Vehicles

Vehicles are a core element of the game. As the landscape is massive, colonists are expected to use vehicles for transporting, transiting and exploring many different locations and environments. Vehicles have several types, as discussed below, as well as differing quality levels. The quality of a vehicle directly affects its productivity on the Martian surface and also indirectly benefits players via the Mars Control Center’s ‘Productivity Score’.

Many of the vehicles will have unique integrated functions typically found in Tools or Machines. There are several types of vehicles with their own intended purposes:

• Caripen GT - The Caripen GT Is an agile exploration vehicle with ground penetrating radar that can detect the mineral composition of rocks. The Caripen assists the player in mining efficiently and excels at exploring vast environments to find the few rare ores scattered across the Martian surface. It comes in the following three qualities:

Normal

Epic

Legendary

• Karkanda Exo-Transport - The Karkanda is an extremely rugged transport for colonists and miners in full exosuits. It can weather storms like no other and despite its size, it is versatile enough to reach difficult positions. It is ideal for transporting teams of miners across Mars. It comes in the following three qualities:

Normal

Epic

Legendary

• Shire HDLV - These vehicles are made to transport large quantities of materials from one location to another.

• Elateride/Click-Beetle - The Click-beetle is a small single occupant vehicle with its own radioactive generator. This means it can not only charge its own batteries making it one of the most efficient vehicles on Mars, but also it can charge batteries for use in other systems allowing it to be the sole power source to operate a small outpost.

Driving

Driving across the rough Martian terrain is a challenge. Players not only need to find a way through, but at the same time should endeavour to keep their vehicle safe and undamaged.

• Players are able to adjust their vehicle's suspension according to the environment they are trying to travel through. Vehicles will have the ability to raise or lower suspension in order to avoid rocky terrains and traverse the variable conditions on the Martian surface.

Manual gearboxes

Driving vehicles on Mars will also feature additional challenges as colonists will have to manually change gears while driving with both positive and negative consequences tied to the gear change.

• Well timed gear changes will smoothly increase the speed of the vehicle and fuel consumption will be efficient.

• Badly timed gear changes will cost colonists speed and increase the fuel intake.

Whether maintaining sufficient power to climb hills or saving fuel, Colonists will have to become expert drivers and intimately familiar with their vehicles.

Vehicle Fuel

Vehicle fuel will be an expensive and rare resource on Mars so players will have to try and drive vehicles efficiently in order to try and save as much fuel as possible. The driving mechanics will provide ways to increase efficiency with both suspension and manual gearbox usage to introduce more depth to vehicle driving.