[A12d] Ish's Medieval Mods - Update: Alpha 12 and Balance (1 Sep 2015)

[DizzyCrash]

I JUST want this in the game cause of all the medivil worlds out there and characters you can spawn with, to have it mixed with all the base guns and weapons and stuff, tell me, does it replace the base gear or just add it in as a special option like any other equipment mods.

[IshOfTheWoods]

I JUST want this in the game cause of all the medivil worlds out there and characters you can spawn with, to have it mixed with all the base guns and weapons and stuff, tell me, does it replace the base gear or just add it in as a special option like any other equipment mods.

This does not remove or replace any base items. It should be 100% compatible with vanilla and most other mods. So enjoy  When I make mods that do replace or remove base items, I'll clearly mark that.

[IshOfTheWoods]

How about adding some fun to melee?

Why, that does sound fun. For now, though, I want to keep these as vanilla-compatible as possible. Later, when I make a more of a total-conversion mod pack, I will definitely look into this. Thanks!

[puddlejumper448]

How possible would it be to add a trap in that is a tripwire, you can mount a weapon on it (bow for range, swords possible too though if you want it one tile away). I imagine you could build it just like a power line, but have it coming from a box or something that you have to put a weapon in to make it work, then whenever a pawn steps in a square with the wire in it, the weapon fires/swings, one time use ofc just like the others, it would have to be rearmed, in this case reloading the bow or resetting the sword. I know traps are new so Idk how moddable they are yet.

[AllenWL]

Oh, this is very nice. I was thinking on a medieval colony-thing, and what really got to me was the distinct lack of armor, weapons, and other medieval things.

Some suggestions are: crossbows, slings, javelins, cannons(like medieval mortars), ballista, and other ranged weapons.
Two types of bows really aren't enough when you're fighting guys with all sorts of guns and explosives, and cover is only really worth it when you have something to shoot past it. Otherwise, all you're really doing is prolonging your inevitable death.

Medieval workstations. Pretty much everything in rimworld need power. Lights, smiting, tailoring, cooking.... Having solar panels in your medieval castle is kindof a letdown, you know?
Things like tailor/smithing/cooking tables that don't need electricity(maybe a steady supply of wood for the smithing/cooking table?), a non-electric source of light like windows/steel bars to let in light or torches, etc would be nice.

[IshOfTheWoods]

How possible would it be to add a trap in that is a tripwire, you can mount a weapon on it (bow for range, swords possible too though if you want it one tile away). I imagine you could build it just like a power line, but have it coming from a box or something that you have to put a weapon in to make it work, then whenever a pawn steps in a square with the wire in it, the weapon fires/swings, one time use ofc just like the others, it would have to be rearmed, in this case reloading the bow or resetting the sword. I know traps are new so Idk how moddable they are yet.

I have looked at the trap definitions a bit, and I think something like would require a code addition (not just editing the data files). I haven't programmed in C# before and I'm new to the RimWorld modding scene, so first I'm going to go for the low-hanging fruits that don't require programming, then move on to those after I'm more familiar with modding RimWorld in general.

Oh, this is very nice. I was thinking on a medieval colony-thing, and what really got to me was the distinct lack of armor, weapons, and other medieval things.

Some suggestions are: crossbows, slings, javelins, cannons(like medieval mortars), ballista, and other ranged weapons.
Two types of bows really aren't enough when you're fighting guys with all sorts of guns and explosives, and cover is only really worth it when you have something to shoot past it. Otherwise, all you're really doing is prolonging your inevitable death.

Medieval workstations. Pretty much everything in rimworld need power. Lights, smiting, tailoring, cooking.... Having solar panels in your medieval castle is kindof a letdown, you know?
Things like tailor/smithing/cooking tables that don't need electricity(maybe a steady supply of wood for the smithing/cooking table?), a non-electric source of light like windows/steel bars to let in light or torches, etc would be nice.

Thanks for the ideas! I haven't done any ranged weapons yet. I think Project Armory contains a crossbow or two, as well as some early gunpowder weapons. I want to check on that before making my own. Ballista definitely planned!

Interesting thoughts on power. One of the mods I want to do is a smithing overhaul, which will require mining ores and smelting them into bars, which will require coal (which can be mined) or charcoal (from wood). I was thinking of just removing the power requirement completely for the cooking and tailoring tables. And torches are most certainly in the works.

