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In vanilla? Most likely never. Unless we consider some post-human abnormalities as different races.

You're more likely to find success in mods, as the developer is working with the premise there are no (known) aliens in the universe.

Regarding most craft, yes, regarding art, which is (highly) subjective, then no.

Not that the average result shouldn't be better with skill, but the chance for sloppy works, even if really small, should still be there. Constant poor results does sound like a problem though'

No fog of war is a missed opportunity regarding several (potential) survival aspects of the game. The concept of fog of war goes way beyond traditional rts games, which is the main criticism of FoW in these forums. You can even get to a point, due to research, to reveal the entire map and play as current.

"Why, if in the end it will work the same"  "because early game would be more tense evincing the survival aspect of 'we just got shipwrecked in a hostile planet', and getting over that stage brings more of a sense of achievement. Also, several events could influence fog of war offering tactical challenges and options."

Anyway, it all boils down to personal preference.  If it ever gets (re)implemented or not, it will be due to whichever side voices higher.

For example this formula would let one master to fight several rookies at the same time. That only works in movies.

Although I agree that movies do mislead into such thoughts (and overstate them), and the primer for any martial artist is that you should flee instead of fight several opponents, it is possible to do so, and your training is a direct contributor to that. The problem is that the main tactic to fight multiple opponents is positioning, which the game engine has trouble in evince it.

I'm not sure what the current chance to hit is, but if is linear, then low skill pawns have trouble hitting each other, which would not be true if they have similar levels. The whys and hows of the miss changes between low level and high level, a lvl might miss more because it throws bad punches while a high level miss more because the same level foe blocks or dodges better.

That said, your worry is understandable and easy to balance: For every opponent beyond one attacking the pawn, the chance to "dodge" gets a small penalty or the foes get a bonus to hit.

I generally hate chance to dodge mechanic, and would be happier if it worked similar to personal shields. You could call the resource "stamina".

I'd say it's not a problem of the formula then, its the personal problem you have with dodge mechanics. A stamina is also valid, but my formula is simpler than that.

The good thing then is that the formula i suggested has no added dodge mechanics. All the dodging, parrying and blocking is abstracted into the compared chance to hit of the opponent. But there is space to other things to factor in such as armor, traits or number of opponents.

From the changelog:

Feb 25
Hunters will now approach and execute downed animals at close range.

Finally!

[compared]

I think this formula is too extreme. Melee skill already gives a big benefit, chance to hit in melee and probably damage. Anything on top of that is a bonus. Curently characters with both Shooting and Melee skill are pointless, especially nobles.

How exactly this formula is extreme? If anything it would be balancing.

I'm not suggesting this formula on top of the currently system, i'm suggesting a superposition. Instead of melee skill giving progressively higher chance to hit, it would actually give progressively higher chance to hit compared to a lower skill enemy.

A master against an amateur hits often and is hit less. A master against a master would hit/miss half the time and dodge/block half the time. Same thing for an amateur against an amateur. Damage is still the same and depends on weapon (or fists) and quality. Although that too could be modified.

Optionally, other things could factor into hit and/or dodge chance. Or don't.

Thus, both shooting and melee would be useful. For someone with a ranged weapon, melee would be useful so even if you are not equipped with a good melee  weapon, at least you'd have a higher chance to dodge and hit back, perhaps even providing a few dodges so you could actually shoot back with a gun (usually denied because of reset cooldown).

Then again this is not a melee revamp post (sorry for the diverge)

A related idea would be to make Melee skill give a chance to dodge melee attacks. Because the idea is redundant with the ranged-and-melee one, it would have to be one or the other.

I suggested in some forgotten topic that a way to built in dodge into melee was:
Average hit chance is 50%, minus or more the difference in skill of opponent. So, for example, a pawn with melee level 1 against a level 1 raider would have a 50% chance of hitting, and vice-versa, not hitting would either be an abstract of the attacking missing or the defender dodging. A 20 x 20 would be 50%, because they both know what they are doing. But a 20 x a 1 could be something like  95% to hit and dodge vs 5% of them hitting or dodging (or 10%, or 15%...).

