A few suggestions

[EleSigma 10]

Hey, so I've enjoyed the work you guys have done and just came back to this game after some time away from it. Here are my suggestions after playing through it again:

I think the rocket is an important, but overlooked part to the game, especially with Expedition 1 now being announced. Rockets should be researchable and factor into budget I think. It wouldn't play too much of a role early game with the starter rocket being able to carry up to medium sized loads and maybe one researchable for the larger loads and longer distances (like the asteroid belt), but later on when the manned missions start you would have to make a rocket capable of carrying a crew, supplies, and building materials.

*For the newly announced Expedition 1 content, there should be many steps to landing a man on Mars, Before you're driving large mobile bases across the dunes there has to be the very first steps which is to successfully land the first people on Mars and get them back without killing them as well as making an outpost that would be not be permanently manned (that is only having astronauts occupy the base in intervals and the base not being self-sufficient and having to be resupplied). Two ways I can think of off the top of my head that this could be done is having the missions based on the Mars Direct plan and NASA DRM (Design Reference Mission) proposals (which itself is based off of Mars Direct). I linked some very general information below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Direct

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_reference_mission_3.0

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/leag2007/presentations/20071001.drake.pdf

As for colonization, one of the popular ideas at the moment is to first send remote controlled robotic workers to Mars with building materials to the red planet. The robots would be controlled from Earth and would be used to set up the foundations for the base, such as drill holes, insert metal frames into holes, building frames for shelters and then constructing the outer wall of the shelter. Then send colonists to finish the job by putting up the insulated walls, hooking up power, air, water, etc. and attach inflatable habitats to the shelter that would make more room and allow things like greenhouses to be built.

*Even though there isn't much in the way of information at the moment so I could be saying things that are already confirmed?

Also as a far out there suggestions I would pay for a Take on Mars moon and/or space station expansion, just a suggestion though. :P

[OlympusMons 10]

Some good points here.

I would suggest reading "Red Mars" if you want some good inspirations or ideas. I'm sure you have plenty to work with as it is though.

[EleSigma 10]

Thanks! :)

Also another thing is major locations that would be hard to represent such as Valles Marineris and Olympus Mons. Due to their shear sizes more than one map would have to be made to give these places justice. I would suggest instead of making a map called "Olympus Mons" or "Valles Marineris" that covers only a small piece of the area you could make multiple maps focusing on points of interest within the locations. Valles Marineris in particular has a few named locations within it such as the Melas Chasma and Lus Chasmata.

Though these two locations would be hard, if not impossible for a lander or rover in the first part of the game, possibly during the manned missions one could send a mobile outpost to these areas?

Edit:

For inspiration for early manned missions, I suggest looking at "Mars Colony Online". An obscure old game that eventually became the prototype to the now released "Mars Colony: Challenger".

Edited March 18, 2014 by EleSigma

[Irrotilum 10]

Space station would be nice :)

[nourd1 10]

Here are a few minor but fundamental suggestions to add!

on Mars, the atmospheric pressure is about 100 x less dense than the earth so when you open a door without depressurizing, there should be a suction effect

when building a room, it is automatically pressurized system without apparent why not add an atmosphere creation system and heat

Energy is important but or does it come? nuclear reactor, solar panel?

the ability to create more diverse buildings like a round greenhouse with the March apparent soil. all heated and pressurized

[szputnyik 10]

Pressurization requiring a life support module will be added in the future. As I've read, there won't be a "suction effect", but opening a door to a place with a different pressure won't be possible before pressing the cycle button and bringing the pressure of the airlock to either the outside environment or your habitat, (depending on where you want to go from the airlock).

[tinerfe 10]

I want to post some sugestions too:

- Add more planets and Missiones: Venus and Europa moon.

- For colonization, this game is great to take as example. http://mars-sim.sourceforge.net/

[wesleybruce 1]

I have five simple starting suggestions. 

1. A six pack of empty resource containers on a fence mesh floor 1 x1. In addition to the single unit. This gives us six empties at once. I seem to be making empty resource containers half the time. Remove from the 3d printer as one unit and place in the ground like a fence or machine. Then you can remove the containers as required instead of going back to the printer six times. The empty mesh would not be a walkway or  deck but would in zero g stop things drifting about and on mars could give you a outdoor audio indicator of location in the dark (or dust storm if they are included. ). A mars foot path. 

 

2. A hot key to turn off the zero g EVA jet pack allowing you to do more precise hand movement in confined spaces. I've tried to maneuver in the capsule cargo section to get out a 3d printer. Earth orbit scenario. I just bounce around like a ping pong ball. Its not precise enough in terms of roll and pitch for tight spaces. This is not a glitch. The real thing can't be used in a confined space either. They use a robot arm to deploy it with its astronaut. The same off switch would be useful for the mars flying machine which is always trying to hover and move about (it's thruster flicker, even at a distance, is visually irritating and I don't have epilepsy. It must be causing unnecessary lag. ) 

 

3. Unpressurised dust rooms with a gate or door. This is something discussed in real mars projects.  These dust tight panels, screens and entries that keep at bay the dust, airflows and stop things rolling away on the moon and mars and stop things drifting off in zero G. They are not pressurised and don't show "leak". External decks with fences are useful but not as much in zero g and some just look wrong. These define an unpressurised space that is temperature and toxic dust controlled and when radiation solutions are added they are part of that.

