Messages

I say, once we prove we can make it to 9,000, we should shoot for 900,000! 

Most of the initial 1.0 releases are virtually identical to their b19 predecessors. (With the sole exception of "Pawns are Capable," all of the mods proved to be cross-compatible between the two game versions.)

There are, however, a few changes of note:

"Fertile Fields":

- Rotted mush is now forbidden only if it appears outside of your home area.

- Grass and wildflowers now produce less plant scrap than other plants.

"Fishing":

- Pawns who hate violence will now refuse to fish, just as those who hate animals already did.

- Fixed shellfish trap timing; they were taking twice as long as intended to have a chance to catch something (up to 4.5 days in base biomes, as opposed to just over two days intended maximum).

"Tribal Pawn Names":

- Tribal factions and settlements will now have names consistent with the style of the pawns' names.

"Wild Cultivation":

- Removed the patches that put berries in tropical rainforests and swamps, since berries now show up in those biomes anyway, and the patches were generating errors that caused no plants at all to spawn....

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 12/05/2018

Blur the lines between wild and cultivated plants! "Wild Cultivation" allows you to cultivate a variety of plants formerly found only in the wild, and adds wild generation of most of the plants that previously could only be cultivated.

Plants which can now be found naturally include corn, haygrass and smokeleaf (most commonly, but not exclusively, found in arid shrubland biomes), daylilies, devilstrand and hops (most easily found in boreal forests), psychoid plants (least uncommon in deserts), cotton, potatoes and roses (most readily discovered in temperate forests), and rice (most easily obtained from tropical rainforests and swamps).

The ability to find these plants in the wild provides a few extra resource options in the early game, and also allows those using the "Seeds Please!" mod a chance to obtain seeds for plants they might otherwise not be able to grow.

"Wild Cultivation" also allows you to cultivate pincushion cacti, agave, astragalus, clivia, brambles, bushes, low shrubs and grass, all of which could formerly only be found in the wild, as well as glowstools, agarilux mushrooms and bryolux, which otherwise can only be found naturally within caves.

You can also now create growing zones on any terrain that's not completely infertile. This doesn't allow you to grow plants on ground that's not fertile enough to support them, of course. The change is primarily intended to allow you to create growing zones on sand for cacti.

The mod also adds a very small chance of finding wild healroot in tropical rainforests and swamps, where otherwise it doesn't exist.

Finally, "Wild Cultivation" adds one new type of flower, the geranium. Geraniums are functionally identical to daylilies, and in fact the geranium graphic is simply a recolored version of the daylily graphic. I just wanted a purple flower in the game, to add a bit more variety to garden colors.

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

Cultivated Plant Notes:

Agave grows more slowly and has a lower yield than in vanilla, to prevent it becoming a "superplant" when cultivated. It also takes a bit more work to sow and to harvest than most other plants.

Glowstools, agarilux mushrooms and bryolux will all die if exposed to light, so be sure to grow them in enclosed spaces. Cultivated fungi mature faster than their natural counterparts. Additionally, agarilux mushrooms, due to their large size, require extra space, just as do trees.

Cultivated brambles are denser than natural brambles, and thus slow movement more, nearly as much as does chokevine.

Compatibility:

You should be able to add "Wild Cultivation" to an existing saved game without trouble, but removing it from a game in progress will almost certainly cause problems.

"Wild Cultivation" changes a few vanilla plant definitions, but mostly just adds new definitions. So while it might conflict with other mods that alter vanilla plants, it also might not. And generally speaking, any such conflicts which do arise probably won't even be noticeable. For the record, it should be fully compatible with "Vegetable Garden."

If you're using "Vegetable Garden," "[T] Expanded Cloth," or another mod that alters the harvest of cotton, "Wild Cultivation" will automatically adjust the harvest of wild cotton to match it.

"Wild Cultivation" is fully compatible with "Seeds Please!" If you have that mod installed, the wild versions of various plants will drop seeds which can be used to grow their cultivated counterparts.

Credits:

The mod utilizes Pardeike's "Harmony Patch Library." (No additional download is required, as the library is included with the mod.)

