Sponsors can be selected at the beginning of a colonization attempt. They are your sponsor partner in establishing your colonies in Mars. Different agencies offer different amounts of funding and together with your starting location on Mars determine the initial difficulty of the game. They will also affect the price that rare metals you can mine on Mars fetch when exported back to Earth. Who your sponsor is will also determine the goal you need to reach by Sol 100. As of new releases for the game, sponsors have new and varied abilities and structures to choose from which are able to provide enhanced abilities for your colony. For example, waste rock filtering/refining, new solar megastructures, enhanced sterling generators, research for each scanned sector, and new rover abilities, which effectively prevents the player from playing a game session and failing the mission. All Sponsors default to the Rocket Scientist Commander, but another Commander can be chosen instead.
Note that Rockets used by most Sponsors default to 50,000 kg of Cargo or 12 Colonists, but there are two exceptions:
Surviving Mars is a city building simulation video game developed by the Bulgarian studio Haemimont Games and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 15, 2018. The player serves as an overseer who must build a colony on Mars and ensure the survival of the colonists. Surviving Mars is a sci-fi city builder about colonizing Mars and surviving the process. Choose a sponsor for resources and financial support before landing on the surface. Build domes and infrastructure, research new possibilities and utilize drones to maintain your colonies functions. Surviving Mars missions will take planning and lots of innovation Space is dangerous, especially when you can’t call home for help Scientists are studying how to protect astronauts on missions to Mars, where there will be minimal room for medical gear. Summary: Surviving Mars is a sci-fi city builder all about colonizing Mars and surviving the process. Choose a space agency for resources and financial support before determining a location for your colony. Build domes and infrastructure, research new possibilities and utilize drones to unlock more. Review: 76 - metacritic, “Surviving Mars from Haemimont Games is a true triumph, and represents a game I've been yearning for for years.” 4.5/5 – Windows Central, “Surviving Mars might be the most fun I've had with a city-building game since SimCity 2000” 8/10 – Destructoid, “Nothing else marries survival and city-building so.
- The International Mars Mission and USA have Cargo Rockets that can carry 70,000 kg of Cargo
- China has Rockets that carry 22 Colonists
- 2Sponsor Traits
Sponsor Overview[edit | edit source]
- Here's a table for a quick comparison with additional details for each Sponsor below the table.
Agency | Availability | Difficulty | Funding | Research per Sol | Rare Metal Price | Starting Rockets | Starting Applicants | Sol 100 Goal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
International Mars Mission | Base game | Very Easy | $30,000 M | 300 | $25 M | 4 Rockets | 100 Applicants | Research 40 new technologies |
USA | Base game | Easy | $8,000 M | 300 | $25 M | 3 Rockets | 50 Applicants | Investigate 40 anomalies |
Blue Sky Corporation | Base game | Easy | $10,000 M | 100 | $30 M | 2 Rockets | 50 Applicants | Export 100 Rare Metals |
China | Base game | Easy | $8,000 M | 200 | $25 M | 3 Rockets | 100 Applicants | 80 Mars born |
India | Base game | Normal | $7,000 M | 100 | $24 M | 3 Rockets | 75 Applicants | Have a population of 200 |
Europe | Base game | Normal | $6,000 M | 400 | $22 M | 2 Rockets | 50 Applicants | Research 40 new technologies |
SpaceY | Base game | Normal | $6,000 M | 200 | $22 M | 5 Rockets | 38 Applicants | Have a population of 200 |
Church of the New Ark | Base game | Hard | $4,000 M | 0 | $20 M | 1 Rocket | 60 Applicants | 100 Mars born |
Russia | Base game | Hard | $5,000 M | 200 | $22 M | 2 Rockets | 50 Applicants | Export 100 Rare Metals |
Paradox Interactive | Link Paradox and Steam accounts | Hard | $4,000 M | 100 | $24 M | 1 Rocket | 75 Applicants | |
Brazil | Space Race DLC | Normal | $9,000 M | 100 | $35 M | 1 Rocket | 100 Applicants | |
Japan | Space Race DLC | Hard | $6,000 M | 100 | $20 M | 1 Rocket | 50 Applicants | |
Terraforming Initiative | Green Planet DLC | Normal | $8,000 M | 100 | $24 M | 2 Rockets | 100 Applicants |
Sponsor Traits[edit | edit source]
International Mars Mission[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 20%
- Rockets can carry 70,000 kg of Cargo (+20,000 kg more)
- Colonists will never become Earthsick
- Food carried by Passenger Rockets is multiplied x10
- Rockets will slowly synthesize Fuel while on Mars
USA[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 60%
- Rockets can carry 70,000 kg of Cargo (+20,000 kg more)
- Periodic additional funding
Blue Sun Corporation[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 70%
- Can buy Applicants with Funding
- Additional Rockets are significantly cheaper
- Probes can discover deep Rare Metal deposits
- Bonus Tech: Deep Metal Extraction (can extract deep metals and deep rare metals deposits)
China[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 80%
- Passenger rockets carry an additional 10 Colonists (22 instead of 12)
- Applicants are generated twice as fast
India[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 110%
- All building costs reduced by 20%
- Bonus Tech: Low-G Engineering (unlocks Medium Dome)
Europe[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 130%
- 5 extra starting technologies
- Gains Funding every time a tech is researched. Gains double if it's a Breakthrough tech.
SpaceY[edit | edit source]
Surviving Mars Wiki
- Base Difficulty 150%
- Drone hubs start with additional drones
- Advanced Resources are 50% cheaper
Church of the New Ark[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 190%
- All Colonists have the Religious trait
- Birthrate is doubled
- Hydroponic Farms produce 50% less
Russia[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 200%
- Bonus Tech Fueled Extractors (Extractor Upgrade: Use Fuel to increase extractor production)
- Fueled Extractors upgrade is free
- Fuel Refinery Prefab costs 50% less
- Rockets have extended travel time (drawback)
Paradox Interactive[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 200%
- Discover more Breakthrough Anomalies
- Researching a Breakthrough grants Applicants
- Rockets require more fuel to launch (drawback)
Brazil[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 100%
- Colonists grant funding when they arrive on Mars
- Passages cost no resources and are constructed instantly
- Colonists suffer no penalties when using passages to work or visit connected domes
- 5 free Large Supply Pods
Japan[edit | edit source]
- Base Difficulty 170%
- Cost and weight of Rovers lowered by 50%
- Exploring a sector grants 500 research points
- Wasp Drones (faster drones that hover)
- All specialists perform better (+10 performance)
- Applicant generation reduced (drawback)
Terraforming Initiative[edit | edit source]
Surviving Mars Wiki
- Base Difficulty 100%
- All Terraforming techs are 50% cheaper for research
- Forestation Plants do not require Power
- Can import RC Dozers from the start
- Bonus Tech: Interplanetary Projects
- Bonus Tech: Martian Vegetation