water as a semi rare resource

[FullMetalPant]

I should have look in the mod community before, because this water/electricity idea is exactly what someone was attempting to do.

https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=18602.msg225663#msg225663

I think that is what is making the most sense, and doable in a acceptable amount of time exploiting an existing system instead of creating a new one from scratch. Though, seems like the guy work alone on this, and he have to figure out how the whole rimworld code is written in other to exploit it to get it done.

I would imagine it has a water gauge to be filled that would work more like JOY (when a pawn go to play pool or watch tv, is joy gauge is filled) he would go fill a flask, which would take like 5 or 10 second. But there would be no item to consume (still, a water device could create an item you can carry to use the water for something else, that could work too). Watering crop would work like a sunlight lamp, a sprinkler with a radius.

Or maybe the pawn could be ordered to water crop, which would decrease his water gauge (like when you walk around an ugly place, your beauty gauge decrease). The water gauge would represent the water he carry no the water he drank, so the penalty on mood and health would only apply once he ran out of water for a bit.

A well at the beginning would be possible to work that way too (just as a pool table don't need electricity, but a tv does), as well as a manual device to water crop (maybe that first well would allow you to water crop on a certain radius), until you build an electric/fuel pump and a plumbing system.

The problem I see is how do you calculate water consumption, as electric device consume electricity unless you turn them off, would it use water unless you turn you water device off, that still make sense but may be a bit of micro managing, unless it turn on and off on automatically activation. The extra is stored in water tank (battery).

I would help if I knew anything about coding! 

[Lightzy]

So, with the trolls moderated out,

Back to the topic of how to use water in creative ways in the game, I hope?

[FullMetalPant]

Sure thing

The thing with water is that it would open the way to so many more ideas in my opinion, even if it just start as a very basic system. Apparently Tynan said that he wouldn't want to double food as it's pointless, but what I imagine doesn't double food, it double the electric system and open the way to many, many water working devices that would give a lot of depth to the game, adding new mechanics and mood/health/world properties that make the utmost sense in a colony simulator. 

[Draegon]

I'm thinking that certain events could decrease water quality or outright poison it, like raiders could poison wells/ponds/etc and toxic fallout could make water toxic for a while. Requires iodine to clean? Also someone mentioned underground water sources that could flood your colony, they COULD be on the same level as the colony but they'd be inside mountains. They could have a small sign that they're there, perhaps tiny water pools once you destroy nearby stone tiles? Or a leaking water animation. The water that comes out to flood your colony could slow movement and building speed considerably. It would be difficult to stop a flood, plus moisture pumps would be required to remove the water after it's dammed up. Walls could outright stop water from spreading but doors would merely slow it.