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 10/14/2018

This mod adds a new "tribal raider" faction. Like pirates, tribal raiders raid you just because they can, and cannot be appeased with silver or by releasing prisoners. Be forewarned, worlds which include tribal raider factions can be quite hostile to newcomers!

It also adds a "tribal planet" configuration option. If this option (accessible from the game's "Options" menu) is selected, outlander and pirate factions will be disabled, so that worlds will generate with nothing but tribal and tribal raider settlements. (And also, of course, settlements for any factions added by other active mods.) Spacer and mechanoid factions won't be disabled, though, so you'll still have to deal with mechanoid raids in the later game, and might still come across "ancient danger" crypts.

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

Compatibility:

You shouldn't see any compatibility issues with this mod. You can add it to a game in progress, but unless you're using Orion's "Faction Discovery" or a similar mod, you won't see tribal raiders added to the game. Trying to remove it from a game in progress which includes any tribal raider factions will, of course, make the game unplayable.

Credits:

The mod utilizes Pardeike's "Harmony Patch Library." (No additional download is required, as the library is included with the mod.)

Obviously, credit is due to RimRue, the creator of the original a17 version of the mod!

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 10/14/2018

This mod overhauls tribal pawn naming. Why? Well, the tribal names in the game have always felt a bit... "off" to me. It's probably nothing more than my own unfamiliarity with the cultures from which the names are drawn, but I always thought they seemed a bit more "Spanish" than tribal.

The changes made by the mod are as follows:
   
- Tribal pawn names are now Native American in style. (I drew the names from online "Native American baby names" lists, by the way, which I'm well aware mix and match names from many different nations, and also feature many inauthentic names. But while they have many flaws, they provided the sort of names I was looking for. No disrespect to actual Native Americans is intended.)

- Tribal pawn nicknames can now include various adjectives, terrain features, weapons and the like. So you might run into a tribal pawn named Vengeful Weasel, for example, or Deadly Scythe.

- Since tribal names don't follow a "personal name followed by family name" pattern, anyway, the game no longer forces tribal pawns to share last names if they're related.

- Tribal factions and settlements will now have names consistent with the style of the individual pawns' names.

- Pets in tribal factions will also now be given tribal-style names rather than colonist-style names.

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

Compatibility:

"Tribal Pawn Names" should be compatible with any other mods, and you should be able to add it to or remove it from a game in progress without causing any problems.

Credits:

The mod utilizes Pardeike's "Harmony Patch Library." (No additional download is required, as the library is included with the mod.)

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 12/05/2018

This mod adds a new storyteller, Rainbeau Flambe.

Rain shares Randy's love of the unpredictable, but tempers that love with a bit of Cassandra's storytelling flair. Still, he'll send big threats nearly as often as small ones. He seems to have a bit of a sadistic streak, and in any event, he has to keep his cat, Sabre, amused. He also likes to have a slightly larger cast of characters to work with than Cassandra does, and so will subtly encourage you to have more colonists.

The mod also slightly increases the base chance of orbital traders arriving, though the actual frequency of their arrival is not altered.

Some player testimonials:

"[Rainbeau is] real good on providing a constant supply of traders and challenges."

"Yep. Three events after one minute. And after that I had some time for my colonist. I like that challenge."

"I have to say I'm really satisfied with this storyteller.... Rain (on some challenge and later on rough) is heavy handed, but fair. The good flows in rapid succession just like challenges. I feel like if you survive the onslaught, he rewards you with a reasonable term of prosperity, and loves big colonies. He basically fits exactly how I like to play."

"Not sure if I just had bad luck.... But it feels like the game now spams bad events on me."

"Just into my second year in my current game using Rainbeau and I can say, 100%, that he is very fun, even on Some Challenge. XD Very fast paced and intent on being very kind or very brutal to my tiny colony. A+ Storyteller!"

"I've taken to calling this storyteller 'WHAT NOW?!'"

"He looks kinda like Shia Labeouf."

-- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf) - the modder, not the storyteller

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

A Note on Difficulty Levels:

Technically, Rain can be used at any difficulty setting, if only because there's no way to disable any of those settings. But as a matter of practicality, I wouldn't recommend trying to use him with "base builder" difficulty. Rain utilizes big threats as often as small ones, and tries to keep things going at a fair clip, while the "base builder" setting disables most big threats, and is intended to keep the game moving at a more leisurely pace. The inconsistency should be obvious.

