Rival Colonies

Rival Colonies are Mars colonies founded by Sponsors which weren't selected as the player colony and compete for Milestones and Planetary Anomalies. Up to three Rival Colonies can be added. As Rival Colonies expand and develop their infrastructure their progress can be followed in the Planet View. The Colony has a Standing with each Rival Colony, ranging from -100 to 100.

There are two Story Bits that can take place once per game that have the potential to destroy or create a Rival Colony.

Diplomacy

Each diplomatic action can only be used once every 5 Sols for each Rival Colony.

Action	Standing	Notes
Offer Resources	+20 if not Politician +40 if Politician	Requires a landed rocket to be refueled, loaded and sent Basic resources require a larger quantity than advanced resources If the Rival Colony has an abundance of the selected resource it will refuse Once per game the Doctor Commander Profile can offer medical expertise instead of resources
Initiate Trade	None	Requires at least Neutral Standing
Exchange Technologies	None	Requires Good or Excellent Standing Both colonies must have at least one technology the other doesn't
Request Resources	-20	Requests the Rival Colony doesn't have enough resources for will be grayed out If Standing is Bad or Hostile the Rival Colony will refuse and give another -10 Standing
Insult	-40 with the insulted Rival Colony +10 with all other Rival Colonies	Once per game the Astrogeologist Commander Profile can say an insult which gives +20 Standing with all other Rival Colonies instead

Covert Ops

Covert Ops require a Rocket loaded with 15 Fuel and enough Officers, will lower Standing and have a chance to fail. Successful Covert Ops they will bring benefits to the Colony at the expense of the Rival Colony but failed Covert Ops will have the Officers arrested and lost. Each Covert Op can only be done once every 10 Sols for each Rival Colony.

Covert op	Officers	Failure chance	Standing	Notes
Steal Drones	3	5 if Standing is not Hostile 20 if Standing is Hostile	-20	Japan cannot steal Drones or have Drones stolen from them due to the incompatible Drone technology.
Steal Technologies	3	5 if Standing is not Bad or Hostile 20 if Standing is Bad 40 if Standing is Hostile	-20	If the Rival Colony doesn't have any new technology it will steal 1,000 research points instead.
Recruit Colonists	6	5 if Standing is not Bad or Hostile 40 if Standing is Bad or Hostile	-30	Recruits 5-25 Colonists
Sabotage Buildings	6	20 if Standing is not Bad or Hostile 40 if Standing is Bad or Hostile	-40

Sponsor Personalities

The Sponsor of a Rival Colony determines its behavior and initial Standing with the Colony.

Sponsor	Initial Standing	Development Speed	Bias	Sponsor effects
International Mars Mission	Slightly Positive	Relaxed	Colonists	Gets twice more Food from Passenger Rockets Landed Rockets synthesize Fuel
USA	Neutral	Expansive	Colonists	Receives periodic Funding
Blue Sun Corporation	Slightly Negative	Normal	Production	Always offers Funding for basic resources Employs Colonists to produce Funding
China	Neutral	Expansive	Mining	Always offers resources for Food Passenger Rockets carry more Colonists Has double birth rates
India	Neutral	Normal	Colonists, Mining	Has increased birth rates Produces more Metals
Europe	Neutral	Normal	Research	Always offers Research points for any tradable resource Gains Funding whenever a tech is researched
SpaceY	Neutral	Normal	Production	Buys advanced resources at 50% cost
Church of the New Ark	Slightly Negative	Normal	Colonists	Has double birth rates
Russia	Neutral	Expansive	Mining	Always offers basic resources for advanced resources Produces more Concrete
Paradox Interactive	Unpredictable	Normal	Research	Produces Funding by releasing games
Brazil	Neutral	Normal	Mining	Produces more Rare Metals
Japan	Neutral	Normal	Research	Produces Metals without using Colonists Gains research points when exploring sectors