Have you ever considered taking control of a space agency yourself and planning a human Mars landing from the very beginning? This is no longer a battle with the physics engine, but a real test of management decision-making.
The core gameplay of the game
For this game, players take on the role of the head of a space agency, and its core focus is on long-term strategy. Players need to start from the space race in the mid-to-late twentieth century, and then gradually expand the scope of human activities to Mars. The progress of the game revolves around a series of key management decisions.
Each game begins by selecting a real space agency, such as NASA or ESA. Each institution has different starting capital, technical expertise, and levels of public support. Your most important task is to plan unmanned exploration missions in the first few years within a limited budget to accumulate technology and reputation for manned flight.
From planning to construction
The clearly divided game process has several stages: mission planning, R&D and manufacturing, and base construction. During the mission planning phase, you have to consider technical feasibility, budget, and potential scientific return. What R&D is related to is choosing a path in an extremely huge technology tree.
The intuitive manifestation of strength is base construction. You can gradually expand launch pads, astronaut training centers, deep space communication networks and other facilities. The location of each building and the order of upgrades have an impact on operational efficiency. The manufacturing process provides a highly free rocket and spacecraft customization system. Players need to balance performance and cost.
The value of sincere cooperation
The exploration of the solar system consumes an extremely large amount of money, and a game encourages players to build cooperative relationships with other virtual space agencies. You can use the diplomacy menu to propose joint missions, share the results of research and development, or request resource assistance at critical moments. The act of cooperation reduces the risk of failure.
But collaboration isn't the only option. If you choose to carry out research and development independently, although the road will be more difficult, the rewards brought by the reputation after success will be more generous. This game simulates the competitive situation in the international space race. Every diplomatic decision you make can change the global space pattern.
Recreate famous historical missions
A major feature of the game is that it has many built-in mission scripts based on real events. You can personally direct a moon landing mission similar to the "Apollo Project", or control the "Perseverance" Mars rover and land it in Jezero Crater. These scripts give specific purposes, as well as constraints.
Successfully completing these historical tasks will not only obtain in-game reward items, but also open related background knowledge documents. For example, in the scenario called "Rosetta Mission", players need to accurately control the probe to successfully enter the comet's orbit and deploy the lander. This process accurately reproduces the actual challenges faced by ESA in 2014.
key elements of management
The game divides space agency management into different operational levels, namely personnel level, financial level, technical level and public support level. At the personnel level, you have to hire engineers, scientists, and astronauts, train them, and allocate their work hours appropriately. On a financial level, work hard to secure government grants and commercial contracts.
Public support is a dynamic indicator. Mission success will increase support, but major failures may lead to budget cuts. You have to balance robust technology testing with aggressive milestone missions to keep the space agency alive and growing.
Meet the ultimate challenge of the Red Planet
Setting foot on Mars is the ultimate goal of the game, which requires continuous investment over dozens of game years. You must complete a series of preliminary tasks, such as Mars orbit exploration, landing technology testing, life support system development, etc. Every step involves choices between resource management and technical risks.
The game has received technical support from the European Space Agency to ensure that the challenges are realistic. Finally, when the manned spacecraft you command passes through the atmosphere and successfully lands on the surface of Mars, you will be greeted by a virtual historical moment when human beings become a multi-planetary species. Are you willing to accept the challenge and lead your team to the red wasteland first? Share your thoughts on Mars exploration strategies in the comments section.
