Mars Colony Simulator Instructions

Mars Colony Simulator Documentation (preliminary 06/27/09)

Simulator Startup:

After starting the program you will be at the Main Menu screen. Select the “Start Mission” button to run the game as a Server.

If you run in server mode you can have others join your simulation. After the simulator is running, use CTRL N to bring up the “Add Users” dialog. Enter the first names of the users you want to join your mission. Anyone that wants to join your mission can do so by selecting the “Join Mission” button at the main menu, but they must have the right user name.

The “Options” button will allow you to modify the screen sizes, sounds and key commands.

The “About” button is about the project and the “Quit” button will stop the program and return you to windows. Once you have selected to start or join a mission you will be taken to the simulation and you can begin your journey.

To exit the game at any time use the “ESC” key and you will return to the main menu screen where you can exit. If you start a server and quit, anyone in the simulator will be booted out of the simulation.

General Simulator Use:

After the simulator has started you are in a 3D world.

Use the “W” key to move forward and guide your direction with the mouse.

Use the “S” key to move backwards. To “Use” any of the equipment in the simulation you have to use the mouse and place the crosshair + located in the center of your display over the object then press the “U” key.

You can toggle from mouse look to mouse pointer mode using the “M” key.

When you log into the simulation you will be assigned an EVA station and bunk number. This will be your personal equipment and storage areas.

The elevator can be used by one person at a time, go inside and access the wall panel to move up or down. To exit the COHAB (Command Habitation) unit, use the main airlock door switch.

Only one door can be operated at a time so as to maintain the oxygen levels in the living area.

Some of the equipment you need to perform your mission is outside around the COHAB unit. The cargo doors were opened when we landed so you can get access to all the items we brought for the trip. There are a couple items that will re-spawn into the simulator should you leave or lose connection. For instance the water can. If one of the users picks up the can and has it in their inventory and leaves the game, the can has to be placed back into the world for others to use.

Survival:

This is a simulator and as such we try to simulate reality to a point. Since you are on an alien world there are considerations you have to make in order to survive. You can not go outside without your EVA gear on. The temperature is -50 centigrade and you will freeze quickly or choke breathing 70% carbon dioxide. You will have to eat food and drink water on a regular basis. There is even the requirement to relieve yourself of biological waste which will be recycled.

You will spend time performing tasks required by the mission but there will be downtime and it would be much like sitting around a camp out in the woods. How would you entertain yourself? How well do you get along with others? Part of the simulation is just that. Human interactivity has to be at a maximum since there is no place else to go.

If you are outside and you get a storm warning, you need to get back to base as soon as you can. You can take shelter inside the ERV temporarily as long as you have enough oxygen in your backpack to survive the storm. Try to get back to the COHAB if you can, as long as you are out in the weather your health will degrade. Storms cause the temperature to fall to -80 c or so and your current EVA suit wont work well below -60c.

Command and Habitation Unit (COHAB)

The Command and Habitation unit is what you will live and work in. It has an oxygen supply and a heater so you don’t need your EVA suit inside unless you let the cabin run out of oxygen. You can move between levels using the lift. Go into the alcove in the back of the COHAB unit and press the “U” key while targeting the control panel. You will be lifted or dropped to the other level. The airlock doors are operated using the switch by the door. Only one door in the airlock can be open at any given time. If you are standing in the doorway the door will not close until you move out of the way.

EVA Gear:

Each user has a number assigned. In the lower level of the COHAB unit there will be a backpack and helmet for each person. Target the backpack and press the “U” key to open the EVA dialog. Check the oxygen and power level of the pack and charge it up as necessary. Press the “mount” button to equip the EVA Gear and “Y” to remove it. If you go outside without this gear you will die. The oxygen and power in the backpack is taken from the Oxygen Supply and the Battery Power system of the COHAB unit.

After mounting the EVA gear you will see the Heads Up Display (HUD). There is a backpack status panel in the lower right. This panel will display your current oxygen and power levels. When the oxygen drops below 20% you will get a warning. You have an EVA internal temperature control. Move the slider to the right to get more heat in your suit. If you are outside in a storm you will want to heat the suit up to maximum to prevent freezing. This will not always save you but it will help during storms. Be sure to lower the heat after a storm since the heater uses power from the suit. If you run out of power your internal CO2 scrubber wont work and you will lose oxygen and die.