 

4. Emergency supply drop beacon. A small 3d craftable item that is deployed to cause a skycrane drop of supplies. This drop should be imprecise within 200 m of the beacon. (spherical radius in zero g) The Pack contains 1 water bag,1 bottle of vitamins,1 potato seeds, 1 ration pack, 1 medical tool, 1 constructor tool, and any other seeds added later. This eliminates the need for scenario builders to need to micromanage the placement of these things and adds them to the old maps already created without them.  

 

5. A ladder that can mount on the external walls so you can build up and don't break your legs jumping down from the roof you have accidently jumped up onto. [Alt is too close to space. lol. ]

 

I have a few other suggestions but they are not as simple and require some work on my part to make up resources.  

[Astrobot5000 0]

Equipment:

The ability to make space suits and water bags!  Maybe with a smaller 3d printer that is used in pressurized areas (like refilling water bags) and makes 'personal' items like suits/tools/meds/etc.

 

Radiation:

How about some Rad meds (KI Pills?)?!  Radiation seems to be the later game's killer.  I know that staying in a protected area can allow the rad levels to go down over time but having a way to slow the Rad gain (especially in the early game when you need to stay outside for longer periods of time) would be super.

 

Electricity:

I love the wall sockets already, but could they be 'reversable'? That way you can have either the 'in' flow side or the 'out' flow side facing outdoors.  As for outside electricity, how about a placeable pole (like the nav beacon/light stand) with a number of sockets (something like 6 in and 2 out) on it?  It would be a good solution to wiring up outside locations instead of building little half walls everywhere.  If it is one of the light pole like objects, it is easy to move and place and will not cast a big shadow on any close by panels.  Also, BATTERIES!!! and a way to recharge vehicles (I figure that these things are lkely in the pipe-line).

 

Would wind turbines make power gen too easy?  If not, they would be a good alternative way to make some power.

 

Vehicles:

Speaking of vehicles, modifiable hard-points!  Use your con tool to pull the basket off the rear of the buggy and replace it with a crate rack, solar panel, etc.

 

Storage:

Finally; half size and double size resource containers.

 

Another one pointed out by a friend: The ability to mark and update the map.  Beacons showing up on the map.  I think this could be expanded even more with a data/coms network with the ability to send a nav point to another vehicle/have coms with another vehicle/base, etc when in range.

[BackwoodBonehead 0]

My Suggestions:

 

Workbench:

It should be possible to have a functional Workbench/Science Table with a little 3d Printer on it. So you could craft some tools and meds.

 

Vehicles:

Either a vehicle with a fixed ressource tank or a palette with already functional and fixed resourcetank on top. Would make things easier.

 

Supply drops:

I like the idea of supply drops, like in the competitive mode. Only it should be called only with the communications antenna. And it should take some time 24h or so and drop randomly on the map.

 

Science Instruments:

I like the idea of building some science instruments on the planet surface -> windspeed meter, meteorological instruments, Soil probe drilling -> maybe impliment this in a science tree for special survival equipment.

 

Survival:

1. A emergency tool box, with all the most important tools and survival equipment to produce in a 3d Printer. So i can take it on a expedition.

2. Open Container boxes to drop items in it and Close of with a top cover.

3. Safe Container with lock

4. Approximation warning grid for the base - sounds alarm if someone is entering an area.

5. Alarm pole, to send Alarm codes to other persons in range.

6. Dangerous Materials (radioactive, fuel) - so you have to handle it carefully - can explode and hurt people.

7. Special resources locator tool / drill

8. Equipment malfunctions: like a possibility that the suit will get a leak and you have to fix it. Machines have a malfunction and need repairs. Overheating or filter must be cleaned to run properly again.

 

Bright and directional working lights:

Sometimes working in the dark could be more relaxing with directional and bright working lights.

 

Power control:

Possibility to connect all power using Equipment to a command-central (inside/outside of structures), where you can swith on/off things. A emergency power off button or switch all unimportant powerusers off in case of a storm or something, that could damage equipment, when still running.

 

Fitness Tools:

All cosmonauts need also Fitness -> Bikes to bring Fitness up.

 

Workstatus lamps:

Full or Malfuntion red/green lamp on Drills - so i can see which i have to fix or empty.

[Xenotaris 0]

Is there a way to stop being a diabetic and be able to survive without food for at least three in-game days?

[Morty Jhones 0]

I Like the new uodate and think it has delt with most ishures however there is still a couple of nigles i would like adressed.

 

!. Better Resorce Manigment

 

Could we pleas have a outpost wall will mountings for holding 2 or 4 resorce bottles and a built in skrubber. It;s just very frustrating that the only way to get a outpost tohave atmos requres you to place 3 of the huge storage tanks in a room, and this feals silly espeshaly if you a trying to build a small rad shelter.

 

2. Exsternal mountings

 

An exsternal Mounting for Bottols for the Moduler Habitat. having the internal rack is fine. but it feals as if it preserises the outer hull 1st and then the rest of the hab. mabie a 2 part vent and cover like the vetical window parts

 

3. Resorse conetions

 

Resorce Hozes and ways of conecting them to the Moduler Habitat and/or Outpost. I am realy geting fead up of transfering OXegen little bottel at a time.

 

4 Better moniter

 

More interativity on the monitor pls yes its nice having another place where we can look at bace resorces but being able to interact with the power grid and any mashines conected would give this part better functuionality.

 

5 power.storage

 

A battery unit that Soler panels can plug into and charge for night time use.so as to help even out power fultuations eseshaly from day to night if manly relighant on soler power..