Hey everyone! The last 24 hours have been absolutely jam-packed. I've rolled out three major systems that completely change how you expand, manage your finances, and optimize production: consumable Boosters, an overhauled Contracts system, and a dynamic Martian Market that responds to supply and demand.
Consumable Booster Cards
Instead of a simple generic boost button on a long cooldown, you now have a full inventory of Booster Cards that you can activate whenever you need them. Unlocked at Level 8 (with two free starters), they let you pull off some really cool tactical moves:
- Contract Reroll: Clears the board and generates a fresh set of contracts.
- Production Boost: Doubles all factory/extractor output for 60 seconds (active play only!).
- Survey Boost: Doubles survey speed per tap for 60 seconds, saving you tons of time.
- Rapid Construction: Skips 2 minutes off all active construction timers instantly.
- Gold Supply Drop: Delivers a quick shipment of Gold scaled to your level.
You'll earn more boosters by completing contracts, so keep an eye out for them!
Martian Market Saturation
To make selling raw materials and processed goods feel like a living economy, I've added a dynamic pricing system. Selling a massive pile of a single resource will now saturate the market, temporarily lowering its value (down from 100% to 75%, 50%, or even a floor of 25% of its value).
Don't worry, the market regenerates demand over time, but this means you'll want to diversify what you sell or space out your shipments instead of spamming the same raw ore.
Contracts Overhaul
Contracts have been simplified and streamlined. Instead of checking a laundry list of specific buildings, they now unlock earlier at Level 8 and focus on general goals: surveying new ground, building up your industrial grid, or proving you can run a power surplus. Best of all, large contracts now reward you with those handy Booster cards!
Pacing Adjustments
I've made a few tweaks to the early/mid-game flow:
- Earlier Dust Storms: Dust storms now start at Level 7 (down from Level 11). Since you unlock boosters and contracts at Level 8, this gives you a proper taste of Mars's harsh climate before you get the tools to deal with it.
- Offline Cap Tuning: I adjusted the offline tick limits and capped them to ensure a more balanced progression, supported by new remote upgrades.
Let me know how the new systems feel as you build out your colonies!