Sol One Dust Storm Guide: Surviving the Sky Going Brown
What dust storms do in Sol One, how to prepare the base, and what to do when one catches you in the field with a half-charged rover.
Mars does not have weather the way Earth does. It has events, and the big one is the dust storm: a wall of fine particles that cuts solar generation, drops visibility and turns a routine drive into a navigation problem. Sol One models this, and the game's own material describes storms reducing solar power and visibility. That is a short sentence with a long list of consequences.
This guide covers the storm as a base problem and as a field problem.
What a storm actually changes
Three effects are confirmed:
- Solar output falls. Your generation drops, possibly for hours.
- Visibility falls. Driving and walking become navigation challenges.
- The sky changes. The game models the Martian atmosphere, including the blue sunset; a storm is a visual event as much as a mechanical one.
Three more are reasonable design consequences you should plan for:
- Heat loss increases. Wind and dust pull heat out of structures.
- Equipment may need attention. Dust gets into things; whether panels need cleaning is a build detail.
- Rover travel slows. You do not want to be driving a new route in low visibility.
Everything else follows from the grid. If the base can idle through the storm with its critical loads, the storm is an inconvenience. If it cannot, the storm is a run-ending cascade.
Before the storm
Storm preparation is a checklist, and it is worth doing whenever the forecast or the sky suggests one is coming.
Base:
- Charge storage to full.
- Fill oxygen reserves and water tanks.
- Park the rover and connect it to the charger if the grid can spare it.
- Close every exterior door and check the airlock seals.
- Shut down non-essential fabrication.
- Move loose material inside or secure it.
Person:
- Suit tank full, spare tank in the suit room.
- Water and food for at least a day.
- One beacon or marker at the base, so you can find it in low visibility.
Plan:
- Decide which loads you will shed first.
- Decide whether you are staying in or going out, and stick to it.
The moment the sky browns is too late to charge. Keep storage above 80 percent as a standing habit during storm season, so a storm is a decision rather than an emergency.
During the storm
The base routine is deliberately boring:
- Shed non-essential load. Fabricator off, exterior lights off, comfort loads off.
- Keep oxygen and heat on. These are the two loads that must not be interrupted.
- Do not cycle the airlock unnecessarily. Every entry is a small atmosphere loss and a dust injection.
- Monitor the battery. If it is falling, shed more. The goal is to reach the other side of the storm with the critical systems still running.
- Use the time. Research, crafting from stock, planning the next build. A storm is free indoor time.
If the power fails anyway
If the grid cannot carry the storm:
- Prioritise oxygen over heat if you must choose, but understand that a cold habitat damages the base and the character.
- Seal off unused rooms. A smaller pressurized volume is a smaller load.
- Use the suit as a backup. It is a small, independent life-support system; do not be afraid to put it on inside.
- Do not start the fabricator to "fix" something. It is the first load you should have shed.
Caught in the field
This is the scenario that kills runs. The rules:
- Stop driving. A rover at speed in zero visibility is a wreck waiting to happen.
- Shelter in the cabin, keep the suit on. The cabin is protection from dust and wind, not a breathable habitat.
- Do not attempt an unfamiliar route. If you must move, follow a route you have already driven, using beacons.
- Conserve oxygen. Sit still, breathe slowly, and wait. The storm will pass.
- If you are on foot, dig in or find a windbreak. A rock outcrop or a shallow depression is better than open ground.
In low visibility, the last kilometre is the easiest place to get lost. The rover is shelter and it has a heater; the walk has neither.
After the storm
- Inspect the base. Seals, airlock, exterior equipment.
- Check generation. Solar output may be reduced until panels are cleaned, if cleaning is modelled.
- Recharge before you expand. Do not use the recovered power for a new build until storage is back above the reserve line.
- Log the event. If the storm exposed a weakness — a cold room, a tripping circuit — fix it before the next one.
Designing a storm-proof base
The design rules that make storms survivable:
- Generation mix, not solar alone. A second source is the single biggest improvement.
- Storage sized for a full night plus a storm margin.
- Critical loads on a separate circuit.
- A small pressurized volume. Every extra room is extra heat load.
- A rover bay or a sheltered parking spot. Dust and wind damage are easier to avoid than repair.
The power grid guide→ covers sizing; the base building guide→ covers the layout.
FAQ
How often do dust storms happen? The game models a dynamic Martian atmosphere; frequency is a build detail and may vary by region. Prepare as if one can happen any day.
Can a storm destroy the base? The confirmed effects are reduced solar output and visibility. Structural damage is not confirmed; the real risk is the power and heat cascade, not the wind tearing walls down.
Should I turn off the oxygen producer to save power? No. Oxygen is the load you protect. Shed the fabricator, the lights and the comfort loads first.
Can I drive through a storm? You can try, but low visibility makes it a bad idea. Shelter and wait; the rover is a better shelter than a gamble.
Do storms affect autonomous rovers? Likely, in the same way they affect you. Do not task a rover with a long route when a storm is coming.