Later down the road, when I get into more of the total conversion stuff, I was thinking about changing the power system to represent mechanical instead of electrical power. It would be required for some work tables (like a blast furnace, for operating the bellows). The easiest source of that would be wind, but perhaps other things could be added in with some coding (water wheel, animal-powered), and power would be transmitted by gears, which would themselves use up some of the power they are transmitting. Thoughts?

[XOTatterly]

Praise the Sun(s)! This looks fantastic; I'm of half a mind to run a setting where the colonists start with a bunch of high-tech, high-quality gear that has an above-average degradation rate; and the colony either regresses or adapts to an early modern era level of technology... And feeds into my despotic & autocratic tendencies, haha!

[akiceabear]

Looks great so far!

I'd love to see medieval traps/siege weapons such as:
- Oiled ground - the ability to pre-soak a feild in oil, which would then light and spread very quickly. Maybe look at how superior crafting's rich soil works - but instead merely change the flammability of the patch to a very high number.
- Boiling/burning oil - to pour over the parapets onto those aggregating below.

These two together could make very interesting traps for raiders!

[AllenWL]

a smithing overhaul, which will require mining ores and smelting them into bars, which will require coal (which can be mined) or charcoal (from wood).

Not sure how I feel about that. I tried superior crafting once, and while fun, well, needing to turn ores into bars can get really annoying. If it needs coal/charcoal on top of that, it means you would need a miner to get the ore, a smith to turn it into ingots, and a smith/miner to get coal/charcoal just so you can get usable ore. Having to craft a thing or two for a special something is fine, but once you start having to craft A to make B to which is needed to make 50% of things, it gets rather tiresome and bland. I had 10 colonists, had pretty much every single one was a faceless individual, doing nothing but sitting in front of worktables all day long. Maybe if metal ingots where only needed for certain 'precise' things?

I was thinking of just removing the power requirement completely for the cooking and tailoring tables. And torches are most certainly in the works.

Later down the road, when I get into more of the total conversion stuff, I was thinking about changing the power system to represent mechanical instead of electrical power. It would be required for some work tables (like a blast furnace, for operating the bellows). The easiest source of that would be wind, but perhaps other things could be added in with some coding (water wheel, animal-powered), and power would be transmitted by gears, which would themselves use up some of the power they are transmitting. Thoughts?

Personally, what I like most about rimworld is the diversity. Being able to interact with things of all era is a great source of fun for me. I especially liked being able to cook simple meals on campfires(forgot if it's from a mod or vanilla or what) for that reason. Sadly, rimworld is rather focused around the modern era.

Anyhow, to get back to my point, I would like it if 'medieval' and 'modern' production could be used together, both with pros and cons. You could go for modern, or medieval, or a strange mix of both with electric lights, a stone furnace, and sentry guns next to manned ballista.
Maybe I want to save up all my power for my defenses, so use medieval production tables. Maybe I would prefer to use my energy for my huge workroom, and put up catapults and ballista surrounded by parapets. I think it would make for a more fun game then 'only medieval or modern production tables'. Though, the amount of clutter on the GUI might be...

The biggest problem I see with the mechanical power is unstableness.
I can't for the life of me think of how to store mechanical power, and wind in rimworld is rather inconsistent. And if power is lost through distance, it would mean you are limited in where you can make a base due to a need for constant, stable power. Animal power would need animals, and how would we catch them to use? And how to keep them alive and spinning the wheel?
Also, what would happen if two gears from different sources met? What if it splits to different paths?

[hector212121]

How about adding ballista manned turrets? They cost, say, 70 wood, 70 metallic stuff and 1 cloth(for the ballista string)

[IshOfTheWoods]

Praise the Sun(s)! This looks fantastic; I'm of half a mind to run a setting where the colonists start with a bunch of high-tech, high-quality gear that has an above-average degradation rate; and the colony either regresses or adapts to an early modern era level of technology... And feeds into my despotic & autocratic tendencies, haha!

Interesting idea. Once the basics are done, I might need to put together a couple scenario packs, including one like this.

Looks great so far!

I'd love to see medieval traps/siege weapons such as:
- Oiled ground - the ability to pre-soak a feild in oil, which would then light and spread very quickly. Maybe look at how superior crafting's rich soil works - but instead merely change the flammability of the patch to a very high number.
- Boiling/burning oil - to pour over the parapets onto those aggregating below.

