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Mars' Status

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fimbulwinter fimbulwinter's picture
Mars' Status
Is there canonical data about the current level of terraforming on Mars? I know that rivers are mentioned in places in the setting, and that some major changes must have been made to the atmosphere, but I'm interested in hard numbers like mean surface temperature, atmospheric pressure and composition, and changes to the climate in general(what's the weather like, say). I'm sure this is going to be mentioned in future supplements, and lord knows I'm willing to freeball it in my own game. Still, it'd be great to hear some specifics, save myself more time doing research. I'll say, that's one more element of this game that I'm pleased with (there's lots). I can't remember the last time I played an RPG that inspired me to spend so much time online learning how the game should work. I know more about orbital mechanics, planetology, and various bodies in the solar system than I did 3 weeks ago. That's great. Thanks.
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HappyDaze HappyDaze's picture
Re: Mars' Status
Without having exact numbers, I can say that Rusters are able to exist on the world with only their standard Enhanced Respiration and Temperature Tolerance features. This indicates that the pressure is at least 0.2 atmospheres with adequate oxygen and that the temperature is between -30 and 60 degrees Celcius. It's not much, but it's a start.
HappyDaze HappyDaze's picture
Re: Mars' Status
I should note that the bit about Rusters surviving on terraformed Mars is, IIRC, specified to refer to the lowlands (which is also where the liquid water is found). Even so, the atmospheric pressure in the lowlands would have to be [I]at least 20x what it is today[/I] for Enhanced Respiration to be of use, probably 30x for a safety margin. The highlands are going to have a thinner atmosphere and Rusters will still need breating aids there. OTOH, the temperatures needed for Temperature Tolerance to offer comfort are not that much warmer than what Mars has today - especially near the equator - and should be easy to manage once the atmosphere is thickened up to the necessary levels (a thickened atmosphere can constructively lead to controlled global warming).