Efforts to make Mars passenger-friendly continue apace as Mars First Logistics embraces the magic of trains. The latest update to the physics-based open-world car-building game introduces a mountable theodolite that lets you assemble networks of monorails that you can then travel on.
If monorails don't make sense to you, don't worry. This is more of a Shelbyville idea. And in any case, theodolite also lets you build networks of pipes, power lines, and trackless asphalt roads—the ready-made salted flakes of the road family. It's a chunky expansion that, in the words of lead developer Ian MacLarty, “just scratches the surface of where this new system can go.” I foresee it eventually transitioning to theme park management or a factory simulator.
Here is the trailer for the new update.
Watch on YouTube
The new building function, unlocked by obtaining the Scout blueprint and replacing the Buggy blueprint, comes with new building missions, but you don't have to do missions to build things. You'll still need to traverse the terrain with your rover when building infrastructure, of course, so vehicle construction remains the soul of the game.
“A new contract type has been added that tasks you with connecting different stations using various structures,” MacLarty explains in a Steam post. “For example, you might be asked to build a water pipe between a reservoir and a living area. However, you are free to build wherever you want.
“Transmitters have become structures that you have to build yourself rather than explore,” he continues. “They are low cost and require line-of-sight to each other, which brings a new dynamic to exploring the landscape.”
Speaking of landscapes, these are now adorned with clouds, which is apparently a reflection of the scenery there. Actually Being in the clouds on Mars and not just a calming aesthetic makeover, nosirree. MacLarty and the Shape Shop team have also made some minor improvements and fixes, like the one below.
• Increased camera zoom. • Grapple hook now works on terrain by default. • Fair contracts now unlock with other areas, giving you more options from the start. • More accurate map fog. • Fixed a bug with the wind turbine delivery zone in Co-op. • Various other minor fixes and tweaks.
The game’s next update will likely be piecemeal and incremental, with a more substantial update coming next year. Again, MacLarty has big plans for this theodolite. “I feel like we’ve just scratched the surface of where this new system could go,” he writes. “For example, I think it would be nice to integrate rocket refueling with fuel pipelines. Maybe you’d have to plug stations into the fuel grid to be able to refuel?” Yeah, yeah, MacLarty, that sounds great, but it’s not a roller coaster, is it? Where are my loop-de-loops?
“Mars First Logistics is even more enjoyable than it looks,” Sin wrote last July, praising the game's “approachable design” and “fluid controls.” It seems to have progressed nicely since then.