This is a really well-designed fun game that sucks you in, and gives you excellent replay value.
I loved this game deeply and dearly, and I'd be hard pressed to mention another base builder with the same fun factor, it may be the best in its type to date.
I love the base builder genre, and this one was innovative in a number of ways. I think its definitely worth it for anyone who likes base builders at all, and this would be an excellent first base-builder for someone who doesn't think they like the genre
they are still putting out new content and a lot of the issues from the start are still not fixed such as edge scrolling at times the game is unplayable. it is a good game when it is working.
state: playing the Linux version, currently around 10 hours into the game's first map and enjoying myself immensely
It is basically a city builder, with heavy emphasis on a technology tree that you gradually research, and revolving around exploring and exploiting the scarce resources that you find. In the beginning (and well into the game) you need to import a lot of goods and also building components from earth. You do that by controlling a finite number of rockets that you can order back and forth between Earth and Mars. They take a long time to travel and are very expensive, so a little planning is essential. The more technology you research, the more self-sufficient you (can) become.
The first map is supposed to be very easy and indeed it allows for mistakes and you can still keep going. In this respect, it really feels like colonizing a remote planet, since you do not get second chances there either. It is still a challenge, because resources (and colonists) are always scarce.
The AI does a reasonable job, for example controlling transport drones, so you can stick to your planning without too much micro-managing.
The controls are functional and do their job without getting into your way - I suppose that makes them qualify as good. However, there is no real tutorial or anything. You get thrown into the game with just a few help texts. These let you completely lost after the first few minutes, and you have to find out the rest yourself. For me, I considered this a challenge, but it might put you off.
Technically, the Linux version is running smoothly, despite my rather unusual setup with Radeon graphics.
I did encounter one defective save game that crashes upon loading, but all others worked fine so far. So, while annoying, this seems like a rare problem.
So far, I am enjoying the game a lot. It is slow paced, but I never found myself waiting for anything to finish, because there is always something else to do. Perfect for my taste.
