Progress continues!

Posted January 28th, 2016 by Tynan Sylvester

Everything is rolling forward smoothly just as it was described in the last blog post. I’m working reduced time, keeping up with website, PR, paperwork and legal essentials, while writing designs. Piotr is working full time, slamming those designsΒ into the game and refining the technicals.

Things are progressing as fast as they ever have, so the next alpha will be the biggest jump in features you’ve seen by far.

Here is a quick overview of some stuff that’s been added:

  • Colonist family and social relationship system.
    • Brothers, sisters, parents, children, aunts, uncles and so on are all randomly generated. So e.g. your colonist’s brother can appear as a refugee (or a raider!)
    • Colonists develop lover relationships – and break them off.
    • People have opinions of each other which change with circumstances (e.g. you botched my surgery and cut my eye out – I hate you! Or, you’re my brother – I love you!).
    • Social interactions play out different ways with different effects, depending on who is communicating and what they think of each other.
    • People can have “social fights” from social interactions gone wrong.
    • Marriages with ceremonies. Divorces. Love and heartbreak.
    • Multi-person beds.
    • Social bonds with animals.
    • Tons more in this system. But no kids (yet – that’s a whole other ball of wax).
  • People who leave the map while traveling, fleeing, being kidnapped, etc. can come back later as raiders, visitors, joiners, etc.
  • New diseases with new mechanics.
    • Carcinoma (on any body part).
    • Fibrous mechanites, sensory mechanites.
    • Gut worms.
    • Muscle parasites.
    • Trauma savant.
    • Asthma.
  • New “firefoam popper” provides a way to combat fire besides punching it.
  • Prison breaks. Prisoners pick the locks, get out, seek weapons and work as a group to escape.
  • Tons of other over and under-the-hood improvements.

Can’t wait to get it to you guys. I’ll be back in March. (edit: I’m not sure when the alpha will actually be finished. It could be after March – just to be clear).

98 Responses to “Progress continues!”

  1. Tanis

    Cool! Looking forward to the new content! I’ve been looking at this page every other day or so, hoping for some news πŸ˜€

  2. Serphilith

    This wil be nice! I cant remember if I already asked this, but what was it again and this game not getting Z-levels like DF? Engine problems or something? Cause the only reason I play DF more then this is because of the total space I get in a level, it’s just to small…

    Thanks for making this game, I’ll keep recommending this to my friends until they all buy it!


  3. “Social bonds with animals.” does that include “love” bonds with animals? 😐 Those would be some weird traits to add! I recall seeing such a trait in before traits did anything. πŸ˜›

    With adding so many new traits into the game, 3 traits may not be enough anymore, I think you need to expand the default to fit up to 5 traits or make a special “trait” area that holds two character defining traits such as a sexual orientation and another trait for socializing that defines a personality type so that EVERY character will have a social trait that impacts their ability to interact with other characters in the game.

    I’m hoping that this relationship system of yours includes all types of relationships out there, gay/lesbian, polyamory, and of course monogamy. Sorry, I couldn’t quite get a full list of all the possibilities out there. πŸ˜› This’ll certainly make that relationship mod I’ve been using useless. Of course it doesn’t appear to do anything anyway…

    Another thing I’m hoping for is that you open the game up further, allowing more of the core to be modded. Allowing us to change the days per month/year, length of days, if an item scatters (like Hay) without needing DLLs, and a few other things that were discussed in the Rimworld Modding Talk Slack in the past.

    As always, I will keep providing my input, thoughts, suggestions, bug reports and anything else I can think of! I’ve provided more support and suggestions to this game than any other out there, mainly because this one has a developer that actually listens and talks back. Where as on the other game I was passionate about, Space Engineers, they simply ignore you and couldn’t care less what you have to say. :/

  4. wbonx

    I still think after so many months would be good to release a new alpha with some of the changes already made.

  5. Thelonghoff

    Any general idea when this huge update is coming out?

  6. Prism

    Been obsessively checking this page for news for weeks, so excited! I’ve wanted relationships in game for so long. I would like to request all the traits you can think of no matter how silly, crates for compact storage, and windows for some natural light.
    Also if you do ever get around to adding kids in the distant future, please please please allow us to make them work! My organ harvesting, cannibal colonies would love a child labor force. Even if it’s just cleaning and hauling.

