Multiple (ice) asteroids? (All Hail Mars)

[Sneak]

Hey, I'm trying to get my last achievement, the "All Hail Mars" one where you are supposed to capture 5 ice asteroids. I've tried 2 sandbox games and one campaign game. In all games the most I got was the initial ice asteroid and then one more appearing later.

In the latest game I've waited roughly 2 years for the 2nd ice asteroid to appear. I've kept the game running for 15 more years and nothing appeared, not even a 3rd methane asteroid (also only got 2 of those).

Does anyone know how to trigger these asteroids? Am I supposed to get 5 in one game? I must have at least 6 over all 3 saves.

[Sneak]

FYI the ingame knowledge base writes that an ice asteroid appears "every few years" and "making this project repeatable". For the methane asteroid it says it "every decade or so". If this feature is probability-based, I may just have bad luck. If the asteroid are supposed to be on schedule, this feature may actually bug bugged.

[Human]

I think it's random based on my anecdotal experience.

One game I got only one asteroid ice asteroid the whole game.

Another game I got two within what seemed like 10-15 min.

I've gotten the five asteroid achievement so I know it's possible, but I have no idea how to trigger them or if they're supposed to arrive at predetermined times. My recommendation would be to get the asteroid research as soon as possible and then just play the game normally while starting the space mission every time that it pops up; eventually you should get it.

[Sneak]

Thanks for the feedback. Some numbers so far:

13y 22m - I researched and crashed the first ice asteroid.
15y 23m - 2nd ice asteroid appeared and I crashed it.
32y 12m - 3rd ice asteroid appeared and I crashed it.

As of right now I'm at 50y 20m and still waiting for the fourth ice asteroid.

I also thought that it may be tied to the terraforming stages somehow. The first two asteroids appeared when I was in stage 1 and 2 respectively. I then purposefully went to stage 3 at 29y 5m and got the third asteroid 3y later. I entered stage 4 at 42y 10m, but have waited for roughly 8y now without another asteroid.

[Sneak]

FYI I now got all 5.

57y - 4th ice asteroid appeared and I crashed it. Shortly before that I went into Stage 5, so that may have had some impact.
62y - 5th ice asteroid appeared.

I only ever had 1 green gas asteroid - the one that you automatically get from researching the tech. I didn't research the nitrogen asteroid.

[MissDirect]

I'm also curious about ice asteroids - can you still get them to appear to aerobrake after you've reached the max water level? Thanks!

[HeXor]

@Sneak did you finish this in sandbox mode or in story mode?
I am in story mode in year 66 and can't remember any than the first story based ice asteroid to appear...

[HeXor]

I can confirm that it simply takes time and is rather random when the asteroids appear.
Here is my timeline

year	month	sol	event
14	04	04	Ice asteroid #1 (by research)
20	12	02	Ice asteroid #2
30	16	28	Methane asteroid
31	03	08	Terraforming Stage 3
38	16	22	Ice asteroid #3
41	17	18	Ice asteroid #4
48	14	08	Methane asteroid
63	22	26	Ice asteroid #5

It seems to be also random which type of asteroid appears, so its probably a good idea NOT to research the 3rd asteroid option (I didn't). You however are forced to research methane asteroids before ice asteroids, so you can't avoid that.

By raising the temperature a bit and getting first water I moved - unpurposely - to terraforming stage #2 and #3, but I don't think its necessary. Basically I played sandobx mode, rushed research for ice asteroid and then let the game run without doing much, apart from replacing depleted mines etc.

In my previous run in story mode I only got the one ice asteroid from research, probably got some methane ones etc. but it seems to be easiest in a dedicated speed run.

[All Thriller No Philler]

RNGesus is a fickle god...

[Angelmarauder]

I'm on year 83 and running at full speed waiting for the ice asteroids

[Sneak]

Originally posted by HeXor:

@Sneak did you finish this in sandbox mode or in story mode?
I am in story mode in year 66 and can't remember any than the first story based ice asteroid to appear...

i finished the achievement in sandbox mode