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Realistic Mars

Description by Mind Tyrant (based on the previous work of Adler Drei Gang):


Realistic Mars has been updated to resolve issues with the "Prunariu" update. However, I am having difficulty getting enough time to test, diagnose, code, and test again. Please contact me with the current status of each feature below on the comment section of Steam Workshop mod page or on the Discord, #spannbeton-mindtyrant-mods. I will prioritize from there.

NOTE EACH MODIFICATION IS DISABLED AND/OR SET AT DEFAULT LEVELS AT FIRST LOAD OF THE REALISTIC MARS. All options may be configured in-game without any additional mods required. While in-game, at the bottom-right of the screen, just click button with 3 horizontal bars --> Options --> Mod Options. Realistic Mars can also be configured from the Main Menu, but only after loading a game or starting a new game setup and then returning to the Main Menu. Just click Options --> Mod Options.

For non-steam users:
At this time, the most current version can only be found on Steam Workshop. There are no current plans to upload to Nexusmods or Paradox Mods.

Current Features: All of the following features are turned off by default. All options are designed to work together to achieve better balance, with greater realism and difficulty. Again, please report here the current status of each feature.

• Colonists per Rocket
  Choose the cream of the crop from your applicants. Makes events and techs granting more Applicants valuable as you can avoid flaws and get the traits you want. It takes a long time to get new colonists on Mars and you only have a few per trip.
  
  
• Funding Percentage
  Every resource you choose to import is an important decision. Get a prefab and gamble on finding the appropriate deposit? Or maybe rush for a rare metal extractor and hope you can export enough at the next rocket launch?
  
  
• Rocket Travel Time
  It now takes significant time for rockets to make the Earth-Mars trip. Every kg of supply cargo is now a choice requiring commitment. Do you import much needed resources or do you trust your colony to sustain itself and choose a passenger rocket? You now need to work around Dust storms preventing rocket launch or planetfall. Note that at extremely high settings, the differences in rocket speed between the Sponsors becomes exaggerated.
  
  
• Wind Fluctuation
  The winds of the Martian surface influence the power outputs of your windmills. The period between wind speed changes, maximum wind bonus, and minimum wind power can all be independently adjusted. With this enabled, you cannot rely on wind power alone now as its output fluctuates over time and you need to supplement it with auxiliary power. Set the period between changes to "0" to disable.
  
  
• Disallow Outsourcing
  Mars is quite far, and the communication lag of 6 to 22 minutes prevents your colony from coordinating their research with Earth. No more beelining a Tech needed now by outsourcing. Get more RC Explorers looking around the map looking for Research Breakthroughs, or build more research buildings?
  
  
• Fewer Breakthroughs
  Breakthroughs are a boon and a game-changer! With this option, you will only get Breakthroughs only from random events, 3 from a certain Wonder, or possibly from solving a Mystery, helping make each playthrough of Realistic Mars different. Completing anomalies now gives a "Research Breakthrough" instead, granting a 2% boost to all Tech Fields and 2000 research points.
  
  
• Food Rebalance
  Food production buildings fulfill distinctly different roles. Fungal farms can operate without workers at reduced effectiveness. Hydroponic farms require a single competent worker for each of the 3 shifts or there will be crop losses. Conventional farms require 6 workers a piece, almost a whole rocket crew itself. The latter two buildings need Seeds now just like Open Farms. Both also require a new irrigation upgrade to function. If Realistic Water is also enabled, in situ vegetable farming becomes a multi-discipline achievement, as these irrigation upgrades are locked behind the Low-G Hydrosynthsis tech. Will you import Seeds for hydroponics farms and labor-intensive farming, or rely on seedless fungal farms allowing automation? Note enabling Food Rebalance requires Green Planet DLC.
  
  
• Realistic Batteries
  Battery charging efficiency reduced to 70% (10 units of power charges batteries by 7). With fully powered batteries being more difficult by which to come, cable faults are more dangerous, especially during nights. Power switches are now more necessary to isolate faults before they empty the colony empty of juice.
  
  
• Realistic Solar Dust
  Solar Panels have double the initial output but gradually lose power when they get dusty. Regular maintenance will clean the dust off the panels, restoring them to peak effectiveness. Will you make sure drones are available to clean them or build more panels?
  
  
• Realistic Water
  Water Extractors are now the standard prefab and Moisture Vaporators are now an intermediate building. Hydro Engineers get Moisture Farming as their starting tech. For others, Moisture Farming is now earlier in the tech tree than its upgrade Hygroscopic Vaporators. Scientists back on Earth would properly survey the initial colony location before sending a rocket, and so a water deposit is revealed at game start. The "Find Water on Mars" milestone changed to "Extract Water on Mars”, completed through producing water on Mars. Note toggling this option requires a starting a new game. Exiting and restarting Surviving Mars is also recommended.
  
  
• Solar Panel Rebalance
  All solar panels now use Electronics in some way. However, small panels provide the advantage of only requiring Metals for maintenance. These small panel-only setups are now useful as you will only need electronics to construct new panels, but do not require electronics to maintain them. Will you rely on small solar panels to ease to make room for other imports? Or will you skip solar entirely, relying instead on wind and prefabs?
  
• Terraforming Rebalance ALPHA
  Get a sneak peek at our work on the Upcoming Terraforming Rebalance! Please note that this is at Alpha stage and subject to bugs, bad balance, and changes in the future.

Realism Lite Mode (adds realism with minimal difficulty increase): 8 Colonists per Rocket, 80% Funding Percentage, 225% Travel Time, Wind Period/Max/Min 0/60/40, Disable Outsourcing OFF, Fewer Breakthroughs OFF, Food Rebalance OFF, Realistic Batteries ON, Realistic Solar Dust OFF, Realistic Water ON, Solar Panel Rebalance OFF.

Realism Challenge Mode (balances realism and difficulty): 8 Colonists per Rocket, 80% Funding Percentage, 225% Travel Time, Wind Period/Max/Min 32/60/40, Disable Outsourcing ON, Fewer Breakthroughs ON, Food Rebalance ON, Realistic Batteries ON, Realistic Solar Dust ON, Realistic Water ON, Solar Panel Rebalance ON. Hovering over the different mod options in-game shows these recommendations.

Realism Death on Mars Mode (focuses on increasing difficulty over realism): 6 Colonists per Rocket, 50% Funding Percentage, 500% Travel Time, Wind Period/Max/Min 32/60/40, Disable