Compatibility:

"Rainbeau Flambe - Storyteller" adds a new storyteller, but doesn't really change anything already in the game, so it should be compatible with pretty much any other mod, and you should be able to add it to an existing saved game without trouble. You should also be able to safely remove it from a game in progress, at least so long as Rain's not the currently active storyteller.

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 12/08/2018

Tired of pawns who refuse to do certain types of work, even when their own lives and the survival of the colony depend on it? This mod changes the way in which the game handles "incapabilities." On the pawns' character tabs, you'll see that the "Incapable of" list has been replaced with a list of "Hated work types." These types of work are marked in amber on the work tab, and aren't assigned by default. But they can be assigned if necessary, as any pawn can be assigned to any type of work. Be aware, though, that if you assign a pawn to do hated work, there's a mood penalty (and eventually movement and even manipulation penalties) that will only grow worse the longer the assignment lasts. This mod is intended to allow you to assign pawns to work they hate in emergency situations. It is *not* intended to allow such assignments to be made on a long-term basis.

Note 1: Since "violent acts" aren't a specific work type, pawns who abhor violence are capable of violent acts -- combat, etc. -- if and only if they're carrying a weapon. But so long as they're armed, they will suffer mood debuffs just as if they were assigned to a work type they hate.

Note 2: As there are easy ways to "get around" restrictions on tasks like hauling, anyway, "incapable of dumb labor" is treated a bit differently than other incapabilities. Pawns who hate dumb labor are simply given an extra trait that reduces their carrying capacity and their unskilled labor work speed. They won't be assigned to hauling or cleaning by default, but can be assigned to those tasks indefinitely with only a minor mood penalty, which doesn't get worse over time. For similar reasons, pawns who hate plant work or skilled labor can still be assigned to plant cutting with only a minor static mood penalty.

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

Compatibility:

"Pawns are Capable!" can safely be added to a game in progress. It's probably also safe to remove from a game, but I'd recommend making sure before you remove it that none of your pawns are assigned to "hated" work types or have lingering mood debuffs from such assignments.

Credits:

Obviously, credit goes to RimRue for the idea and for allowing me to assist in the development of her original version of the mod.

The Korean language files were provided by sogo100. The Japanese language translation files were provided by Steam user Proxyer.

The mod utilizes Pardeike's "Harmony Patch Library." (No additional download is required, as the library is included with the mod.)

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 10/14/2018

In ancient times, a fabled colonist by the name of RimRue taught her people the art of packing meals to eat on the go, and all was well in the universe. But during the era of Beta 18, that skill was lost, and pawns had no choice but to moan and cry whenever they had to eat without a table. But rejoice, for now, the stars have aligned, and the technology of packing bagged lunches has been rediscovered!

(Tired of your pawns being in a bad mood because they ate without a table? Now they can turn meals into packed lunches, and eat happily wherever they happen to be.)

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

Credits:

Obviously, credit is due to RimRue, the creator of the original a17 version of the mod!

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 12/05/2018

This mod gives pawns the ability to catch and cook fish.

It's possible to create "fishing spots" adjacent to water, where pawns can catch fish. It's also possible to build "shellfish traps" that might net you shellfish, shrimp, snails or small fish. And your pawns can now prepare sushi and various other seafood dishes.

(Is it ironic that this mod was created by someone who finds fishing to be mind-numbingly dull, and who hates seafood in any form? I think it's a bit ironic.)

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

How Fishing Works:

Fishing is a custom work type, which relies on the "Animals" skill. Pawns with higher skill will fish faster, and have a higher chance of successfully catching something. (Additionally, fishing serves as a joy activity for pawns with a passion for the Animals skill.) Fishing spots can become depleted if overfished, and so will occasionally need to be allowed to "recharge."

Fish and eels can be caught at any fishing spot, though the type of fish available varies with the biome, and eels are more common in marshes than in water tiles. Squid can only be caught in ocean tiles.

