Alternatives to killboxing

[Kaballah]

All that is still a bit beside the point, that the unmodded game isn't really hard enough to require kill box construction anyway.  If you find yourself unable to play without doing this, I don't know what to say, because I actually have to look for ways to make the game harder (Harsher Tundra/Ice Sheet, Zombie Apocalypse etc).  People that are building tower defense style colonies are doing that because it pleases them, not because the game is ~~ weep weep~~ SO HARD otherwise.

[akiceabear]

Darth - thanks for those examples, including the hat tip to fog of war Although I think Jamestowns 120 members is on the high side compared to the intended colony size in RimWorld. Even if not same in degree, it does highlight the substantial manpower devoted to defense. The Robinson Crusoe example is also interesting.

Marvin - I like all of your idea about turrets, especially being disabled and slowly repairable after sustaining X damage, rather than self destructing (a mechanism I never understood). Another possibility is making all turrents require ammo/hoppers, which means they can run out of ammo in a large enough raid.

More broadly, what about nerfing repair speed? This would make repairing more about revitalizing surviving equipment post-battle rather than keeping objects "healthy" during battle despite a wall of incoming fire. This could also address turtling via wall repairs, perhaps adding more teeth to raids that try to attack walls before entering the killbox.

[Monkfish]

I think the starting security turret should simply be a machinegun on a tripod that needs to be manned for it to operate (and it also wouldn't require any power). Later down the line/tech tree the turrets could become automated.

Whether they would also require feeding with bullets in the same way mortars do, I don't know. Ammo has been left out for all other projectile weapons bar the mortar and I suspect that's because it would be a massive pain in the tits to have to produce ammo in any quantity.

[antibodee]

I think the starting security turret should simply be a machinegun on a tripod that needs to be manned for it to operate (and it also wouldn't require any power). Later down the line/tech tree the turrets could become automated.

Whether they would also require feeding with bullets in the same way mortars do, I don't know. Ammo has been left out for all other projectile weapons bar the mortar and I suspect that's because it would be a massive pain in the tits to have to produce ammo in any quantity.

Brilliant.

[warden]

Without taking part in any killbox-specific debates, i'm currently playing my first open area & colonist defense only -base. No turrets whatsoever. I did build three mortars to help with crashed Mech ships, but i'm starting to accumulate enough ranged weaponry to think i'm not going to need them. I'm not an advanced player so i tend to stay in 30% and 60% modes, usually Randy or Phoebe. Defending the colony with 11 reasonably armed and skilled dudes is surprisingly easy. I've only lost one so far.

And thanks to a squad of shielded mace beaters i've captured and recruited quite a few more.

[antibodee]

You mortar mech ships?  I find it faster to actually surround it with turrets than to mortar them down.

[warden]

You mortar mech ships?  I find it faster to actually surround it with turrets than to mortar them down.

No doubt it is faster. Since i'm playing a no-turret game, it's sort of not an option.

[Kaballah]

I'm not an advanced player so i tend to stay in 30% and 60% modes, usually Randy or Phoebe. Defending the colony with 11 reasonably armed and skilled dudes is surprisingly easy. I've only lost one so far.

Seriously you ought to go ahead and try Cassandra on max, as far as I'm aware the only difference with Phoebe is you have more time to prepare between threats.  And yeah once you have ~10 dudes with reasonably good weapons (even if they have crappy skills) very little can actually threaten you, really just the mechanoid assaults.

And thanks to a squad of shielded mace beaters i've captured and recruited quite a few more.

I really need to try this.

[rtiger]

Seems this has gone FAR past my first comment. This wasn't really to talk about killboxing, but ways to get around having to use killboxing. The overall consensus here though is, you can't get around using killboxes to stay alive.

Which goes back to the first point. Just what could be put in that would allow players not require using killboxes? Even if the AI was updated to avoid them, players will still find ways to build killing floors, even internally. If the players had other, viable answers to killboxing, we would use them

Maybe colonists researching and building mechanoids to defend the colony?

[Darth Fool]

A quick answer to your question.  A metagame which allows you to not only arrange peace with your neighbours including pirates (which is now sort of possible through prisoner release but not very rewarding) and a means to deal with mechanoids permanently.  Civil society is what ultimately allows villages to not be fortifications.

[Listy]

Seems this has gone FAR past my first comment. This wasn't really to talk about killboxing, but ways to get around having to use killboxing. The overall consensus here though is, you can't get around using killboxes to stay alive.

Which goes back to the first point. Just what could be put in that would allow players not require using killboxes? Even if the AI was updated to avoid them, players will still find ways to build killing floors, even internally. If the players had other, viable answers to killboxing, we would use them

Maybe colonists researching and building mechanoids to defend the colony?

I did once want to try a fort approach. With a perimeter wall with weapon racks to provide embrasures. Then that way when an attack happens everyone takes their long ranged weapon (Lee Enfield or sniper rifle) and gets to the wall under threat.

Alas I quickly realised that the enemy in most situations was on top of you too quickly to respond, and there's too many of them. Plus now you've lost the ability to build movement halting weapon racks its a lot harder.

I might try a "Redoubt" style of play one of these days. Where the colony infrastructure is considered sacrificial, and the colonists hold up in a redoubt during attacks, then need to re-build after the event.

[Kaballah]

Seems this has gone FAR past my first comment. This wasn't really to talk about killboxing, but ways to get around having to use killboxing. The overall consensus here though is, you can't get around using killboxes to stay alive.

What, no, just get some dudes with guns and activate them and shoot things.  The vanilla game is really not that hard at all.  What scenario is so difficult that you have to build a hands free kill box?

[warden]

I used to build killboxes because i felt the game was punishing me a bit too swiftly for gaining wealth and expanding beyond the first half a year or so. Oh you crafted your first legendary golden statue? Have a raiding party of 10 troopers with charge rifles and grenades, you could attack them pre-emptively with your five, two of which are incapable of violence...

Of course the endless turrets also contributed to that factor, that and hoarding gold, silver and crafting legendary art pieces all over the place seemed to attract such vast numbers of raiding parties that i was often overrun. Then again i sort of suck at the game.

Keeping a colony intentionally poor solved the problem, but that felt like a stupid way to play so i finally left the mountain bases and tried my hand at a more strategic combat. I don't think i'll go back to farming turrets, if i build a mountain base again i'm just going to have multiple entrances and mazes where i can use the colonists instead.

[Kaballah]

How are you crafting large numbers of legendary art pieces but you don't have more than 5 combat-capable dudes, how does that even happen.  By the time I manage to produce multiple legendary sculptures I have around 12-15 dudes who can hold guns, and a large assortment of guns looted from attackers/traded.

[antibodee]

Easier than you'd think.  I have a colony of over 100 that has never fired a single shot.  Turrets.