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RimWorld => Stories => Topic started by: b0rsuk on July 22, 2015, 05:06:43 AM

Title: My second colony on Old Rukbat
Post by: b0rsuk on July 22, 2015, 05:06:43 AM
I've had so much fun the first time on this ice sheet map that I wanted another go. The layout, topology (the way passages are connected) and the uniqueness of ice sheet make it fun to play.

(http://wstaw.org/m/2015/07/22/OldRukbat8.png)
(I don't use the img tag because it crops my images for some reason. If you know a workaround, let me know)

This is the core of the map, and actually from my second colony. There's an abundance of steam geysers, but mostly in the middle of the map. Sides are geyser-deprived. Strange, it seems location of geysers is a bit randomised. In the first game there was one left from the vertical marble wall. That's where a killbox was located. Branwell is a janitor visitor this time rather than a deep space miner colonist. There are more geysers on the right edge this time, the first time all edges had one geyser at best.

This is the first time I play Rimworld when it actually feels like survival game. And no, not my first game on Randy Random - challenge (100%).

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You can give it a try, too!
World code (seed): d5gn
Coordinates: 28*E 63.20*N (You'll know it's the right spot when you see 331mm rainfall)
Map size: 3rd biggest (the biggest that is not listed under Ludeonblahblahblahblahous)
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I play without reloading, and I don't reroll colonists ever.

The first colony was ultimately a success. But I had three legitimate casualties (two more were a result of criminally unfair "chased colonist" events, with one shot with a rocket launcher in the back and another kidnapped).

Grub the triggerhappy was a welcome sight for the trio of deprived females. He helped fending off early manhunter pack, was the first tolerable miner, and accomplished a lot of work through sheer persistence, despite relative lack of skill. He was the best worker I could get for quite a while.

But he learned the danger of Inferno Cannon. He and Rebecca panicked, were incapacitated and cut off by a sea of flames. I had to watch them burn to death with good equipment. I couldn't even squeeze half a personal shield to rescue them, and most others were already wounded anyway.

Much later, Branwell was killed straight away by a triple rocket launcher when sappers got through the side door of my killbox. I had fixed her scar with a bionic arm, so I also invested money into her. It looks like not even power armor grants much blunt resistance, so I wonder what gives the best chance to survive a triple rocket launcher ? With snow everywhere and my colony in the middle of the map, I could barely react in time and position my group. While the first two casualties were avoidable, I don't think I could have done much to save Branwell.
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Anyway, my second colony.
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This time I wanted to try how would this map play out if I settled away from the center of the map. I remembered there was a tempting cabin on the north, adjacent to the mountain, and I ended up only building the ship there. Also, this is the first time I play a shamelessly dwarven colony. That's also something I wanted to try.

(http://wstaw.org/m/2015/07/23/OldRukbat1_png_750x750_q85.jpg)

MORE TO COME. I'd hate to have a solar flare right now.
Title: Re: My second colony on Old Rukbat
Post by: b0rsuk on July 23, 2015, 03:35:26 AM
No rerolling:
(http://wstaw.org/m/2015/07/23/OldRukbat2_1.png)
Time is a lazy bum. She's a good shot, but can't be trusted to do anything else well. But no chick would want to walk among my colonists unarmed.

(http://wstaw.org/m/2015/07/23/OldRukbat3_png_750x750_q85.jpg)
Grim is a marine with bad back. Other than that, good skills and triggerhappy. Not much help at hauling.

(http://wstaw.org/m/2015/07/23/OldRukbat4_png_750x750_q85.jpg)
Vidimir Rayne. A chef with a nasty temper and moon-sized ego. He's even worse at hauling, but a good researcher. He handles my burials now.

Not much later Vladimir the politician dropped by.
(http://wstaw.org/m/2015/07/23/OldRukbat5_png_750x750_q85.jpg)
A good colonist, even if Brawler is a mixed blessing. But not someone I would turn my back to.

See a pattern here ? None of them can produce, they don't like getting their hands dirty, all of them are cold-blooded killers. My colony is shaping up to become a criminal hideout.
(http://wstaw.org/m/2015/07/23/OldRukbat6_png_750x750_q85.jpg)
This is Hans. He was pursued by tribals and actually joined before I managed to convice Vladimir. Another lazy ass (Slothful is -30% global work penalty), another bad back. But he's a great shot and good builder. Bad Back and won't mine - he bacame my main cleaner.

Even a bunch of cynical killers needs someone they can confide to. Glenn offered his services via radio.
(http://wstaw.org/m/2015/07/23/OldRukbat7_png_750x750_q85.jpg)
He's an empath who doesn't give a damn. And he's psychically deaf. And he's a junkie.
But up to this point Time was my only colonist who could both haul and move at normal speed. He will become a great miner, and he's a superior hauler already.
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It's September already. My colony is well established - the first, second and third priority on Ice Sheet is getting Hydroponics up. I got two turrets in the meantime. I faced 7 raids. Because my colony is on an edge of the map, and entered through a bottleneck, visitors tend to bump into each other. Two raids by the Shankers (pirates) were aborted because they went after the low hanging fruit. I guess it's pretty lucky, because one of them had a guy with a shield, bionic leg and a plasteel gladius, as well as a sniper.

The people chasing Glenn meant business. Two guys with charge rifles, one with a goddamn incendiary cannon. Armors, hyperweave tuques, and a power armor helmet! On their way they also killed 2 visitors, which earned me a heavy smg and a pump shotgun. If I decide to take the fight to the tunnels, it will be a slaughter.

I'm a bit torn what weapons to use. It would be stylish to equip the two triggerhappy guys with a shotgun and a heavy smg, but are they in any way better than charge rifles ?
Title: Re: My second colony on Old Rukbat
Post by: b0rsuk on July 23, 2015, 04:09:29 PM
Time and Vladimir have been kidnapped. I've made a costly mistake of fighting pirates without turrets, and spreading my forces. They went after my power line.

I guess the only sane way to fend off raids is turrets with a line of colonist behind them. Funnel the attackers as much as possible, you can't afford to spread because you are outnumbered.

Vladimir the brawler chased an enemy carrying Grim the Marine. He caught up with him, and the fight was skill 11 brawler using plasteel knife, power armor helmet, devilstrand and armor vest vs a guy with fists. Vladimir lost, and was kidnapped himself. I can't say I'm much surprised considering how random combat is in this game. Especially melee doesn't have stuff like ranges, cover etc. Whoever rolls the finishing blow first, wins.

The next raid was by Red Ridge People and they decided to kidnap one of the pirates bleeding on the snow.

About one day later they attacked again. They kidnapped Rayne and Hans. Now I'm left with 3 colonists: one healer, one empath, and a triggerhappy marine with a bad back and a shattered rib. No turrets.

It turned out to be a bad story.