Shellfish traps will periodically catch shellfish or tiny fish automatically, without any pawn interaction. They will sometimes take a bit of damage in doing so, though, and will thus occasionally need to be repaired.

Fish and shellfish can be cleaned (butchered) for meat, while squid and eels can be butchered for both meat and leather.

The mod also adds ice fishing spots, which work as normal fishing spots, except that they can only be constructed on frozen river or lake water tiles generated by my own "Permafrost" mod, Fumblesneeze's "Ice," or "Nature's Pretty Sweet." Note that ice fishing spots cannot be placed on vanilla ice tiles, and will appear on the "Production" tab of the Architect menu only if at least one of the "freezing" mods is actually in your mod list.

Compatibility:

If you try to remove "Fishing" from a game in progress, you will very likely make the map unplayable, at least if your pawns have actually caught any fish and/or made any seafood dishes.

Apparently, this mod conflicts with "Thanks for All the Fish," which doesn't really surprise me, as the two mods do many of the same things, albeit in different ways. I may eventually see about trying to make them compatible, but frankly, I'm not sure I see why anyone would need to use two different fishing mods at the same time, anyway.

"Fishing" shouldn't conflict with any other mods.

Credits:

Most of the fish graphics were provided to me by Steam user Draegon.

The ability to fish from bridges draws both conceptually and specifically from Rikiki's "FishIndustry" mod, though what I've done here is less elaborate than, and over time has diverged rather significantly from, what's he's done in that mod.

The traditional Chinese language files were provided by Steam user Alane. The simplified Chinese language translation files were provided by Steam user kghostSATORI. The Japanese language files were provided by Proxyer.

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 12/05/2018

"Fertile Fields" is a terraforming mod that lets you fertilize and plow your soil, create farmland on solid rock so you can grow crops in inhospitable environs or inside of mountains, and eventually even restructure the landscape.

Create raw compost with food waste at a butcher's table, then put it in a compost bin or barrel so in time it can become fertilizer. Fertilizer can be used to convert any soil to rich soil. Further improve your farm's fertility by researching farming and plowing your soil. Or learn the fine art of terraforming, and redesign your environment to your heart's content.

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

New Research and Terrain Improvement Options:

Without researching anything, "Fertile Fields" allows you to do basic terrain modification, essentially just digging up dirt from one spot and moving it to another. You can also create raw compost and turn it into fertilizer, which can be used to upgrade your soil, even turning regular soil into rich soil.

Researching "Farming" opens up the ability to plow soil, which lets you further increase the fertility of rich soil. As well, it allows you to lay topsoil over smooth stone. Create a garden inside a mountain if you're so inclined. Topsoil can be further improved by fertilizing it, but can't be plowed.

Finally, "Terraforming" represents an understanding of advanced irrigation and drainage techniques, and opens up a wide variety of terrain-altering options. It allows you to turn marsh, mud, sand or shallow water tiles into farmable soil, or to turn fertile land into sand or marsh. It lets you create shallow water tiles from marsh, so you can create decorative (or defensive) moats. It opens up the ability to dump dirt into deep water to create shallow water, or to remove dirt from shallow water to produce deep water. It also allows you to break solid rock into rough gravel, which can be further improved into regular soil, letting you create mountain farms that can actually be plowed for maximum fertility. Conversely, you can turn rough gravel back into rough stone.

Using the Mod:

Most of what's added by "Fertile Fields" can be found on the new "Terraform" and "Farming" tabs of the Architect menu.

A few things, however, are less obvious.

Fertilizer is made from compost in either a compost bin or a compost barrel. Compost can be created at a butcher's table from vegetable matter and meat. It can also be obtained by burning corpses.

Dirt can be created by mixing sand, clay and fertilizer at a crafting spot. Conversely, piles of dirt can be separated at crafting spots into sand and clay. Clay can be "fired" at a smithy to create bricks.

Initially, if you need dirt, sand, clay or crushed rocks, you'll need to obtain them by digging up terrain somewhere on the map or by purchasing them from traders. Once you've built a rock mill, though, stone chunks can be turned to crushed rocks, which can be further ground into sand and then into clay. Sand and clay, as already noted, can be used to create dirt.