These two together could make very interesting traps for raiders!

Pouring oil from above had occurred to me, but I couldn't think of a good way to implement it, since RimWorld doesn't really have a concept of above. I had not thought of oiled ground - that's a good idea. What would it cost to oil the ground though? I'm hesitant to add oil in as a resource if it doesn't have a broader use.

Not sure how I feel about that. I tried superior crafting once, and while fun, well, needing to turn ores into bars can get really annoying. If it needs coal/charcoal on top of that, it means you would need a miner to get the ore, a smith to turn it into ingots, and a smith/miner to get coal/charcoal just so you can get usable ore. Having to craft a thing or two for a special something is fine, but once you start having to craft A to make B to which is needed to make 50% of things, it gets rather tiresome and bland. I had 10 colonists, had pretty much every single one was a faceless individual, doing nothing but sitting in front of worktables all day long. Maybe if metal ingots where only needed for certain 'precise' things?

I'm used to playing Dwarf Fortress where the production chains are... complex. For a medieval setting, mining usable steel out of a mountain does not make sense and breaks immersion. I can see though where this complexity would turn some people away. It'll be hard to hit the sweet spot between immersion and simplicity, and it'll require lots of balancing. Right now I'm aiming for more immersion than RimWorld, but less than Dwarf Fortress.

Personally, what I like most about rimworld is the diversity. Being able to interact with things of all era is a great source of fun for me. I especially liked being able to cook simple meals on campfires(forgot if it's from a mod or vanilla or what) for that reason. Sadly, rimworld is rather focused around the modern era.

Anyhow, to get back to my point, I would like it if 'medieval' and 'modern' production could be used together, both with pros and cons. You could go for modern, or medieval, or a strange mix of both with electric lights, a stone furnace, and sentry guns next to manned ballista.
Maybe I want to save up all my power for my defenses, so use medieval production tables. Maybe I would prefer to use my energy for my huge workroom, and put up catapults and ballista surrounded by parapets. I think it would make for a more fun game then 'only medieval or modern production tables'. Though, the amount of clutter on the GUI might be...

I want to keep these mods relatively independent of each other, and balanced against vanilla buildings, items, etc. So you will be able to download just the parts that add medieval content, and none of the parts that remove modern era content.

The biggest problem I see with the mechanical power is unstableness.
I can't for the life of me think of how to store mechanical power, and wind in rimworld is rather inconsistent. And if power is lost through distance, it would mean you are limited in where you can make a base due to a need for constant, stable power. Animal power would need animals, and how would we catch them to use? And how to keep them alive and spinning the wheel?
Also, what would happen if two gears from different sources met? What if it splits to different paths?

Good points. That's just an idea I've been toying with in my head. This was for more of a total conversion to medieval times, and you would be required to build powered buildings rather close to power sources. It would definitely need more power sources though, and those could require (possibly substantial) code additions. Definitely a ways down the road, if I do decide to do it.

How about adding ballista manned turrets? They cost, say, 70 wood, 70 metallic stuff and 1 cloth(for the ballista string)

Not decided on the cost yet, but it's in the works!

[akiceabear]

Pouring oil from above had occurred to me, but I couldn't think of a good way to implement it, since RimWorld doesn't really have a concept of above. I had not thought of oiled ground - that's a good idea. What would it cost to oil the ground though? I'm hesitant to add oil in as a resource if it doesn't have a broader use.

If oil is implemented, it could also act as fuel for lighting. In medieval times it should be challenging to always have vibrant light, correct?

If oiled ground isn't implemented, there are other fuel possibilities listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_thermal_weapons

Perhaps the most consistent to use within RimWorld would be that when you butcher a creature you also receive a share of animal fat, which can then be spread into the ground (but degrades with time). Different animals have differing fat output.

A perhaps even easier one would to be incorporate a mechanic that allows you split stacks of wood into 1 wood bundles and lay them in an area, waiting for a well-timed fire arrow.

[CovertGhost7377]

Do you think you could make trebuchet and catapult mortars? As a way to combat sieges without real mortars.

[Beathrus]

I feel like the game, Therian Saga would be a good basic idea factory for this mod; when it comes to gear at least.

[Tynan]

This looks really fantastic, actually. Great work.