I haven't really played RimWorld since Alpha 15, so I might have missed an update where something like this was included, but...
Colonists should be aware if they do a good job at something.
The most basic way to do this would be a mood boost if they level up a skill, *especially* if it is a passion of theirs.
A more complex simulation of colonists feeling fulfilled by their work or creative output (and my "real idea" here) would be to simulate/quantify the difficulty of a certain thing (which is already in place to a certain degree with things like cooking requiring a minimum skill level), and also quantify the quality of work (which is also already done with certain tasks like crafting). If a colonist was successful at performing a difficult task (relative to their abilities), and they did a good job at it, they would get a nice mood boost. If a colonist did a bad job at an easy task, it would affect their mood negatively.
This would combine nicely with certain personality traits, for example:
"self-centered: thinks every job is done amazingly even if they do a bad job"
"perfectionist: most jobs are seen as bad, even if they are okay. is only happy if they do an impeccable job."
I'd like to see this implemented. Maybe something along the lines of "Protestant work ethic" could be added - a character would be satisfied after a hard day's work, and get's a mood bonus if tired, but only after working a lot.
Isn't it already in the game that a pawn with passion for a task gets joy from it? My passionare farmers are always running around with Tons o' Joy and I thought that was why...
Quote from: cplr on April 28, 2017, 06:03:26 PM
"self-centered: thinks every job is done amazingly even if they do a bad job"
"perfectionist: most jobs are seen as bad, even if they are okay. is only happy if they do an impeccable job."
In any case I love these traits. Self-centered (I'd call it "permanoob") might be a bit OP but still. :D
yeah that is true about the current mood boost.. but not entirely "realistic" from a human psychology standpoint. someone that loves cooking won't be happy if they screw up and make a bad dish. doing a "regular" cooking job probably still makes them happy, however, they're ecstatic when they push themselves and cook something extraordinary.
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/49/7f/bc/497fbc806dde295b73351bac1ca1fe6e.jpg) | Quote from: OFWG on April 28, 2017, 06:38:15 PM
Self-centered (I'd call it "permanoob") might be a bit OP but still. :D
Do colonists experience motivation in the form of prioritizing activities in their day according to needs? |
QuoteMost of Maslow's needs are simulated, except for self-satisfaction
I thought this thread was going to be about something else...
They get joy from doing work they're passionate about.
I like the OP's general idea. It would be more interactive for the player, as well as more immersive, for the colonists to be more encouraged/discouraged by their performance (based on their personality) than the randomness of something like the "feeling good/bad" moodlet.
Note: I'm not totally against the idea that a pawn just wakes up feeling good or bad on a given day. We've all had days like that. But the moodlet is too powerful, in my opinion, to just be a random effect on any given day. Something like the OP's suggesting would provide that kind of mood fluctuation on a more intuitive and rational basis and could be a good addition to the game. Especially if paired with a reduced magnitude "feeling good/bad" moodlet. So if your cook wakes up grumpy and then burns the meals s/he was making, it can have a serious impact on them. But if they wake up grumpy and then cook a masterpiece, their bad mood dissipates and they're all smiles because they know they did a fantastic job.
Quote from: cplr on April 28, 2017, 06:03:26 PM
This would combine nicely with certain personality traits, for example:
"self-centered: thinks every job is done amazingly even if they do a bad job"
"perfectionist: most jobs are seen as bad, even if they are okay. is only happy if they do an impeccable job."
Self centered: Global learning speed halved.
Perfectionist: Global Learning speed doubled.
Otherwise good idea a little boost if they do a good job. For example your passionate, but otherwise idiotic, tribal researcher discovers electricity. He made the breakthrough and gets a big mood buff. "YAY!!! I have something publishable!"
This could be cheesed though so you should only get a buff if you enjoy the job itself to prevent people using it like beer.
Quote from: Thane on May 01, 2017, 03:44:17 PM
This could be cheesed though so you should only get a buff if you enjoy the job itself to prevent people using it like beer.
totally agree with this, i was going to comment on this myself today. this feature really should only apply to passionate skills. to continue the cooking analogy i was making before, I personally am not passionate about cooking, so if I do a bad job it does not phase me (however if I do a great job cooking a dish that is hard for me to make, I am happy about it). People should only be unhappy with a bad job if they care about the job in the first place (especially if it's a strong passion!).
Maybe it shouldn't be so simple.
For example, for a person with protestant work ethic quality or quantity are not top priorities, but work itself, and how much time he invests in working, you know: " idle hands are the Devil's workshop". Also, this person will not involve his ego with outcome, so his happiness is not tied to outcome so much, as it is for a neurotic person or a perfectionist. Still, he learns his trade while working as well as the rest of us. Now I'm not a protestant, but I don't think all people with protestant beliefs would be described as self centered - even if for them it's okay to enjoy working if the outcome is not satisfying.