  7. Skade

    Been looking for news everyday for weeks, and checked this morning, went to ask some of the community modelers some questions and BAM news! πŸ˜€

    Anyways super looking forward to an update… And totally bummed it’ll be coming out when I start my studies again where I won’t have to time to check it out properly but that’s life in a nutshell unfortunately.

    Hoping to get more animal content since my colonies always end up with a small army of them, and I have dreams of an army trained squadron of wargs and other dogs πŸ˜›
    Social interactions sounds like a very nice new element to play around with.

  8. Andy_Dandy

    When it comes to the former posters idea of making up to 5 traits per colonist. I’d rather see a possibility of new traits being gained during the game time, based on things the characters are experiencing.

  9. zerggodmaster

    oh lord when kids come out i wonder what the mechanics would look like then. like the mother would take care of them and the kid can’t do anything, and possibly able to sell the kids or buy them so many possibilities


  10. YAY!

    Thanks Tynan

  11. Mossy piglet

    The hype is on. These new features sound juicy.


  12. Sweet! Looking forward for that update! πŸ˜€

  13. Regret

    Thanks mate, sounds good.
    I’m especially loving the additions that make the ecology more complex/interesting!

  14. Cappy

    Just one suggestion, a trait that flips cabin fever around, so if they are outside too long, they get a mood loss, and no mood loss for being underground or inside for a long time

  15. Dave B.

    Thanks so much can’t wait!!

  16. Thriorion

    Will colonists form romantic relationships entirely on their own, or can they be impacted by the player? Also, will pawns have some form of sexuality (i.e., straight/gay/bi) that will determine who they seek as a partner? Or will it be some kind of common traits system wherein people who have more in common are more likely to form a relationship? I understand if you can’t answer these questions now, but I am really looking forward to seeing these updates!

  17. Thriorion

    @Cappy – I really like your suggestion! May I add to it and suggest that this trait be called Agoraphobia? It is the fear of large, open spaces after all, and most agoraphobics tend to stay indoors as much as possible.

  18. Zachary Long

    Awesome! checking this page everyday!

  19. MarvinKosh

    Yes! Awesome! πŸ˜€

    I really like that pawns who are kidnapped might show up again at some point. It means that they don’t just vanish forever!

    But also… I think this also implies that raider pawns who gained a permanent injury and left the map by some means might show up again to exact their revenge. True, they might be some way behind the rest of the group because alas, they had to get their leg amputated due to infection, but them’s the breaks. πŸ˜‰

  20. Andrew "Sorry for my english" Kleiner

    I really want you to add to the game an opportunity to build windows.

  21. BloodRaven

    Any idea when this update will come? This is so exciting!

    Also if prisoners can escape can we get the ability to make stun batons? Or have the ability to use nonlethal melee weapons?

    And finally, a tutorial level where you build a character that has special bonuses imparted on your colony, I’ll put this in the ideas area of the forums.

  22. Alex

    @BloodRaven exactly, been wanting a good tazer for a while. Man I’m not going to be able to just toss them in a box in the yard anymore.

    AWESOME update tho! Can’t wait!

  23. Alex

    Also, for the kids when they come, maybe a genetic reproduction machine? Something like, mom+dad “conceive” and then they have the option to either carry it naturally or have a surgeon extract it and then grow it in a machine. Except maybe a little less birth-defect sounding.

  24. Belgarion

    So i had some ideas for rimworld, i’ll just publish a resumed version right now and maybe a complete version later, so here it is

    -kids
    -teaching
    -real slaves
    -water
    -better traits
    -better task management
    -better weapon management (ammo, better aiming, ability to change form to shoot to kill to shoot to immobilize or to disarm)
    -other energy options
    -trading with other colonies/tribes
    -interaction with other colonies made on a same planets

  25. Zloyaman

    I hope you also will add a pitch darkness at night.

  26. thestalkinghead

    awesome, it sound like you’re adding another layer on the onion.

    more complexity and flavor adds to the “fun”

  27. FisherEx

    Pitch darkness sounds good

  28. Heavylink

    Hi,

    I’ve been looking into this game ever since i saw a couple of gameplay video’s on Youtube.
    The only thing that been holding me back for buying it is that its not accessible on steam. I have read a couple of news articles that its not easy launching it on Steam.

