Colonists able to earn new traits during play?

[Lady Wolf]

After discussing how common some traits were compared to others, and how it was a little odd some traits like cannibalism and psychopath were more common than homosexuality it occurred to me it would be neat if colonists could gain traits over time.

For example the first time a colonist eats human flesh they should have a chance of gaining the cannibal trait (and perhaps another chance after eating it for x # of times) or someone that's always butchering/cremating the bodies and getting into especially bloody battles would gain the psychopath trait, or someone that goes through a divorce and has multiple arguments with their ex gets the volatile or abrasive trait.

This would help make the colonists feel like they grow and change over time, and are more deeply effected by their experiences living on Rimworld.

[Limdood]

think its been suggested before, but yes, i like the idea of fluid traits....i think if you can gain them you should be able to lose them too!

pawn idle all the time?  there goes your hard worker trait!  (and the reverse for never idle and lazy).  Shot in the back one too many times by women colonists or hit by women raiders?  here's a hates women trait!  Had a bunch of good interactions with a woman?  buh-bye trait!  All of it should be super rare so there aren't 10 trait changes per day in a 3 man colony, but all of a sudden your scarred guy becomes a masochist one day...yay!

[Vaporisor]

This is the one feature type I think I am wanting most in the game.  I love the unique situations and how some characters stand out, and with social it develops more, but I would like to see more fluidity in what a person can become.

The most effective way would be if they had a floating value.  So as they partake, it goes up, with time, it can go down.  For things like prostphobe/phile zero can be a median value.  It means a colony can develop personalities and style to how you want to leave it.  Mad max villians, or a colony of vegetarian traders.  Extravagance leads to laziness and greed vs a minimalist colony that can point more to ascetic/hard working.

There are multiple points of zero sum function that happens here.  Lets compare two extremes.  One is a colony where you hunt lots of animals vs just growing, with nice rooms, lots of luxury and joy time on the schedule.  Hunting means quick and easy food, lux and joy means happiness bonus from that and less madness.  But the flipside is negative traits such as greed, laziness, etc.  Also meat lover meaning they might get negatives if they don't have meat or animal products in meals as a potential trait.

Counter to this might be the minimalists in a desert, just getting by on crops and hydroponics.  Rooming carved out of caves.  These people would work hard, and be tough to break, but they also have no means of stress relief if things go wrong.  New colonists will have a tougher time adjusting.

Lastly, people might need a mix, this type of polarization leading to inter colonial conflicts.  Have each trait tracked essentially on a character with the leading ones sort of becoming that guy over time.  Unless the colony is heavy into one section, their traits will not change.  Occasional cannibalism or bouts of no meat won't change a thing as it slowly drifts away from their starting defaults which would be the "zero" value that it drifts to.  This means a cannibal would be extremely tough to convert to a vegan whereas a green thumb probably will just develop that trait in a stable agriculture colony.

Mostly, I just love the concept of colonies being able to be themed more from the player and not having to rely on the initial RNG.

Edit:  I visualize it much like the starting skills where the origin and some traits affect where they gain faster, and initial value.  This means that the origins of the colonist setting the default zero keeps the pick and choose.  Somebody might be ideal for joining colony for peace.  Others would take some serious indoctrination by being restricted in their freedom.  Once that trait is earned though, it isn't lost unless replaced meaning something else needs to hit that conversion threshhold and be higher in value vs what already has.  At which time the lowest of the three or the counter would be lost.

[mumblemumble]

I think same should apply to losing traits / incapables. With time and training,  having depression cured,  or a pacifist willing to fight back for his home.

This suggestion is amazing though.

[Vaporisor]

I think same should apply to losing traits / incapables. With time and training,  having depression cured,  or a pacifist willing to fight back for his home.

Well, depression and serene would be a prime example.  If your colony stays too long with joy meter unfilled, everybody miserable, they will start developing depression, even a serene under constant misery eventually lose and/or depression.  Flipside is if you have a depressed person, but constantly exposed to multiple positives.  Social, joy and good meals, depression eventually helped.

Pacifist is an interesting one to include with this and shows the potential of the cause/effect since some things might adjust multiple statuses.  Say for example your colony had multiple raids or attacks.  Well, that optimist pacifist?  The corpses, losing colonists and toss in the killing of say bonded animal and spouse?  That might be enough to make that person stop being a pacifist and become depressive.  It would take a fair bit, but the fact that option is there really makes for some in game drama.

Perhaps that pacifist was also your main gardener or crafts person.  Now you have new traits to deal with and need to keep in mind that they will break more meaning different gear, etc.  That also can mean that others are receiving the same effect meaning a player might need to change approach.  You make a glorious colony that starts becoming fat and lazy, suddenly keeping it supported, countering raids, etc becomes that much more difficult opening up potential to have different groups.  So a few might be skilled military in a larger colony, with your workers isolated from the horrors of war.

[b0rsuk]

On a related note, it's strange that even life-changing events like crash landing on a planet don't make colonists learn anything. My current colony had two people who refused to do dumb labor - which meant Ignacio had to do both hauling and cleaning, and other things. Then the colony grew to 5, and still only one cleaner/hauler. These humans are incredibly stubborn.

It's strange that passion (none, burning etc) can never be acquired or lost.

[mumblemumble]

By the way,  whoever said psychopath is more common than homosexuality.... Its funny because gay people have elevated rates to have skitzophrenia,  and pyromania, and other issues so this isn't necessarily wrong.

  with the political weight there ,  i doubt this detail would be added.  Shame because deep,  deep simulation of psychology would be absolutely phenomenal.