Sandbags, by the way, are now made from sand, cloth and steel instead of just from steel, and the mod also introduces "heavy sandbags," made from sand, leather and steel.

For a more detailed overview of everything the mod has to offer, you can consult the "Getting Started with Fertile Fields" text file located in the mod's "About" folder.

Compatibility:

"Fertile Fields" is not, at this time, compatible with Lanilor's "Terra Core" mod. That mod makes extensive changes to map and terrain generation, and adds far more terrain types than even exist in the vanilla game. To properly handle transformations between all of those new terrains would be a very extensive undertaking.

"Fertile Fields" should be compatible with most any other mods, though. If you run into specific issues, please let me know.

New terrains added by a number of mods are automatically recognized by "Fertile Fields." Night soil from Dub's "Hygiene" mod can be terraformed with any conversion that works from marshy soil. (Note that that mod has its own compost and fertilizer system, which is not consistent with what's provided by this one. There may be odd overlaps or misbehaviors if they're used together.) Wasteland from the "Crashlanding" mod can be terraformed as sand. Reclaimed soil from CuproPanda's "Quarry" mod can be terraformed as if it was gravel. Hot and cold springs from "Nature's Pretty Sweet" can be transformed as if they were shallow water tiles, and that mod's various "wet" sand and soil terrains can be transformed using terraforming jobs that work on comparable vanilla sand and soil terrains. The various rocky soils to be found on "Biomes!" cavern maps can be terraformed with any conversion that works on rocky dirt. And decrystallized sand and soil from "Tiberium Rim" can be terraformed as vanilla sand and gravel, respectively. (Note, though, that the various tiberium terrains introduced by that mod cannot be altered by anything in "Fertile Fields." To get rid of tiberium, you'll still need to utilize the mechanisms actually provided by "Tiberium Rim.")

"Fertile Fields" is compatible with "Seeds Please!" However, if you're using that mod, the soil degradation feature of this mod won't be functional, and you won't get plant scraps from cutting plants. I'll see about resolving those issues in the near future.

If this mod is used together with either "Glass+Lights" or "Dub's Skylights," then creation of the glass from those mods will require the sand from this mod.

You should be able to add "Fertile Fields" to an existing saved game without trouble, but removing the mod from a game in progress will, of course, likely cause problems or even make the game unplayable.

Special note regarding "Vegetable Garden": I've tried to ensure that "Fertile Fields" and "Vegetable Garden" are compatible with each other. Most elements of the "Vegetable Garden Project" are unchanged. However, if you're using "VGP Garden Tools," you'll notice that its fertilizing and terraforming options are missing, as they duplicate existing "Fertile Fields" functionality, and that its various new planter boxes, sunlamps and hydroponics basins are located in this mod's "Farming" tab along with their vanilla counterparts. Finally, be aware that if you try to add "Fertile Fields" to a game in which you've already been using "VGP Garden Tools," you may encounter problems.

Credits:

German language translation files were generously provided by Ryder32x. Korean language translation files were provided by Ludeon forums user NEPH. French language translation files were provided by Steam user Redstylt. Russian files were provided by Steam user fox_kirya.

The C# code related to compost bins derives from Dismarzero's "Vegetable Garden." Other aspects of the mod's code have benefited in no small measure from NotFood's suggestions and contributions.

The mod utilizes Pardeike's "Harmony Patch Library." (No additional download is required, as the library is included with the mod.)

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 10/14/2018

Are you tired of running into characters in your game with horribly overpowered or just plain silly backstories? Are you frustrated by the number of colonists you have to feed who aren't willing to work to earn their keep because their backstories prevent them from doing manual labor? Does it annoy you when you find a backstory you like with the "Prepare Carefully" mod, only to notice that the gender pronouns or even the pawn's name don't change to fit your character? Do you just hate not being able to do anything about typos that you spot in backstories?

Well, fret no more! Your worries are over!

"Editable Backstories and Names" dramatically improves, and gives you full control over, the game's backstory and name databases. It's ready to be used "out of the box," but also allows you to change pretty much anything, in whatever way you see fit. Details are below.

