First I need to say I love Rimworld. It is a really great game, and it's much better then the most games from big companies.
But I have trouble to cope with this Alpha 9.
There are much more restrictions. For example the fertilizer pump was removed, mortars need ammo now, the durability levels etc.
It becomes more realistic on the one hand, but on the other the game becomes even more harder (and I'm playing Cassandra Classic on 30% - that's really painful).
I think, when the game gets more complex on the one hand, there should be things that makes the game a bit more comfortable for players, who don't want to play the game even with 30% on Cassandra Classic like it is the hardcore mode.
Animal breeding for example. I am waiting a long, long time for it.
How can I cook complex meals, when there is not enough meat in the world?
It would be nice, if I could produce weapons, armor etc. Traders are really rare and since Alpha 9 the prices are really unbalanced. It is really expensive to buy something and when I sell something, I only get a few cents...
Beer is nice to have, but not really something, that I need to survive (if I was a colony leader on a planet, where everyone is my enemy, alcohol is the last, what my colonists are allowed to drink. Drunken soldiers, and the enemy attacks? I want to have elite soldiers, not drunken, alcohol addicted, fat bumkins)...
There are mods that allow you to produce weapons and armour (https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=10862.0). There is a mod that allows you to perform maintenance on equipment (https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=10908.0). I don't know of an animal breeding mod off the top of my head, TTM was the last I know to have it (and the only one to have it, to my knowledge). However, I'm sure it's part of the base game to have new herds of larger biome-specific animals enter the map when animal populations run critically low. Then again, it might have just been the mods I played with at the time. There were always camels (dromedaries) in various states of decay on the several year long desert map I played, long after I had given up hunting them and resorted to making everyone a vegan.
I play on CC 30% most of the time and have had few issues difficulty-wise so far. Requiring shells for artillery makes sense, but I wish mortars were more accurate in general. Fertilizer pumps needed to be removed to prevent turning stone into dirt (removing the need for hydroponics in mountain bases), but I think a way to remove mud and marsh should be added to leave the legitimate uses (like removing an annoying 3 or 4 tile large obstruction in the middle of your base).
There's LOTS of meat in the world unless you're running a colony larger than the game is intended to support. You could feed a colony of ~20 in a temperate map with the number of herds provided- with fewer, hunting all of that would give you enough surplus to sell meals in addition to giving the luxury of lavish meals.
I do think traders should come more often, particularly later in the game. (Whether they actually come less often in late-game, or whether I have need of them more often by then, I don't know.) The high buying prices are probably a stopgap due to the copious amounts of equipment and apparel you get from raids currently; the economy in general needs more balancing. Considering we're still in alpha and there's potentially a lot that could end up influencing the economy later, however, I'm not sure how soon we should expect this.
I personally don't think armor or weapons need to be craftable. You can already get them from raiders, and art, crafting, or cooking could all bring in the money needed to buy them for your whole colony- and relatively early too if you prioritize it over stuff like bionics and neurotrainers. Also, concerning armor, you can craft clothing made of devilstrand (which you can grow) which works nearly as well as armor if all of the colonist's clothing is made out of it.
Beer is pretty pointless at this point. I would consider it a late-game luxury at best.
I have never run out of meat on a map.... just have to hunt what is there. Eat everything except humans.
The smithing bench allows you to craft weapons, range and melee... and the gladius is a potent weapon, at the hands of your physcopath. Look at the damage a long bow does, compare to a pistol.
s survivel rifle does 18 damage with a range of 32
A great bow does 18 damage with a range of 24
a pila, does 30 damage with a range of 20
a pistol does 9 damage with a range of 24
a gladius does 10 damage
I started with alpha 9, so I don't miss the fertilizer pump, which from what I have read was severely unbalance.
As for beer, it is a great item after the first year has passed. Just create a bear garden, where you look in the binger, and sell the beer to the bulk goods trader.
Now if I could hand a beer to the passing tribes, we could all just get along.
I think you're overlooking several important changes in alpha 9 that made the game much easier in some aspects.
Beer was ultimately a minor addition in alpha 9, but it introduced other great sub-features like ignoring forbidden status and stack graphics. It helps to prevent mental breaks when colonists are stressed, and helps them ignore pain. I love it; other than moving them away from whatever was upsetting them, there wasn't much to counteract colonists stress before that.
If you look at the changelog when beer was added, just as many changes were made to soften the effect of mental breaks, which used to be a huge issue. It's just a shifting of the difficulty. Some alphas are more difficult than others.
You can now produce artillery shells at the machining table, one feature that makes things much easier.
