the best in the environment that they have decided to build their base upon.

Wind Turbines - A passive energy generator that relies on the wind and places great importance on where it's built.

• Pros

  • Can be used during the night.

  • Works better during sandstorms.

• Cons

  • Atmospheric pressure is relatively low on Mars, resulting in weaker winds and lower power generation

  • Depending on the weather, wind might not appear for days

  • Variable power output. Sometimes it will generate a decent amount, sometimes none.

Tier 1 Wind Turbine

Tier 2 Wind Turbine

Tier 3 Wind Turbine

Vibration Turbine

Solar Panels - A passive energy collector that uses the Sun to generate power.

• Pros

  • Generates decent amount of power during the day

  • Can be built in different sizes to match energy requirements

• Cons

  • Does not work at night

  • Does not work during storms (in much the same way that the Opportunity Rover ran out of power)

  • Lower power output due to Mars being further away from the Sun

Tier 2 Solar Panel

Tier 3 Solar Panel

Fission Reactor - Able to produce huge quantities of power for any base on Mars the Fission Reactor is a heavyweight in power production. However, it comes with its own risks. It is suggested to build it further from the base to keep yourself and your crew safe from radiation.

• Pros

  • Power is produced all the time.

  • Largest output of the available power generators.

• Cons

  • Requires a lot of uranium to be built.

  • Requires being placed further away from the base to keep colonists safe

  • Is a potential radiation hazard.

Hydrogen Power Generator - This generator burns hydrogen as a fuel. It is very dependable but requires a lot of colonist attention to make sure it has enough hydrogen to keep running.

• Pros

  • Produces energy at a steady rate.

  • Power can produced all the time as long as it is topped up.

  • Easy to understand the resource upkeep needed by the generator

• Cons

  • Constant upkeep required to keep the generator supplied with hydrogen

  • Hydrogen needs to be produced via its own production tree.

Power Storage

Battery Bank - A machine that can be connected to the grid in order to store energy.

• If there is surplus energy in the grid, then the excess is used to charge the batteries

• If there is not enough energy in the grid, then the batteries will drain to try and keep the grid powered until they run empty.