The upper right of the display shows the Global Position System (GPS). This HUD unit displays your current position, elevation and direction you are heading. The direction is a pseudo compass with 0 degrees north and 180 degrees is south. You also get an elevation reading and a mini map with a red dot to show your relative location. Other members of your mission will show up as blue dots so you can get relative distance and position to all members.

Other parts of the user display are on the screen at all times. The user status dialog in the bottom left side of the screen shows your current health, stamina, food and water levels. The chat window is always open as well so you can get messages from the system or your fellow travelers. To chat with everyone use the “C” key and a chat line will open for you to type into.

Weather:

Mars has a dynamic weather system. If the barometer falls below 7mb there will be a storm system move in. You must take shelter as soon as you can. These storm systems will cause the temperature to fall and strong winds to form. Your EVA gear will protect you for a time but if you do not get inside you will die. We plan on more advanced EVA protection in future missions. After a storm has passed you will want to go outside to the back of the COHAB unit and clean the Photo Voltaic Array. Dust will cause the array to operate and a reduced level.

Internal equipment:

Computer:

The onboard computer system is on the lower level of the COHAB unit, place the crosshair over the monitor and press the “U” key to activate the system. The Red or Green light above the monitor is a system warning indicator. If the light is red, there are work orders to be looked at. Most of the orders are about the equipment in an idle state or things need maintenance. These are mostly non critical systems so just consider the red light to mean something needs attention.

The computer will boot up and display a main screen with the following information:

External environment information.
Internal environment information.
Water pumps
ERV Fuel generator status
Water Separator status.
Wind test data. (be sure to activate the wind test at the rear of the COHAB)
Mission directives and work orders

Maps Button selects the map overlay display. Drill Sites button selects the map overlay to show all your drilling sites. GPR info button displays the location of all the GPR sample sites. Ground Sample button displays the location of all sample sites.
You can move the mouse over the map to get positions for waypoints and if you click a spot on the map you will get elevation data at that location.

CO2 Scrubber Control:

The CO2 scrubber can minimize oxygen use in the COHAB unit. There is a control panel in the lower level of the COHAB select the unit and press the “U” key to bring up the dialog. Only stir the CO2 when the levels get below 50%.

Power Information Panel:

The power information panel is to the left of the lift doors in the back. Target the panel and press the “U” key to gain access. You can check the status of the Photo Voltaic array. After a storm you may need to go clean the panels since dirt will have an adverse effect on the efficiency of the array.
The power panel will allow you to turn the lights off in the COHAB. During storms the PV Array will not deliver much power and you can conserve energy by turning the lights off.

Thermostat:

The temperature inside the COHAB unit can be controlled using the Thermostat control panel on the right side of the lift at the back of the unit. Normal temperature inside should be kept around 15 degrees C. Any higher and the batteries will run low, any lower and your health will be affected.

Food Processor and Storage:

The Food Processor and Storage unit is on the second level of the COHAB unit. Use the “U” key to access the unit and you can remove one unit of food by pressing the “take food” button. The food will appear in your inventory. Press the “B” key to bring up the personal inventory and hover the mouse over the food item. Right click the mouse and you will get a menu to select “eat”. You must eat and drink when required or your health will suffer. This unit will also process plants and algae into food bars. The Algae tanks are to the left as you exit the COHAB. Plants will be available on mission two. This unit will require water from time to time so you should monitor its status.

Water Storage:

water

There is a drinking water tank on the second level of the COHAB. Access the tank using the “U” key. Select “take water” button and you get water in your inventory. Use the “B” key to open the inventory and using the right mouse over the water object right click and select “drink”.

Human Waste:

toilet

There is a bathroom in the upper level of the COHAB unit. It is located behind the wall behind the Food Processor. As you eat and drink you will want to relieve yourself. Target the unit and press the “U” key to bring up the dialog. The waste is treated and recycled to the water tank at a ratio of about half the intake.