I have been waiting since at least alpha 2 for leisure activities/objects to be added (back when we were working on E-Furniture). Something that stops colonists from being work drones 24/7. A year later I'm celebrating. We might get animal husbandry eventually, just be patient, it will be a huge task.
Quote from: Jan2607 on April 04, 2015, 06:59:44 PM
It is really expensive to buy something and when I sell something, I only get a few cents...
This is pretty realistic. Visit a pawn shop and sell something, return later to see a 1000% markup. Selling something you don't need? They'll take it for as low price as possible. Need something? They'll sell it as high as possible. Rimworld traders are actually pretty fair imo. :p Though I agree, they are too rare.
Mods my friend. Though I admit future restrictions bother me more. Fun will reduce worker efficiency and time alotted to defense and general needs unless its as easy as putting a tv in every room
Traders are fair esp since there are ways to make easy money. But imo we should be able to trade with other factions when ever.
Quote from: BetaSpectre on April 05, 2015, 09:16:00 PM
Fun will reduce worker efficiency and time alotted to defense and general needs
This was added in alpha 9:
-Mood now affects work speed
So since fun stuff increases mood, maybe it will result in an overall net gain for efficiency? Just a thought.
Also, day length got extended from 20,000 to 24,000 to 30,000. More time to do stuff, including wasting time. Not sure if it will actually matter though.
I'm guessing it will balance out somehow.
Afaik rimworld is supposed to be a storytelling game not just simulation base building. I think the alcohol and fun system will make colonists seem more human.
Quote from: Kirid on April 05, 2015, 09:46:54 PM
This was added in alpha 9:
-Mood now affects work speed
So since fun stuff increases mood, maybe it will result in an overall net gain for efficiency? Just a thought.
hmmm when i go to work every monday i'm not happy... am i doing something wrong in real life? xD
no i get what you mean. i've seen an improvement in people who are content compared to some people who are neutral or stressed.
Quote from: SSS on April 04, 2015, 08:26:06 PM
There's LOTS of meat in the world unless you're running a colony larger than the game is intended to support.
No, there really isn't. I took out my colony of 8 men on an expedition to shoot and eat every animal on the map. All that meat was GONE so fast. The only meat that has anything close to an abundant supply is the long pork.
Quote from: Jan2607 on April 04, 2015, 06:59:44 PM
There are much more restrictions. For example the fertilizer pump was removed, mortars need ammo now, the durability levels etc.
It becomes more realistic on the one hand, but on the other the game becomes even more harder (and I'm playing Cassandra Classic on 30% - that's really painful).
I would like to chime in - I don't want to seem like I diminish your plights - the game is hard. Understand this is emulating dwarf fortress style of game that the majority consumers set a high grading curve. Learning the ways to beat the game is part of the journey, losing is intended.
As for the specific issues mentioned above,
- You don't need to use mortars - as they current are built the accuracy, cost in time units to use, and cost of ammo its not really worth. Instead invest that metal in more turrets / power for turrets. Learning strats for breaking sieges makes the mortars use negliable.
- Fertilizer pump is not necessary at all even in desert bioms (very dirt light) you can get enough food / textiles from what you start with and as you colony grows you should be able to afford metal to power the hydroponics
- Durability is fair, albiet alittle annoying at the current state - but as with most first impliments in a beta game, they will improve
Now I want to emphasize,that yes, for a new player - some of the things you mentioned would be really frustrating
I researched and built my mortar, hey dude go man it. Oh wait I need to make ammo?.. well I guess this raid I am not using the mortar - How do I do that? Uh this other research (machining) and now I have made ammo. Now for the next raid ill man the mortarThen this guy will learn that half the time the mortars are useless (Drop attacks, attack immediately raids, Animal rage) and only two of the incident types (ship crash part) and (siege) it's quite decent in - but still very time consuming to do.
The game is still working on balance. I would recommend if you feel the games balance is too hard that adding a mod or two. It will likely change in future updates, and your post may have help convince the Dev's to possibly include a lower difficulty level - or nicer storytellers.
Not gonna lie. Aslong as you pace yourself, even on 100% difficulties the game isnt too hard.
Just make sure youve got a colonist with a passion for shooting. A good miner and a good researcher (just so you can rush hydroponics in freezing biomes)
Ive found though that a lot of people seem to be overdoing it with some starts though. Start ordering construction of a ton of individual rooms and beds and stuff. TBH if in the first 2 months you have individual bedrooms for your starting crew, your probably doing something wrong.