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

The Backstory Database:

This mod provides you with a fully customizable database of more than 300 backstories which (by default) completely replaces RimWorld's vanilla backstory database. None of the backstories are unreasonably powerful or lore-breaking, none have hard-coded pronouns or names, and they're (mostly) free of typos. They're ready to be used as provided, but of course can be edited. (Please note, though, they can't edited from within the game itself. To edit them, you'll need to edit the mod's XML files. Instructions on how to do so can be found in its "Documentation" folder.)

It also provides much more robust filtering of backstories than does the vanilla game. You should never again see pawns whose childhood and adulthood backstories contradict each other, with one providing penalties to skills or disabling work types that the other significantly buffs. Additionally, the mod provides brand new filters, so you can define certain backstories to only be available to pawns of a particular age or gender, define some backstories to be more or less common than others, and even define "sets" of backstories which will always and only be used together. (For example, in the mod's "out of the box" database, medieval backstories are flagged so that medieval childhoods will only ever be matched with medieval adulthoods, and vice versa.)

The Names Database:

This mod provides a significantly larger pool of random first and last names for colonists than is available in the vanilla game. (It provides more than 2,000 each male and female first names, as opposed to about 300 each in vanilla, and about 10,000 last names, as opposed to just 1,000 in vanilla.) The mod's database is drawn from lists of the most common names in pretty much every country of the world, so your pawns' names will have a truly mixed- and multicultural feel. But like the mod's backstory database, its name database not only replaces the vanilla database, but is completely customizable, so you have full control over the names that can appear in your games. If you wanted to include nothing but German first and last names, for example, you could play a game of RimWorld in which literally every non-tribal pawn has a German name.

The names of colonists' pets draw from the same lists as do the names and nicknames of colonists themselves, so any changes you make to those lists will be reflected in the names colonists give their pets, as well as in the colonists' own names.

(This mod does *not* alter tribal names in any way. For that, I'd recommend my "Tribal Pawn Names" mod, with which "Editable Backstories and Names" is fully compatible.)

In addition to lists of first and last names, and of course nicknames, the mod also utilizes new lists of "sets" of first names and nicknames, allowing for randomly-named pawns to have intelligent nicknames. You might encounter a pawn named Jonathan with the nickname "Jon," for example, or perhaps a Cassandra known as "Cassie."

Not all names have to be randomly generated, of course. Just as there are defined full names in the vanilla game, some of them attached to certain specific backstories, the mod allows you to define full names for pawns who might show up in your own games, either with or without specifically-defined backstories.

Configuration Options:

"Use 'Lite Mode'": By default, "Editable Backstories" allows only its custom backstories to be selected randomly for new pawns. However, if this box is checked, the mod will instead allow new pawns to draw backstories from both its custom database and the vanilla database. (Note that vanilla backstories will always be visible and manually selectable when using a mod such as "Prepare Carefully," regardless of this option's setting.)
   
"Tag Backstories by Source": If this option is selected, backstory titles will be tagged to indicate their source, with "(Vanilla)" and "(VanillaPK)" indicating basic vanilla backstories and "Pirate King" designated backstories, respectively, "(REB)" indicating backstories added by this mod, and "(Other)" indicating backstories added by other mods. These tags can make it easy to tell what you're looking at when searching through backstories in "Prepare Carefully" or a similar mod. However, the tags will also be visible on the character bio windows within the game itself, so you probably won't want to turn the option on except when you're actually manually creating new pawns.
   
"Allow Vanilla 'Triple Names'": By default, the only predefined "triple" (or "full") names that will be available for random assignment to new pawns are the names defined in the mod's data files. If this box is checked, though, the "triple names" defined in the vanilla databases will also be available. (Note that even if you don't allow vanilla names, if you're playing in "lite" mode as defined above, the vanilla "Pirate King" pawns, whose names and bios are linked, can still show up in your games.)

Compatibility:

"Editable Backstories" can safely be added to a game in progress, and any of its configuration settings can be changed at any time, without any affect on already-generated pawns. However, it should not be removed from a game in progress, as if it is, any pawns with backstories drawn from its database will have those backstories randomly reassigned.

The mod is compatible with both "EdB Prepare Carefully" and "Verify Start."

It is also fully compatible with any mods that utilize Erdelf's "Humanoid Alien Races" framework.