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS):

The LIBS equipment is located to the left of the main airlock. This device will test soil samples you acquire from the outside landscape. Target the unit and press the “U” key to access the dialog. If you have a sample it will be in your personal inventory. Press the “B” key to open the inventory. Drag the sample using the left mouse button to the sampler dialog and press the “Sample” button. After the sampler is finished it will display information about the location and type of material found in the sample.

Oxygen:

The main supply of oxygen in the COHAB needs to be monitored closely. If you are running low on oxygen you can transfer some from the water seperator or you can get a supply from the ERV fuel generator. If you see a warning about COHAB OXYGEN chances are this unit needs serviced. Get to the tools and fix this unit as soon as you can or you will lose all the oxygen in the COHAB.

External Equipment:

This equipment is deployed from the cargo areas outside of the COHAB unit. Be sure to mount your EVA pack before going outside.

Ground Penetrating Radar:

The GPR unit can be found outside to the left as you exit the airlock. Mission directives are that you take a reading every 200 meters on the surface in a grid. Target the unit and press the “U” key to open the dialog. Select the “Pick Up” button to equip the unit. Walk to your target location. Press the “M” key to activate the mouse. Select the button “Set GPR” in the lower left side of your display. Now the unit is set up at the proper location. Target it and press the “U” key to open the dialog. Press the “Charge” button to charge the unit then press the same button after it says “Activate”. This will fire a ground wave and the computer will record any hits.

See the "Finding Water" section below

Water Separator:

This unit requires water. It produces oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen can be transferred to the COHAB unit. Hydrogen can be removed by picking up the small tank next to the unit and access the Separator dialog, then click the ”remove h” button. This tank can be carried to the Fuel Generator equipment by the Earth Return Vehicle and used to power that system should it require more hydrogen.

Water Seperator Unit

Drill:

Once you find a likely spot to drill for water, take the drill out to the site and set it down. Open the drill dialog with the “U” key then set the depth of the drill and turn it on. Once it reaches the depth you set or if it finds a mineral or water it will stop. You can remove the drill at this point and set a well pump. You can’t drill a hole within five meters of a running well. After the primary goal of finding water has been accomplished use the drill to get at other mineral deposits below the ground. When the drill hits something below ground use the dialog and select "Sample" to get a sample of the material. Take this sample to the LIBS machine inside the COHAB and you can get the quality of the mineral. The second mission will need this information so be sure to sample all the sites.
Be Warned !! the drill will wear out and run slower. Only use it when you are sure you have something below ground.

Well Pump:

The well pump can extract water from below the surface. It will only work in a drill hole that has the water resource. Set the pump and turn it on. The hole is small so it may take some time to pump out the water. You can remove the water from the tank if you have the water can in your inventory. The can is located in the COHAB unit downstairs by the lift. Use the “U” key to pick up the can, take it to the well pump and Use the well dialog to remove the water. This water can be used to supply water to the water separator, the algae tanks and the drinking water tank on the second level of the COHAB.

Well Pump Unit

Algae Tanks:

The Algae tank will supply food. Keep water in the tanks and keep it running. Extract the algae and take it to the food processing unit on the second level of the COHAB unit. Access the processor by using the “U” key then press the “B” key to bring up your inventory window. Drag the algae to the processor window and select the “process” button. Food will be added to the inventory.

Algae Tanks Unit

Earth Return Vehicle:

The ERV was landed and a fuel generator deployed a month before your arrival on the planet. The Fuel Generator takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and combines it with hydrogen under pressure to generate oxygen and methane. A ratio of 3.5 parts oxygen to 1 part methane is required to launch the vehicle back into orbit. When the tanks are full you and your crew can enter the cabin of the ERV and launch. This will take you to mission two. After you land, be sure to check the status of the fuel generator since this is your only way off the planet.
Inside the ERV base is a Launch Computer. After your mission is complete and you have the fuel, you can leave Mars using this computer. Open the dialog and hit the "Power" button to see the launch status.

Special Equipment:

You have a few hand items to help in the mission. Use these items as needed but remember if any user has one of these items and quits the game for any reason these items will respawn back inside the COHAB at their origional positions.
1. Water Can - use this to transport water from the wells to the separator.
2. Hydrogen Tank - use this to transport Hydrogen from the separator to the ERV fuel generator.
3. Oxygen Tank - use this to transport emergency oxygen from the ERV fuel generator to the COHAB oxygen tank.
4. Tool Box - if any equipment should break during the mission you can use the toolbox to repair the unit.