Then you could add or take based on other type of equipment worn, like heavy clothing/armor could penalize your dodging (but not your attack) or drugs and implants improve it.

Can't speak for painting and sculptures, but this is perfectly understandable for writing and cinema

Just to help the topic stay on topic, here's just a few more:

-Relaxation Pod - It's like a tanning bed, except you listen to music, watch images and disconnect yourself from the outside world, instead of getting burned. It's a hi-tech relaxation station.
-Enjoy the rain
-Mourn in a friend's graveyard - Perhaps bringing flowers. Could be triggered by date of death as well.
-Taking care of your bonsai
-Write a book
-Mini-golf
-Burn incense
-Arcades - It's like videogames, but cooler. Also Pinballs machines.
-Jaccuzzi - Because why not right?
-Organizing shelves and wardrobes
-Stargazing (like cloudwatching, except it's night).
-Collecting sea-shells
-Getting a Tattoo
-Watch: sunset, sundown, eclipse, meteorshower... Any natural event could be watchable.
-Tell stories by campfire, roast marshmallow or food by campfire. Or the campfire could be, or work as a joy activity in itself.
-Trampolining
-Whittling
-Optimizing machinery/station
-Wall balling
-Punching bags
-Fireplace
-Mirror
-Rocking Chair
-Getting a check up - Not exactly fun, but it's always good to be safe on your health. Could have some sort of scanning medical tools or stations, like a C.A.T scan machine.

I could see a scenario or a biome where either wind or solar power is inefficient or impossible (or both), and the discussed battery could have its own niche, or good old gas/fuel. For me, exploding rats opens precedent to a lot of things in this game.

Although i like the microwave redirection thing, it requires a global infra-structure that pushes the game further into the "its not really a rimworld afterall". Not that i really care, but it might bother some.

*sigh*, don't bring windows up, it still hurts me that we have so many alphas but no windows yet. Unless he is preparing some neat update with a revamped light system, then yeeeey!

I'm sure the balancing process will take time (I bet this will be subject to a lot of public bug testing before the next alpha release), but it sounds like the different fun/recreation options will have pros and cons. For example, if you wanted to encourage shooting skill any way possible:

Dartboard, horseshoes (distant play, tiny bonus to shooting skill)

I'm wary of this, i think that any pros of joy should be the joy you get and the cons should be the time they spend doing it (a robot would say waste). Any extra bonus should be abstract or minor.

But i think that this presents a few opportunities.  For example, a joy activity related to a skill, instead of increasing it, or increasing it substantially, could instead prevent the "dread" skill degradation.

What can i say? +5!

What would this do to those who play a non-electric game. May not be the best, but there are those who play a more role-play style of game.

What about non-electric light sources?

1. I don't think the game needs much more zones, specially to fire, which doesn't happen THAT often as other home zone actions. What i think the game needs is something similar as the priority order similar to the one in banished, call it priority zone if you need, but its just a general order you put over an area an available pawns capable of doing jobs in the area would do so, respecting their own job priority orders ofc.

It would be specially useful if you need specific tasks done in a pinch, such as erecting walls, cleaning, firefighting, building, cutting a forest area, etc.

2,3. I also had the impression that leaving clothes in prison the prisoners would auto-pick it, not sure now tho'. Keeping a dedicated med bed in prison does the trick, usually i just place a temp sleeping spot set to medical as needed.

4. Agreed on the sleeping part. Specially when you're under siege and you want to careful manage mortar duty and a "special ops" night attack, in which case you'd want your guys well rested.

5. Dunno, seems convoluted. I used to just micro him to bed. But i see the importance of it, but i think a better way would be to place a special AI override priority (if priority is interfering with treatment). So:  infection becomes untreated > sick pawn goes to bed and waits there> next best medic is reserved > medic picks medicine and treat sick > everyone dismissed. Or something like that.

6. +1

You can't outsource the hole/unexplaining/whatever to the player, the player only makes the best out of it.