Every colony gets six conditions, fixed for its whole life, in the spirit of Against the Storm's map modifiers. Exactly two are neutral and four are extreme.
| Condition | One extreme | Neutral | Other extreme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket | 1 rocket, 1-day travel | 1 rocket, 2-day travel, +5 Supply Pods | 2 rockets, 3-day travel |
| Dust Storm vs Cold Wave | Dust Storms +33%, Cold Waves -33% | even | Cold Waves +33%, Dust Storms -33% |
| Funding | Rare Metals price +20%, Tourist funding -20% | even | Tourist funding +20%, Rare Metals price -20% |
| Sensor Towers | +20% scan range, -33% scan boost | even | -20% scan range, +33% scan boost |
| Vistas | +33% more Vistas | even | +33% more Research Sites |
| Topography | Flat: Metal & Rare Metal -20% | Rough: no change | Steep or Mountainous: +20% |
Every run lands on exactly two neutral and four extreme across the six, so a colony is never fully neutral and never extreme on every axis. Topography is the exception to the roll: it is set by the map you land on, but it still counts toward the two-and-four total.
The conditions are announced by a Map Conditions notification you click once to read, and they stay listed on the Mission Goals page below your commander for the rest of the game.
Rocket sets your starting fleet and how long a rocket takes to fly one way. Fast is 1 rocket on 1-day trips; neutral is 1 rocket on 2-day trips plus 5 free Supply Pods to launch; big is 2 rockets on 3-day trips. Supply Pods always travel at the same speed whatever the roll.
Dust Storm vs Cold Wave decides which weather disaster strikes more often. An extreme makes one 33% more common and the other 33% less; neutral keeps them even. It does not change how long a storm lasts, only how often each kind comes.
Funding is a trade-off between your two income streams. One extreme raises the Rare Metals export price 20% and cuts Tourist funding 20%; the other reverses it; neutral leaves both alone. It never raises both at once.
Sensor Towers trades how far a Sensor Tower's scan boost reaches against how strong it is. This is the boost to map-sector scanning speed, not the disaster warning time, which is untouched.
Vistas shifts the map's mix of two scenic surface deposits: Vistas, which give a nearby dome +10 Comfort, and Research Sites, which give research. An extreme flips about a third of one type into the other as you uncover them.
Topography follows the map you land on: the hillier it is, the more Metal and Rare Metal it holds. Flat land carries 20% less, rough land the baseline, steep or mountainous land 20% more. Water and Concrete are unaffected.
| Topography | Metal total | Rare Metal total |
|---|---|---|
| Flat (-20%) | 16,480 | 6,400 |
| Rough (baseline) | 20,600 | 8,000 |
| Steep or Mountainous (+20%) | 24,720 | 9,600 |
Every map of the same topography carries the same totals, split across surface piles, shallow deposits and deep deposits (see Resource parity).
Part of the Survive the Storm mod.