1. Water Can

2. Hydrogen Tank

3. Oxygen Tank

4. Tool Box

Missions: Primary and Secondary

PRIMARY - Finding Water:

Our first mission is about finding water. We need water in order to survive. Once we get a source, the next missions can be scheduled. This crater was picked as a landing site because we believe there may be water underground. Use the GPR and get readings in a 200 meter grid in the crater. The computer in the COHAB will translate the waves to dots on the map. The blue dots indicate where the GPR sample was taken and if you should strike a target below the surface it will appear as a red dot. The brighter the red dot the closer to the surface the target object is. A faint red dot means the target is deep. Once you have a target, move past it by about 50 to 100 meters and take another reading. The red dots will outline the object below the surface. Usually 3 dots will give you an indication of the size and shape of the object. Take ground samples from the area and analyze them at the LIBS machine inside the COHAB unit. If the ground sample has water in the list the next step is to take the drill out to the site and drill in the area until you verify what the resource is. If the drill reports a hit on water, the next step will be to go get a pump and extract the water. This is a major mission success!!
The examples below show the progress of how to use the GPR effectively.

1. You are the yellow dot. You have fired the GPR and exposed underground echoes (in red)
2. Move to the opposite side of the ground echo and fire another GPR shot.
3. Now you see two ground echoes. That gives you an idea of how wide the object under the ground is.
4. Move to a 90 degree angle from the two ground echoes and fire a third shot.
5. Now that you have 3 echoes you can be sure of the object size. Use the drill and punch a hole in the middle of the three ground echoes and you will strike the object.

Be sure to set the depth of the drill about 10 meters more than the dots indicate. Hover the mouse over the red echo dots and it should tell you about how deep the object is.

SECONDARY MISSIONS

As part of the primary mission you will need to take samples of the area to find water. Continue obtaining samples after you find water and get the pumps set up.

GPR Samples:

Use the GPR device and sample every 200 meters in a grid pattern inside the crater. This is the primary way of finding pockets of minerals and or water below the surface. You will probably sample a lot of areas to find water and a primary goal but you must complete the mission directive by sampling all other areas.

Ground Samples:

To take a ground sample the user moves to a given location and press the “G” key to get a core at that location. Mission directives dictate that you obtain a ground sample every 100 meters in a grid in the base of the crater. You can hold 4 samples at a time in your inventory. Take the sample back to the COHAB unit and use the LIBS machine on the lower level to test the samples.

Setup Algae Experiment:

The Algae Tank is located on the southwest side of the COHAB unit. Activate the unit by adding water and turn on the power switch. Remove the algae after it gets 4 units or more and take it to the food processor on the second level of the COHAB. If the algae has matured enough it will produce food that you can eat.

Locate Zeus:

The rover “Zeus” sent its’ last telemetry message from inside this crater. We lost communication with this rover and think it may be broken down nearby. Find the rover and recover the data recorders. This is not a priority order but we would like to find out what happened to it and what data it may contain. If you fail to find the rover we will assign the task to mission two as they will bring a vehicle as part of that mission.

General Operations:

The server player is the mission commander and as such needs to issue orders to the others. Your first commands should be to have someone start a search pattern with the GPR around the COHAB unit. If there are no echo targets then direct the users to widen the search and hope you find some targets. Another mission directive would be to start someone else doing a ground sample search in a 100 or 200 meter grid from the COHAB. You should have someone on the computer at all times to watch the barometric pressure outside. If the pressure dips below 7mb there will be a storm and anyone outside could die if they don’t get inside. Warn all EVA personnel about falling pressures. If you get a ground target echo, have the user take ground samples in the area to help identify the type of element that might be under the surface. Now you can make a decision weather to drill a test hole to verify the mineral. If you strike water you need to get a well pump set and start pumping water. Use the water from the wells to activate the water separator at the COHAB unit. This separator will supply oxygen to the COHAB and provide extra hydrogen if needed. Make sure the ERV is fueled up and ready for launch. Send someone out to check the status of the unit. You need 3500 units of oxygen and 1000 units of methane to launch the ERV. It is up to the mission commander to keep things running, find water, take ground samples, identify sub surface mineral pockets and come home alive. Before you leave Mars be sure to power down all the equipment. Drain the well tanks and power them down. Drain the separator and power it down. Turn the computers off, disconnect the PV array and turn off the battery power. Place the drill and the GPR by the cargo bay.