Mortars are (and kinda always were) mediocre. Nkw theyre just worse. And as far as being besieged. You realize that 1 good shooter with a survival rifle (or greatbow or sniper) can usually drop 2-3 of the siegers before they are even done setting up.
As far as SSS and his killing off all the local wildlife... whyd you have everyone do it? Have 2 hunters, the other 6 work on building the fort and getting hydroponics. Yeah I cycle my hunters periodically so everyone has some shooting skill, but never have eveyone hunting at once.
"You are lying"
In an earlier topic on this, many players were in agreement that Cassandra Classic 100% is as of Alpha 9 way too difficult / absurd.
Myself, I suffered two sieges and a tribal attack around the same periods with only 5 colonists. Most of those sieges have several snipers making an preemptive attack impossible with anything but another sniper or particularly lucky attack. Did I survive ? Yes, but it took several save-reloading and tactic that rely on the AI being absolutely stupid.
The goal of the game isn't to require a minmaxed Killbox to survive or farm raider. The main feature isn't even the raid themselves.
Aside, I consider myself pretty efficient at managing workflow to the point I can't understand people who want more way to prioritize because my stuff always get done in time.
Havent really seen it man. Yeah I often wipe when 100% when I get a mechanoid spaceship pat crashing down. Rest of the time it really doesnt seem like that huge of an issue. (Oh yeah and the 4 scythers landing in the trade depot on 1, that was pretty crap IMO) certainly not as bad as some of the fights we used to get (have a save filed for alpha 3 or 4 where Im getting hit by a 30man raid against my 9 person colony)
Also on the mention of you "needing a sniper" to engage the enemy sieges... you havent gotten 1 at that point yet? If you're efficient about making sure none of the enemies escape (with their gear) you can very easily get a few assault rifles, snipers, armor and personal shields. Heck 100% is almost easier in regards to trade due to surplus weapons and armor.
Dont even really need a "killbox" just during some early game, build some fortifications and cover in and around the base. Pull your colonists behind hard cover.
Hell several fights have been won because I had 1 guy with a smg and personal shield poking a corner attracting all the enemy fire while a few people with greatbows took the enemies all out. Have him hide every couple seconds to recharge. (Finally lost him to plague actually)
In my first attempts I tried to fight without killboxes, but I had the problem, that there was always a sniper, who stayed out of my shooting range and I needed to walk my colonists to him - it ended with lots of injuries and a few deaths.
Since this I build a wall around my base with only one entrance, so the attackers need to move in my rifle range.
Another question: It feels like the moving speed of the colonists is slower in A9 than before. Is this just a feeling?
Quote from: Jan2607 on April 13, 2015, 07:19:52 AMAnother question: It feels like the moving speed of the colonists is slower in A9 than before. Is this just a feeling?
I have heard that mood can now affect how productive a colonist is - so possibly if you do have happy colonists they would be slower than the previous version.
Understand I personally have no idea about the code - so I am merely going off hearsay.
Quote from: Jan2607 on April 13, 2015, 07:19:52 AM
Another question: It feels like the moving speed of the colonists is slower in A9 than before. Is this just a feeling?
Moving speed is also tied to age. Old colonists are slooow. On top of that, they'll likely get medical conditions like "frail" or "bad back", slowing them even further. Are your colonists old?
Cassie 100% is a fair challenge. Play smart, and if you make it through the first winter, you've already won. No killboxes or unbalanced magic soil spawners necessary.
Quote from: Jan2607 on April 13, 2015, 07:19:52 AMAnother question: It feels like the moving speed of the colonists is slower in A9 than before. Is this just a feeling?
Unless they're old or peg-legged, it's probably just a feeling. If you want to check, just select the "slow" colonist and view the health tab in the lower left portion of the screen. You can click the "i" as well for the pawn's info; moving speed is one of the first stats listed.
I haven't used those info screens much since they're still pretty new. Lots of info there.
I'm dealing with a frail old man with a bad back and a stab scar on his leg. 30% movement speed, so terrible.
Killboxing is discussed to death in other threads. Also, you don't need hydroponics in a freezing biome. There are other ways to go about feeding your colonists.
Ultimately, the game is still alpha, and a well playable one at that. Nothing is perfect yet. I agree though we need some way to drain the marshes and mud. It shouldn't be too hard to make it so a fert pump doesn't affect stone.
Quote from: rtiger on April 14, 2015, 03:47:43 PMIt shouldn't be too hard to make it so a fert pump doesn't affect stone.
Precisely. It should be easier then that. I should be able to move soil from outdoors into my mountain base with haulers.