    I wanted to let you know that GOG.com is also launching a “games in development” portal.

    Might want to check πŸ˜‰

  29. Enrico

    Hi, to be honest that’s not what I’d have liked to see. All interesting additions don’t misunderstood me, but all this energy and development time could have been a better and more interesting endgame, or a refined commerce, or a refined realtion system (with allies\enemies groups)

  30. Sammi

    Well done lads. Cheers and all that! Can’t wait for all this. Best of luck and thanks bringing this game to the next level. #RimWorldAddict

  31. Lucas

    Be careful with kids and please don’t pull any punches. This game can be harsh and brutal where a single scratch can lead to a fatal infection unless that was from the mods I have.
    If you make it so kids can’t die then in all the same ways it can really take a person out of the experience and would be very weird to see in this game.

    Also add something like replicators that eat metals and reproduce. That would be fun.


  32. allright aslong a you dd kids ill be happy.
    you see,rimworld is a harsh place.imagine this story:

    a women with her 2 year old childare survive in the barren wasteland of the planet aguitus69a’

    cool right?

    anyway,i love the new sims like social interactions an stuff.really cool

  33. Just sain

    If you will ever add kids into game you could make raiders try to rape/try to kidnapp colonists women. It will make players more carrying for defense πŸ˜‰ i know it could be quite brutal even for this game but i bet in reality raiders would do that.

    Anyway i can’t wait for this update. And let rimworld be on steam πŸ˜€


  34. Damn! This game is turning to be the best one in fucking existence. And thank god for not using the Steam Early access bullshit, i think that system is cursed! Lol.
    Anyway, i`ve been on this website every week waiting for some news. But this is freaking christmas. When this game releases it will take the freaking pc gaming community by storm.
    One question also: Is it planned for some kind of interaction between player bases, i don`t mean full multiplayer, as i know it is too hard to do it, but maybe a market or something. Anyway i know i am asking too much. the game is freaking awesome already.


  35. also…
    ‘I’ll be back in March.’
    you’ve been vacationing for like 8 months now.. πŸ˜€

  36. isis

    Looking interesting and tasty πŸ˜›
    That’s gonna add depth and more life to colony, which is a good place to start relationship events of all sorts!

    Eager to see such big game changes running on unity πŸ™‚

  37. JKTD1919

    So does this mean we’re going to have quadruple the content AND quadruple the hotfixes? πŸ˜›

    #ComingSoon to a computer near you, #RimworldAlpha13q

  38. JKTD1919

    I love this game so much, running a survival tabletop in this universe, using a modified d20 Modern+Future+Pathfinder system. (Pathfinder for Tribals, Bronze Age, and Iron Age characters, Modern and Future for starting PCs.)

  39. JKTD1919

    And Pathfinder for Medievals and Renaissance characters as well, forgot to mention.

  40. Capitan83es

    HYPE!

    I really need this one, so get it out soon!

    If you don’t mind,

    I feel like “Kids” has too many implications (you want kids to work? to play? to give an aura negative or positive, if you like or not kids…?) and… I don’t really thing most kids will survive the necessary to grow to adult… Damn, I usually kill my first mascot when in Full Ice scenario so food last longer, hope to God (developers) I don’t have to make that kind of decision with a kid… (tears)

    On “Z axis”… Nah. It doesn’t make sense for me. I can imagine that, but the main and most recognizable characteristic on this game, for me, is you have it all there, at all times. The idea of having to look for my people (yeah, my people!) all around downstairs…) Nah.

    But, there is a couple of ideas I read here that look nice, in particular the “wall-windows” one, that could allow natural light to substitute some bulbs,(at a cost on resistance or so…), maybe if open heat equalizes and let’s you shot from behind with a defense bonus.

    As request for developers or modders, please add something to entertain people on a hospital bed. It’s my first mortality cause,… they get bored, cabin fever, start hitting my people, and when half of them finish of the hospital, and epidemic starts… or at least having some kind of “induced coma” so they can recover without stasis (at the expense of medicine…)

    Anyway, I need the new version in a few days or I’ll have the same illness… (Keep working, boys! It’s a health issue!!!)

  41. Heavylink

    -Capitan83es-

    Maybe they could let ppl watch tv from a bed?

