Events: CrabGatorClams, Seductive Rafflesia, Pouncing, Howling, MechTornados,etc

[Skytherim]

PROPOSAL:
6 flavourful risk/reward events that make better use of vanilla mechanics.

OVERVIEW:
1)Amphibious giant crab-gators that tempt you with a glowing pearl.
2)Man-eating rafflesia
3)Howling animals
4)"pounce/jump jet" mechanic
5)Mechanoids siege (etc) that summon tornadoes (or sunbeams)
6)1-year colonists - Cultural exchange of wards/peace-hostages (educate a leader's children for peace and $ - or suffer the consequences).

EVENTS (design):
1) Amphibious Crab-Gators-Clams that tempt you with a glowing pearl (water event):
After a dozen alphas, rimworld is becoming less lethal. Perhaps those boring shorelines/waterways shouldn't make for wonderful resort mega-projects - but have Giant Pincers and Razored Maws chomp off Blitz' leg to make Tynan smile - or maybe alpha beavers that swim (or get a water movement buff, seriously...). An event should spawn them on a water tile (like how bugs pop up from drilling). Maybe they can stay still/invisible like the vampires/spooky creatures from Jecrell's mods - with only occasional slow wandering (indicated only by the water effects). Basically, the water isn't dangerous enough - since no one drowns. Maybe a giant clam with a priceless-glowing pearl (that makes beautiful 0-watt lamps) can spawn - it also has CLAWS AND A MAW. Perhaps building bridges can trigger these "friends." QED: Risk + reward = fun.

2) Man eating Rafflesia that bait you with ambrosia (killer plant event):
Don't like the smell? Think it's ugly? The jungle should kill haters. That flower should have a chance to spawn a stationary creature that bites off Blitz's leg, sprays acid on Bowman's eyes or seduces your lover with - ahem - spores (puts them to sleep, etc). Think of it like a living land-mine with petals - or maybe it should spawn ambrosia/gold/cheese as a human-sized rat-trap. Regardless, my boy-scout training tells me plants have defense mechanisms like "if job_driver_cut, than Hediff_itchy_pelvis." Finally, there is a reason to burn it all down! or incorporate it into defense! QED: Risk + reward = fun.

3) Hunters howl (pack event):
That injured wolf should act like a wolf. It should come back and kill you with its mates. It's just like those losers at the bar, except with bigger friends. A "Howl" event should trigger a delayed event where a pack of manhunters might come. I think boomalopes/boomrates should also act like this - despite being herbivores, they are territorial (for mating reasons). Scythers/lancers should also do this (psychic cry?) - big bro centipede will teach those bullies a lesson. This gives an incentive to kill things quickly/cleanly to reduce repercussions - or you can torture that cougar until her friends come (yes, another bar reference). Finally rimworld can RP Vasily Zaytsev and going to a university bar next to the royal military academy. QED: risk + reward = fun.

4) "Pounce" mechanic:
Animals (or "jump jets") should grant a small "pounce" - 2-3 tiles dash (or 1 sec speed boost). This makes close combat creatures like wargs, panthers, scythers and the rabbit of Caerbannog exceptionally dangerous since shooters have to run sooner. The ability should have a long cooldown (60secs) - it starts engagements and chases people down. Pawns with "jump jets" (a torso armour from drop-pod tech) should have minimal protection outside a shield belt, but this will allow people to RP their favourite sci-fi blade-runner/police-cyborgs and make battlefields more dynamic. Maybe the item should have a toggle for players (so they can dash to cover - or get in that door just in time to sync with the doom rocket blowing up the fuel-depot/armoury)? QED: fun = risk + reward. Maybe a warg should have jump jets for legs?

5) Weather/sun-lazOr/orbital striking centipede-wizard (Mechanoid siege event):
Foolish fleshbags: machine learning = mechanoid siege. Special mechanoid has orbital targetter. [extended] Countdown engaged. QED: risk + reward = fun. This makes those tornados less arbitrary than before - but still a risk that can be managed with firepower and tactics. Maybe a late game tribal shaman can have orbital targetters too? It's a shame to only give the player such godly powers.... Alternatively, maybe the tornado will be triggered from an outpost in 3 days? This would force the player to drop-pod or hastily caravan to save themselves. Or players can run-away. By extension, if outpost offered negative effects, maybe they can threaten you with toxic fallout or regular psychic attacks? Getting threatened (and having a means to deal with it) is Fun. Also, everyone loves killing artillery spotters (damned spies).

6) Cultural guests/peace-hostage event (like medieval/ancient lords exchanging children/wards for education and inbreeding):
This is likely the most complicated to code. A faction sends you a member to "learn your ways." You gain control of them for a year as a colonist - and there is a quest to return them after a year by caravan. If you accept them, you get paid a little silver and a monthly stipend. When they return home, increases to the pawn's market value will result in a reward equal to their abilities (if negative, than no reward). Faction relations should improve or decrease too. The event triggers as a peace offering (hostage) or regularly for allies. This allows you to roleplay as those technologically advanced star-people who colonized a "new world" - and trade-loving aboriginals learning to use guns, germs and steel. Cultural exchange is great! As long as that Medieval lordling wasn't sold to slavery or harvested. Installing a golden eye should be somewhat okay if it increases their worth/status; it's bling, yo. To spice up this "cultural exchange" maybe the guest-tribal could have carcinoma (we star-people have glitterworld meds!), maybe they can bring the plague (cause filthy tribals don't have a plumbing mod) - or maybe he has a peg-leg, bionic eye, 19 shooting and a charge rifle? Did I mention, declining these "guests" is a small insult to a faction? Choose wisely - they are always the child of a faction leader. Make sure they don't get harvested too much. Maybe they are a beautiful abrasive cannibal who marries your colonists? QED: inter-faction love stories = fun. Drama = fun. Maybe they are a useless artist who is afraid of fire, guns and manual labour? Diplomacy/hospitality is FUN. Oh, and if they die in your care - well, maybe they declare war on you. If they live though, maybe they'll come to your rescue one day with that flak jacket, shotgun and smokeleaf addiction you gave them - and a pack of tribals. All in all, this should spice up the game given how easily it is to select good recruits from prisoners (that interview process favours the company too much - its time the colony gets dumped bad interns). FUN.

CONCLUSION:
Do these exist? No - cause I can't code very well. I'm just a useless 'designer,' artist and xml-man. Tomorrow I'll be skinned for meat and human-leather. Please make good use of my pathetic design ideas oh lords of code. May my flesh nourish your endeavors and my skin warm your cold hearts. Please sell my art to tribals. Unless you're a benevolent coder - maybe we can partner to make it happen?
-- Happy coding! --

Disclaimer - I am a long-time forum lurker, I can only mod xml and I have full-time responsibilites - so anyone is welcome to run with these ideas (albeit getting some credit for design would be appreciated). Also, this is my first forum post, please forgive my filthy Canadian English. As for experience, I played frequently up to B19 but not 1.0 much given the mod tuning every time the code gets changed.... Happy modding - and thank you everyone for the great collective drama that is Rimworld.

[Skytherim]

RESERVED-