Special Note:

I completely understand why backstories aren't editable by default. And I mean absolutely no disrespect to those who backed RimWorld on Kickstarter back in 2013 (or have purchased the "Name in Game Pack" since then) and got their stories written into the game as a result. But at the same time, I'm a modder. Changing things I don't like about the game is what I do. And the fact that backstories can't be edited, even though I understand it, is something that I don't like.

Credits:

Some of the C# code in "Editable Backstories" (specifically, the code that allows data to be read from XML files) derives from code in Erdelf's "Humanoid Alien Races."

The mod utilizes Pardeike's "Harmony Patch Library." (No additional download is required, as the library is included with the mod.)

Special thanks to Kiame Vivacity and Sumghai for handling the initial update of the mod from RimWorld b18 to b19 in my absence!

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 12/05/2018

This mod adds concrete to the game. Originally designed as an add-on to "Fertile Fields," it can now be used independently, though without "Fertile Fields," your options for obtaining sand and crushed rocks will be a bit more limited.

Concrete can be made at a stonecutting table, with sand, crushed rocks and cement. Sand and crushed rocks can be made from stone chunks or blocks, also at a stonecutting table. Cement is made by "cooking" limestone in a smithy. (Note that while by default, only limestone can be used, the cement recipe can be adjusted to allow other stone types. It's less realistic, but obviously, limestone won't be readily available on all maps.)

Vanilla concrete and paved tile floors are now made with concrete instead of with steel. (Honestly, I have no idea why Tynan added concrete floors to the game without adding concrete from which to make them.)

Concrete can be used to make "cinder" blocks. These can be used to make walls and other items that can otherwise be made from stone blocks. Cinder block walls are weaker (and less attractive) than granite walls, but can be built quickly.

The mod adds embrasures, which can be made of any material from which regular walls can be made. (Embrasures are walls with holes through which pawns can shoot. However, they're walls with holes, so they also act effectively as permanently-open vents, equalizing temperatures on both sides of the wall. Additionally, items on the "inside" side of an embrasure will still be subject to deterioration as if they were outside.)

It also adds "poured concrete walls," which are as strong as standard stone walls, but easier to build in bulk, "steel-reinforced concrete walls" (and matching embrasures), which are nearly as strong as plasteel walls, and "plasteel-reinforced concrete walls," with twice the durability of plasteel walls, for those who want the ultimate security for their pawns living in bunkers.

Steel-reinforced walls require "Machining" to have been researched. (I realize there's no direct correlation between machining and bunker wall construction, but I didn't want to add a brand-new tech just for this, and machining seems to represent about the right technological competence and conceptual research focus, and it's something that nobody starts the game with.) Plasteel-reinforced walls additionally require "Microelectronics Basics" research.

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

Compatibility:

This mod should be compatible with most any other mods, except perhaps for other mods which add concrete. But why would you be trying to use two different mods to add concrete? Just pick one or the other!

The basic embrasures added by this mod share a defName with the embrasures added by "Combat Extended." Embrasures in your game will thus be defined by whichever of the two mods loads last. There really isn't much difference between the two. I'd recommend loading "Concrete" after "Combat Extended," though, since my embrasures provide slightly better cover and look nicer.

You should be able to add this mod to an existing saved game without trouble, but removing it from a game in progress will likely cause problems.

If you're using "Fertile Fields," you'll see that the terraforming option which allows conversion of rocky dirt into rough stone now requires concrete in addition to crushed rocks.

And if you're using my "Advanced Bridges" mod, you'll find that construction of deep water bridges now requires concrete instead of steel.

If this mod is used together with either "Glass+Lights" or "Dub's Skylights," then creation of the glass from those mods will require the sand from this mod.

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 12/05/2018

Have you ever wanted to play RimWorld on an island map? Of course you have! And now you can!

"Archipelagos" adds exactly what its name implies. You'll now find island chains dotting the coastlines of your world maps. More specifically, the mod adds a variety of new biomes to the game, each of them an island-based variant of the corresponding vanilla biome.

If you play on an archipelago map that happens to be adjacent to the mainland, you'll be able to send caravans to settlements on the mainland without difficulty. If you play on an archipelago map that doesn't connect directly to the mainland, you'll find trading a bit more difficult, but no more so than if you were playing on a vanilla "island" tile.

