Uneeded imbalance between cold and hot biomes

[Canute]

Regarding the leather vs wool discussion, on normal playthroughs even in really cold biomes a normal leather parka is more then enough.  The fancy wool ones don't even need to exist basically, the world just doesn't get cold enough or hot enough until you start adjusting the world temperature on game creation, so the armor discussion for wool types is fairly moot.

You think ?
With the proper wool torque you allready get enough cold protection to wear a good leather/devilstand duster. And don't need parka's.

[mndfreeze]

Well. what you're saying is basically along my same point, the temp variations just are not extreme enough to need the wool stuff, or parkas at all in most situations.  You can abuse the duster being just superior is almost every normal scenario.

Not that I want the various wool clothings to disapear or anything, I like playing the extreme biomes.  I just think the entire line of clothing and stats needs a pass over to sort of be re-balanced out.  Some items need more purpose to exist, some need to be less universal.  As it is, any normal temperature game always boils down to "grow devilstrange, make every colonist a long sleeve shirt, pants and duster from it and give armor chest.  Once to power armor equip all fighters with it or have it ready for them to equip for raids etc"

I also wouldn't mind if power armor had slightly better temp protection, or if there was a an additional layer you could wear with it so you could use power armor in extreme environments.  Or perhaps just another type of armor in between the armor chest piece and power armor. 

[Daguest]

Sorry, was away for holidays stuff.

I don't think the biomes should be balanced for the sake of balancing them. But I think that right now, desert are way, way too easy. Mostly because water is not modeled in the game as a need. Which is the biggest reason why desert are not populated IRL. Crops grow just fine without water in rimworld, and our people never drink. Eventually, desert are easy.
When you have a desert and an "extreme" desert, you expect a challenge. Just like you have with pretty much all the cold biome (in varying degree of difficulty). But right now, arid bushland is pretty much an easy mode temperate, desert is easy, and extreme desert is not really difficult.

Eventually, people looking for a bit of challenge are pushed toward cold biomes. And that get a bit stale after a while.

Ever seen a tree explode because it freezes (ice volume expansion)? I have, once; it's not something you want to be nearby as 2' long 'splinters' can really ruin your day, plus it's completely unpredictable (unlike, say, a dead limb dropping: an experienced woodsie could spot the latter potential)

There are still massive forest in boreal... forest IRL. Siberia is full of forest, despite the cold. In game, your tree will die, and they will not grow back. A few years in, the area you are in is a desert. Which makes no sense. It's like a Heisenberg thing, you can see the tree die so they all die, apparently. But if we are not there to see them, they don't. We solved the mystery. Quantum physicists and philosopher around the world are probably rejoicing.

Cold species should grow in cold biomes (at least the one where they are supported). Like pines.

WRT the headgear issue I find it odd that bowler (derby) hats offer no extra protection; that's what they were designed for initially (cf c18-c19 gamekeepers, then police/security forces before helmets). WRT temp protection perhaps make tribal veil (or even headdress)  similar to a balaclava/scarf combo, with accompanying social penalty? As said above, leather tuques would be effectively useless vs -ive temp

Ushanka want a word with you :
https://www.furhatworld.com/images_wm/large/Silver_Fox_FurLeather_Russian_Ushanka_Hat_1455.jpg

They are made of fur, but in game fur and leather is pretty much the same. Thrumbo fur, chinchilla fur are both leather in game. And you can't deny they look cool.

[Foefaller]

I think the issue is water, or rather, the fact that it's worthless and isn't required for anything. Having a lake or a river on your plot should be a boon to your settlement's survival, not some annoying thing that gets in the way of your perfectly-designed fortress. The lack of water should be the actual challenge of arid biomes, but since you never need water in the first place, the only real long-term challenge is the heat, and as people have said, it is nowhere as punishing as extreme cold is.

If there were things like fishing (especially Ice fishing) hydroponics requiring a steady water supply (either to work or to get better-than-fertile-land results), the ability to irrigate farmland to increase fertility, with the ability to melt ice and snow to get these things... There are a lot of things you can add to make the (frozen) water abundance of arctic climes compared to arid ones a boon for them without having to add a thirst meter.