  42. sorry for my english

    IT IS A GREAT GAME THAT I LOVE YOU BUT UNFORTUNATELY NOT TRANSLATED IN ALL THE ITALIAN AND SOME THINGS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE AND THEREFORE CAN NOT COMPLETELY savor THIS GREAT GAME . HOPE IN THE FUTURE UPDATE TO A FULL VERSION IN ITALIAN . I continue to recommend ALL GAME .

  43. Árni Þór

    I have to ask why? I’m just concerned that the game is falling into a crowd-founding black hole where the ‘definition of done’ is constantly being changed or expanded upon. Where the game is in an indefinite Alpha stage.
    I am all for expanding the game, but if the game itself is relatively undefined than what is the point?
    Is it a survival game where you are stranded on a random planet and need to escape it, or a scifi colony simulator?
    It would make more sense if the primary game mechanic is to escape-the-planet type game where you can then add to the complexity later.
    Having a game that has an end goal but that goal hasn’t been designed properly is going to make the player feel disappointed with the whole experience when the player reaches that goal, and something that was suppose to feel like an accomplishment is just going to taint the overall experience.
    Also the game is going to eventually loose its Alpha stage charm, and you want that to happen before you reach all your available market but not before.

    In short, make sure the project is well defined, otherwise you will probably be developing this game for the next 10 years, with diminishing returns.


  44. hey what about adding dysentery??
    you know..
    “you have died of dysentery”
    haha…
    ha..
    please add it xD

  45. Mike

    Sweet, I would like to see an increase of people who want to join. I get three people and visitors but if I touch any of them they attack me. SO it would be nice if social brings more frequency of people arriving.

    Event Idea

    Crate falls from space you have 5 minutes to open the crate or the dog inside dies? Something like that.

  46. Catalyx

    I wonder how the cryogenic age would affect the spawning of child relations. Say I had a character that was 30 biologically, and 1000 chronologically, would the character have greatx10 grandchildren spawning? Would the children’s chronological age be reasonable compared to the character? Will we come across the situation where we have a child which is 50 compared to their 30 year old parent, because of the difference chronologically? Very excited to see the new update.

  47. CommunistVictory

    This sounds like a great update, I was getting kind of tired of just pretending my colonists had social relationships. Will there be a sexuality trait? I don’t want to model a colonist on myself and then him being gay because of a random calculation. I don’t necessarily want to control the relationships, but it is good to have the capacity to choose the sexuality of your initial characters.

    I usually use the mod that allows you to customize your starting pawns, I can’t remember what it is called, but a similar system where you get to customize your pawns based on limited credits would be great.

    Also, I can’t for my colonists to be able to reproduce! Well, that was something I never thought I would say. Anyway I hope we get that possibility within the next months, as I think a lot of us have been waiting for fully sustainable colonies for a long time now.

    One suggestion though, if possible, could you make signs or sculptures that we can rename to “welcome to our town” or in “memory of (colonist name)”, because I don’t like the religious implications or the space wasting of burials, but I do want to keep the memory of my deceased colonists after I have cremated them.

    Looking foward to the update!

  48. badmage

    will you add traveling between squares on the world map at some point? Such as raiding the raiders base or will the game be strictly set in the map square you pick and only that square, because I feel that exploration outside of the square you pick would be amazing or exploration of any kind for that matter i’m just a bit sick of being stuck to the square you choose for the whole game.

  49. Erick

    my account seems have been deleted so i cant update my game is anyone else having this problem? I purchased the game so i have no clue what is going on would appreciate some help.

  50. Adrian

    Will this game be launched on Steam? And if yes, if I buy this game now, will I be able to have the game on Steam for free?

  51. Oh Yes

    I’ve been waiting so long for news! These updates sound great.

    Will anything be added to the “Spacer” faction? If you heal an escape pod survivor and then release them, they will exit the map and improve Spacer relations. Right now the faction doesn’t do anything.

    Looking forward to the alpha. Keep up the good work!

  52. Vagabond

    Haha. I told you so.

    Awesome feature list.


  53. CANT WAIT FOR THE SENDOWL TO LAND IN MY MAILBOX!!!
    xd

  54. Gorzhak

    Will Insect hives add layering to the world? What I mean is, will you be able to enter said underground hives? If so, would this open for a more Dwarf Fortress take, where you can make deep mines, multi-story buildings, etc.

