Surviving Mars adds free camera, birth control policy, tribute to Stephen Hawking

As you might imagine, establishing the first functioning human colony on a foreign planet is hard work. I mean, just ask Fraser who, in his 80-scoring review of the strategy management sim, praised Surviving Mars' compelling nature despite having to work hard for his success.

Sorry Fraser, but it appears Surviving Mars' latest update adds more work still.

As outlined in this forum post, a huge number of tweaks, nips and tucks comprise the latest 'Spirit' update (I count ~100 or so)—including adjustments to mod implementation, UI and in-game mechanics.

The full list of changes can be viewed this-a-way, however highlights include the renaming of Science Institutes to Hawking Institutes, in tribute to Stephen Hawking; a birth control policy in domes, whereby births can be set to "allowed or forbidden"; the addition of a free camera option in Photo Mode; and improvements to Rovers' pathfinding maneuverability.

All of which should keep us busy. Like Fraser:

Between the dust, meteors and tornados, carving out a life on Mars is a lot of work. Overcoming these disasters and watching as an army of drones fix everything is an incredibly satisfying experience. If you've planned for the worst, kept your stockpiles topped up and put your drones in the right place, you’ll be treated to a mechanical ballet as diligent gatherers scoop up resources and then, in seconds, have everything under control, fixing up machines and repairing drones all over the colony.

Even once you’ve got some automation set up, however, it still feels like disaster is nipping at your heels. It's a battle between humans and nature, and for all the fancy tech, it's dogged perseverance that builds successful colonies. It's thrilling rather than exhausting, though. Something is always going on, making sure there's no time for ruts, and most of the the crises feel surmountable with a bit of creative tinkering.

Thanks, RPS.