Colonization requirements

[Traveler (OP)]

Is there any sense in bringing colonists to a colony until the cost gets close to zero?

Should Mars be terraformed prior to sending a population there.  Does that bring down the colony cost?

What type of infrastructure should be sent to the colony to support the population or is infrastructure just a general term for what's required?

Can infrastructure and colonists be sent on separate ships? 

Should the infrastructure be sent first?

[Brian Neumann]

1.)  Moving the colonist early depends on what you are doing.  Do you have mobile terraformers or are you going with plantary installations that require a population?

2.)  Terraforming a planet will bring down the colony cost.  Most people recommend getting the temprature closer to what your race likes (temprature below the 2.0 colony cost).  Then start adding in Oxygen till you have enough to breathe.  After that get the temprature to an ideal spot and see what else needs adjustment.  If there are any toxic gasses get rid of them before adding the Oxygen as they will prevent having a breathable atmosphere.

3-5.)  Infrastructure is an actual item you can build.  It is an abstraction for things to keep the population safe on a hostile environment settlement.  It is shippable in a cargo hold so you can build the cargo hold into the same ship as the cryogenic compartment or not as you wish.  Most players find dedicated colony or cargo ships are more efficient.

Brian

[Paul M]

If you have a second colony set up (Mars in this case) then the civillians will get into the act.  This means it is worth establishing a seed colony (10-30K people) which they will then take over growing for you.  So you get Mars settled for around the cost of 50-100 infrastructure (or less) that you buy. 

The shipping lines have access to civillian built infrastructure so that part of the expense is for free.  Given it takes ages to do any sort of terraforming there is no reason to wait to establish a colony.

You need a full 5 cargo holds on one ship to move mines, factories and other such things, they don't split up.

Once the colony is established the civillians will move people and infrastructure to it, this generates money for you, and for them.  Once the colony gets to a few million people it develops its own economy (produces trade goods) which you then tax when they are shipped.  So to me, anyway, establishing a colony at cost of 2-3 is not a bad idea.  After that though it gets dicy as the civillian lines don't think before they drop so there will be lots of wasted colonists on high colony cost world.

This applies interstellar wise as well so long as a gate exists for the civillians to use.

[Steve Walmsley]

You need a full 5 cargo holds on one ship to move mines, factories and other such things, they don't split up.

Just on this point, in v6.00 or later you only need one 'Cargo Hold - Standard' to move an entire mine, factory, etc. A ship with a 'Cargo Hold - Small' will still move mines, factories, etc, but only 0.2 of a factory/mine each trip.

Something larger, such as a research lab, is usually moved in sections due to its size.

Steve

[Traveler (OP)]

Thanks to all for the answers. 
I guess what I really need to see is a laundry list of what is needed to get a colony up and running.

I established a colony on Mars via the right click on the planet method.  Other than that there is nothing there.
I'm building a freighter and a colony ship.

What do I need to transport with the freighter to Mars to make it viable for the colonists?  I'd hate to maroon them there

[Erik L]

Thanks to all for the answers. 
I guess what I really need to see is a laundry list of what is needed to get a colony up and running.

I established a colony on Mars via the right click on the planet method.  Other than that there is nothing there.
I'm building a freighter and a colony ship.

What do I need to transport with the freighter to Mars to make it viable for the colonists?  I'd hate to maroon them there

If the colony cost is greater than 0.0 you need infrastructure. The higher the colony cost, the more infrastructure. Dump some automated mines on the colony, then a couple of factories. Dedicate them to replicating themselves.

[Paul M]

Just on this point, in v6.00 or later you only need one 'Cargo Hold - Standard' to move an entire mine, factory, etc. A ship with a 'Cargo Hold - Small' will still move mines, factories, etc, but only 0.2 of a factory/mine each trip.

Something larger, such as a research lab, is usually moved in sections due to its size.

Steve

This is a nice change from what I recalled.  Not sure how often I might use a small cargo hold to move a mine/factory in 5 trips but it is good to know it is a possibility.