  55. Comlink

    An excellent update! Given the quality of the past updates, I’m actually allowing myself to get a little excited!

    I am constantly reminded of why I spent money on this game. I don’t see this much content being added in any other game I’ve followed. Rimworld sucks up days at a time (binge play until I hate hearing “bwoomp”) and it looks like that is a trend that shall continue.

  56. Jouki

    oh I can’t wait for that terrible situation when one of your colonist will have to kill his own brother, it will affect his mood (closer to mental treshold) πŸ™‚

  57. FalconGrey

    March you say? Timing this major update with your return and my birthday? Tynan, how thoughtful to think of my birthday!

    πŸ˜€

  58. D B

    Well it’s nice to see that things are moving!

    Have you considered extending the ‘psychic phenomenon’ aspect of the game into useful attributes for characters that have the highest sensitivities? Kind of like a colony counselor or something?

    Or being able to remotely make attacking enemies confused might be amusing.. Seeing a raider freak out and shoot at giant spiders only he can see would be fun.

  59. that guy

    how do the update the game

  60. Reese

    I just wanted to say, I love this game and I hope to see a lot more from it. (I hope the update comes out soon) Great work!

  61. Over it

    You are becoming the new Peter Molyneux. Promise the world then deliver half and fuck off for half a year. What a bullshit length vacation.

  62. Mossy piglet

    Shut up over it


  63. Over it,just shut up and get over it

  64. Chris

    These are the features I’ve been waiting for since the first alpha.

  65. Dave

    Wow guys calm down. He’s taking his time to make a quality product. Some of us don’t want a rush job.

  66. Vinny

    Shut up Over It he is taking his time, let him be he is on Vacation! I like to see you try to make a game better than this!

  67. Od

    while im quite enjoying all of this content, I have to agree that it is quite a lot of content for what time it takes on average to leave, unless you don’t try to leave and treat it as a sci fi colony sim. if this much content is going to be added, perhaps add different goals, or make the current goals harder? I just cant justify starting a family, putting carpets all over my base, having a 3 stage prison, farms, armory, massive trade system, hotel sized residential area, and 100 other things when making a ship takes half of the effort. if the motives of the colonists are to leave, why is there so much content around not leaving? just my two cents.

  68. JYATY

    I agree with Od, maybe a better story would help? Like instead of a cruise line, the colonists are sent to colonise the Rimworld, only to crash land? Leaving them with the choice of either sticking to the mission of colonisation or trying to escape. Just what i think.

  69. TommyTwoTime

    Hell of a long ass vacation

  70. Mossy piglet

    Tommy two time, next time you make a great game like this with a few people and no breaks let me know.

  71. Artist

    Is it March already?


  72. no,its february.sorry

  73. _jakub

    March of next year when hes done with his vacation

  74. H

    Super excited to hear the news! I’ve been looking forward for an update for a while and to hear that it’s coming in March is really cool! Keep up the good work

  75. jebacz

    Nie mogΔ™ siΔ™ doczekaΔ‡. πŸ™‚


  76. haha i like how someone deleted the comments

  77. Eronos

    You’re doing a great job and you’re enjoying a well deserved vacation. can’t wait for the new content!

  78. Ichigo

    I can wait till the new stuff i love to see youtubers and streamers play this game.

  79. Artist

    Is it March… now?


  80. Hey all, just to clarify, I’m returning in March. That doesn’t necessarily mean the alpha will be out in March. It could take a bit longer to stabilize considering its size.

  81. Big Spenda

    Hey guys, just checking in to let you know I’m enjoying spending all your $. I hope you’re enjoying my unfinished product, no more updates for you guys til I get back from spending more of that cash! Suckers! Keep making mods, I’ll take the best stuff and just add it to my game later.

    4 weeks a year is what 99% of the people here who slave away get in holidays, I love taking a break mid project though for 6 months. Feels good to shit on everyone!