Mission Two - Farm Unit

The Farm Unit will land as part of mission two. This unit will have the greenhouse that expands out from the side of the lander after the unit has been leveled and activated. The farm is a primary mission goal so pay attention to the plants you have growing. This mission also comes with a two man rover called Hercules. Use this rover to explore the outer areas for resources that might be useful on mission 3.

Planters:

The Planters are in the lower level greenhouse. They are heated from below to keep the roots of the plants warm Select the planters using the U key and you will get a dialog that allows you to plant seeds, add water and fertilizer and to check the soil. Keep the fertilizer and water levels between 0.25 and 0.75 for maximum plant growth. Try to pick the plants when that are about 250 cycles in age for maximum food value. Older plants produce seeds and fertilizer but are poor food sources so you have to make decisions to get food or let them go to seed.

Planters

Food Pre Processor:

The Pre Processor for the food is in the upper level of the Farm Unit. Use this device to strip and seeds and branches from the plant. The seeds will be returned to the seed storage unit and the branches and stems will be mulched into compost that can be used as fertilizer. You will get the remaining plant material in your inventory. Take this pre processed plant material to the upper level of the COHAB food processor to create packaged food.

The seed and fertilizer storage units come with supplies to get the farm started. It is up to you to resupply these from the plants you grow.

Food Prep seed

Hercules Rover:

The Rover is powered by batteries charged by a Methane/Oxygen turbine. You will have to refuel this unit from the ERV fuel generator. Hercules holds two people and will travel at 4 meters per second speed. This is sensitive gear so be careful of how fast you drive and things you might collide with. If it gets damaged you can repair it with the tools from the COHAB or at the garage/repair area on the east side of the Farm Unit.

rover

Communication Tower:

The Comm Tower is located in the garage / storage area on the East side of the Farm Unit. This tower needs to be deployed at the top of a nearby hill. The most likely choice is the hill to the West. Carry the unit to a location above 150 meters and set the unit up. Extend the antenna and power the unit on. This unit will allow communication of all units from outside the crater to the COHAB.

Comm

Wind Generator:

The first mission you did a test for averate wind in that crater. We used that information to create a small wind farm to supply power to the Farm Unit. There are 4 generators to the south of the greenhouse. Repairs can be done on them using the tool kit from the COHAB. Be warned if you lose power in the Farm Unit your plants can die.

wind generator

Drill and Pump Repair:

There are 2 repair units in the garage area on the East side of the Farm Unit. Mission two brought spare parts for the Drill Unit and the Pumps. Use these repair stations to keep the equipment operating.

Comm

Misc. Info

Internet Server Setup:

To create a LAN server just launch the program using the “Start Server” button on the main menu.

Anyone connected on a LAN can join the game using the “Join Server” button on the main menu. On the join server dialog box use “Search” button to look for servers on that LAN. When a server is found the “Join LAN” button will be active. Press that button and you should join a game server.

To create a Mars Colony internet game server behind a router you must set up the router ports. To access your router launch a web browser and go to 192.168.1.1 and you should get a login and password dialog. If you haven’t changed the passwords you can usually get in by leaving the login blank and set admin as the password. Go to the tab Application & Gaming and set up like the example below. Notice the IP Address has 192.168.1. [101] you will have to check your nic card to get the value for your system. This is an example of the Linksys routers so if you dont use this brand your software may be different.

Mars Colony uses Ports 28000 (start) to 28002 (end) for internet connections and select both TCP and UDP.

Mission Communication:

You can use the ingame chat to communicate or you can choose to use a Headset and alternate software to do a live chat during the missions. The testers have been using TeamSpeak when running multiple players but there are other options. Here is a list of possible internet chat programs you can use.

TeamSpeak
Ventrillo
Skype