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It's more of a story making mechanic.  Let's say your sister from another colony visits, oh yay for you.  It builds a sort of connection for you and that colony, even when it doesn't even really do anything.  Also I believe there is a mechanic in the game where if one of your colonist is a spouse to one of your friendly or even neutral faction's leader, they'll send in reinforcements randomly to assist you during a raid.

Like what Kluge said, I believe these walls are just ship parts or old tech of the world that have been there for ages and buried.  Think of it as more like scrapping apart broken machines and finding wires, pipes, and circuits rather than some act of nature creating complex circuitry.

As far as I know, there isn't too much content on the lore in Rimworld.
There is:
- Colonization on worlds on the rim of the universe, hence Rimworld.
- Animal sent out to inhabit the worlds before hand as well.
- Thousands of years of this happening, explaining the natives.  Townpeoples are probably already native or also shipwrecked colonies.  Pirates, same too.
- Hints of Void Gods, but no true evidence.
- Mechanoids were originally manufacturing and farming equipment until weaponized and went rogue with a hivemind.
- Glitterworlds exist, worlds where the people have become so transcendent that they could resemble gods.  Highly advance technology and most likely are responsible for the space traders.

That's about all I found on the lore, but focusing on the core game mechanics are a first priority is a good thing.  Don't want to throw in hundreds of ideas before you stabilize the base game first.  Lore can come afterwards.

Making pheromones seems a bit too good as insects are suppose to be a powerful obstacle like mechanoids, that also have no real counter besides bullets and explosives.

There should be eggs that spawn from the nests, like the jelly, and then the bugs spawn from those.  That would make things a bit simpler and more fun with the risk of eggs hatching once you steal them.  You could eat or sell them.  Like mumblemumble's idea for extreme research, we can have the option of researching a 'specimen bench' that allows for proper domestication of eggs.  Like imagine the insects have a hivemind going on, and your handy dandy scientists learn how to manipulate DNA to change their developing brains to break from the hivemind, thus allowing domestication.

I'd really like to see some Void Gods or highly advanced mechanically sentient beings.  I mean, psychic waves being blasted through the galaxy is not uncommon and some would believe it is controlled from some higher being.  The option of turning a colony into a bunch of cultists seems fun.

I feel like with the corpse eating mechanic, this should work as well.  It'll also balance small vs big animal diets as a rabbit should not be eating the same amount as a muffalo everytime its hungry.

Give all my chickens personal energy shields.  When a raids happen I'll line them up as a wall of defense.  Any casualties will still benefit in the way of food and the shields can be used again.

Sandstorms.  Both light and extreme.

Light Sandstorm
- Reduces colonist vision (Accuracy, eyesight, etc.)
- Items outside deteriorate faster, including any worn clothing that isn't a duster or cowboy hat.
- Pawns move slower in one direction, to simulate fighting the storm.
- Creates thin snow-like sand layer.

Extreme Sandstorm
- Pawns are almost completely blinded when in it
- Extreme item deterioration, some as above.
- Items outside may be 'blown away'.
- Pawns entire movement speed is reduced, any direction.  Can be reduced with proper equipment, duster, power armor, etc.
- Random items can be blown into the map.
- Entirely covers map in thin layer of sand, like snow.

I think there should be a minimum range on every ranged weapon then the pawn runs to melee.  Obviously at a disadvantage to true melee weapons but not as mindless as continuously aiming down sights while being beaten senseless.

3 unarmed men destroyed your well equipped colony during a prison break?  Were you imprisoning veteran warriors? Because the way you described it, it sounds like some kind of action movie scene and your colony were the bad guys.

I've played a similar playthrough. Although it was more strict on cannibalism only and I had to exploit the visitor system when food got low.

April 2nd!

Mechaniods are suppose to be intelligent combat AI.  See how none of the pawns are dead or incapacitated.  Even they know eliminating squirrels is top priority.

Also, I find the reason why Centipedes are so hard to kill is that they have all so many body parts, the rings mainly, that it's hard to completely destroy a vital part.

My concern for the extreme desert biome, unlike ice sheets, is early refrigeration.  I like to build walk-in freezers early because it secures my food supply, but with extreme heat I'll need probably need many coolers to upkeep it.  That means a needing a lot of metal for the coolers and metal to build power sources for them. 

I like playing a relaxing farming colony every now and then.  Best part about the game is choosing how you want to play.  Growing hops and brewing beer with no worries about pirate armies, it's fun because that means I could build for a more aesthetic looking colony rather than stuffing everything into a cave with a killbox entrance.  I like raids, but dislike how they'll eventually force me to box up my colony.