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

Compatibility:

Adding "Archipelagos" to a saved game shouldn't cause any trouble, but removing it from a game in progress could potentially create problems, even if you're not actually playing on an island map.

"Archipelagos" is not, at this time, compatible with Lanilor's "Terra Core" mod. That mod makes extensive changes to map and terrain generation which would be very difficult for this mod to work around.

"Archipelagos" should be compatible with most any other mods.

If you use any mods that add animals or wild plants, those animals or plants will have the same chance of appearing on archipelago maps that they have of appearing on corresponding vanilla biome maps. (For example, if you use a mod that adds penguins to tundra maps, you may also see penguins on tundra archipelago maps.)

If you're going to build a base on an island chain, you should probably make sure you can build bridges and catch fish. I, of course, would recommend my own "Advanced Bridges" and "Fishing" mods to fill those needs, but there are obviously other options available, as well, any of which should work just fine with this mod.

Credits:

The mod utilizes Pardeike's "Harmony Patch Library." (No additional download is required, as the library is included with the mod.)

The simplified Chinese language translation files were provided by Steam user kghostSATORI.

[Steam Workshop Link]

Last update: 12/05/2018

"Advanced Bridges," as the name so subtly suggests, allows you to build bridges which are, well, a bit more advanced than those available in vanilla RimWorld. (Well, technically, you could also create piers or even a boardwalk. It's really up to you.) All you need is wood, stone or metal. And a bit of extra steel for reinforcement if you're building over deep water. (Yes, this mod allows you to build bridges over deep water as well as over shallow water.)

Light bridges (built from wood) require no special research, and support light construction, so you can, for example, use a light bridge to run a power conduit across a river. Heavy bridges (those built from stone or metal) do require research, but will support heavy construction, so you can actually place walls on them.

NOTE: "Advanced Bridges" does not disable construction of default vanilla bridges, so you can actually use both types of bridges on your maps if you so desire. But you won't be able to build vanilla bridges over deep river water, and won't be able to place walls over them. (In other words, they'll function just like the mod's light bridges.)

- Rainbeau Flambe (dburgdorf)

Steam Workshop Link

Dropbox Link

Compatibility:

"Advanced Bridges" can safely be added to a game in progress, but if you try to remove it from a game in which you've actually built any bridges, you will of course make the map unplayable.

The mod should be compatible with any mods that add additional water tiles to the game, so long as those mods have assigned the "bridgeable" affordance to those water tiles.

There seem to be some issues when using "Advanced Bridges" together with Jec's "Doors Expanded." I haven't tracked down the cause yet, but if a boardwalk or bridge is built under a large door or gate, the door will (not always, but sometimes) stop working properly. Doors seem to work fine if built on top of existing bridges or boardwalks, though, so if you must build a large door on top of a bridge or boardwalk, make sure to place the bridge or boardwalk first. But to be perfectly safe, try to avoid putting such doors on bridges or boardwalks at all.

If you want to be able to catch fish from your bridges, you'll need to utilize an additional mod to add that capability. Obviously, I'd recommend my own "Fishing," though it's not the only option.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you remove bridge tiles with dev tools, or "minify" them to move them (which isn't possible in vanilla, but might be thanks to other mods), you will end up with problematic "pseudo" terrain tiles on your map where the bridges used to be. Please don't do this! If you need to remove a bridge tile, deconstruct it properly!

Credits:

The code in "Advanced Bridges" borrows a bit from Sulusdacor's "[sd] Bridges" mod. And obviously, the mods are very similar on a conceptual level.

The traditional Chinese language files were provided by Steam user Alane. The simplified Chinese language translation files were provided by Steam user kghostSATORI. The Japanese language files were provided by Proxyer.

So I've been playing with Rainbeau Flambe storyteller on savage...

I'll make a note to take a closer look. I tried to copy over his settings from b18 to b19 as closely as I could, but so much was changed in the storyteller defs in b19, that I could easily have overlooked something. I certainly didn't deliberately put in any "once one raid spawns, be sure to spawn two more" conditional.