First at all, this it's not a easy game. As it would be, actually colonize a planet... The variables are many and the game engine makes on the whole, a really exciting experience. One thing that really surprised me, were the environmental conditions (not only for what concerns sandstorms or icestorms), especially as the complex orbits and their periods of light and dark. Absolutely incredible and realistic graphics, but the game is so much more. You start the construction of the colony with what you have available; the materials necessary for the construction of various buildings and resources needed to sustain the astronauts are at the heart of the game. When you manage to find a balance between resources produced on the planet (or moon) and those required for the sustenance, you can really create huge structures with hundreds of sims. Diseases, radiation, assaults, oxygen and water production, are an integral part of the game, making it one of the best games I've got to try.