  82. Wolf

    I was wanting to make a mod, mainly to learn how to code, but it was going to be pretty much what you are doing with colonists relationships. Something I wanted to add was differing sexual orientations, from asexual to pan, and also was hoping to throw in transgender and transsexual colonists, where that would also play into mood traits. It would be interesting if some colonists had a trait where they don’t like the idea of un-standard marriages or couples, and get a negative thought if there were same sex couples. Looks like a huge update, and enjoy your time away from staring at strings of code trying to find that one error.

  83. Serius Black

    I want to play this patch RIGHT NOW!

    “Just wait a little longer.”

    I DID MY WAITING!
    … 8 MONTHS OF IT!
    IN AZKABAN!

  84. Lol

    “Wow”.. /s

  85. Od

    I agree with Jyaty, a story backround like that would indeed ad the logic behind the way 90% of us choose not to leave the planet.but even if the game didn’t go with that route, it seriously needs something to make as i stated earlier, turning an emergency base into a long term home, seem reasonable considering we can just leave planet in a few weeks considering all the research needed to win is shipbuilding related, then build a ship, and make spacedust. heck add a few days and you could line it with carpet too. jokes aside, please don’t ignore the massive imbalance between objectives and things to do on the side.

  86. Kenneth Presto

    I believe all these things are great but you need to implement more population because with all the stuff present it gets harder to maintain and harder to enjoy the luxuries of the game. I definitely believe there should be a sort of “slave labor” where the prisoners are more useful (i.e. used to haul things). I dont know but it would be fun to see prisoners doing something rather than just walking around. I suggest that there should be some torture methods of prisoners. Sorry for my harsh ideas and I dont mean to offend anyone but the game is for entertainment and I just thought it would be fun to implement some torture to the prisoners.

  87. Tatte

    So excited, the last patch I get to play before the army! And I KNOW it’s gonna be good! Keep up the AMAZING worke everyone! πŸ˜€

  88. Dafo

    This is some exciting stuff, really looking forward for the next alpha πŸ™‚
    The firefoam popper is an amazing idea, i hate how everyone would just run off their duty to punch fire -.- and it takes too long to punch the fire if you dont have many people

  89. tio tengry

    I would like to see the water system where settler must drink to survive, in addition to seeing more races present as insectoid and reptilian.

  90. Beathrus

    Does anyone read this… and know, just know if the update or a new post isn’t made on the 1st of March, you will be just a weeeee bit upset?

  91. aalikane

    Being able to raid other bases…. kidnap others would be nice. Quests maybe into the ‘other squares’ so that there’s more to do? I love this game, but at a certain point… there’s really nothing else to do besides grow food, fight raiders, trade, and do it all over again. I need more to do…… Quests to kidnap raiders, steal tech from other tribes, steal resources from other tribes, make resources a bit harder to come by so you have to be a bit more thrifty…

    Something to enhance gameplay so that I don’t get bored and want to start a new base every year or so of gameplay…

  92. Od

    Actually Baethrus, considering the size of the dev team (i mean really, now.) I’m glad Ty is cooling his heels, if he jumps just because we say so, that would make bland repeat generic filler material updates that everyone would complain about. look at it this way: a game (withholding title as I’m not sure what they call advertisement) is coming out on steam in a few days that went indev in 1992. that is what going slow is. if Ty took a day off the comment section would be nothing but whining. be real.

  93. Kevin

    It’s best to take as much time as you need to develop each point to ensure it’s not a buggy mess. This game over all has been amazing. The vanilla as well as modded versions are enjoyable not only casually but as well as being as hardcore as you can get.

    Keep up the good work guys.

  94. Dan

    The one thing I would like more than anything is to be able to move from one biome to another, even just as an expedition. I always find it difficult to chose a biome to stick to for an entire playthrough.

    Very excited for the next update, this game is fast becoming the best colony/base building game ever!

    Thanks!

  95. Beathrus

    Od, I more meant along the lines of a post saying ‘Hey, I’m back now.’ Sorta a return greeting, maybe a video show casing the changes in test. I don’t expect the actual update on March 1st. But a ‘hello’ would be nice. o.o

  96. luspen0909

    hey when do I get new copies on the site I wana play the game I have been needed to reinstal my computer so I dont have any copies left

  97. david

    sounds good really looking forward to the new stuff coming please keep up the great work!
    has there been any work on putting rimworld on steam?

  98. TwerkBubble

    Sounds legit, pretty legit. Keep up the good work!