Brainstorm: Buildable Future Content

[AspenShadow]

While I have no idea what stage the pre-alpha has grown to by this point; and will have by the time we have access to it after the Kickstarter's done hit its time limit, I think the issue so far has been a lack of general content.

So this is just a list-style brainstorm open to the forums about possible ideas for buildable content in your colony.

[AspenShadow]

•   Fountain

•   Big Fountain

•   Vending Machine

•   Cold Storage Unit - It's pretty much a big fridge, but only food? Or science samples?

•   Automated Artillery Post (AAP)

•   Automated Turret Post (ATP)

•   Shower - Even if hygiene isn't implemented as I'm quite uncertain about it myself, it can still be useful for washing away accumulated terrain from workers [sand] for  example, and give a boost to mood for a brief while if they're forever caked in dirt then disease and unhappiness is more likely.

•   Doormat - Stops colonists tracking acquired dirt (shown in pre-alpha) into base and gives a psychological welcoming/homely effect.

•   Upgrade to Doors: Fortified Door, Airtight Seal, and Trapped Door (drops shut and won't open if enemy comes through into base).

•   Upgrade chairs to be comfortable with carpet/textiles research completed.

•   Stasis Pod - Essentially the next level of bed, which gives more restful sleep and means they can wake up earlier in the morning at the same level of rest (more work hours in day allowed then) but at the price of it not being very comfortable? I've not got a solid con worked out yet.

•   Physician's Operating Table (POT?) - Essentially while the recovering patients can use beds to sleep in, someone quite diseased or with an unknown illness has to be diagnosed by hopping on the POT and getting a doctor to examine them. Sometimes this might help them with their current Biology/Humanities research project.

•   Musebox - A universal player of stored television/music in people's bedrooms or the general lounge for morale.

•   Cooker - At first a stone-age fire will suffice for cooking meat/food that is poisonous to eat raw, but hasn't wronged you enough to be ground into nutrient paste, after all it's much tastier when using the all-in-one microwave/oven/stove/hob! Introducing the CookerTM, it's a step up from fire!

•   Architect's Table - A pretty unique idea I think, if you have a snobbish medieval lord who you want to use his construction skill more, than have him sit at the Architect's Table to plan out your buildings better and delegate with more command to the peons who actually build! (While someone is at the Architect's Table all construction goes a little faster, maybe it also has less chance of decaying due to environmental concerns?)

[Hypolite]

You can have an idea how varied the content is by looking at the RimWorld wiki. I'm adding new things once I see them in the game. However, Tynan is not working on expanding content yet. Currently he is working on improving the adaptability of the storyteller to improve early game fairness and late game challenge.

Still, it's a good idea to make that list

[Spike]

•   Architect's Table - A pretty unique idea I think, if you have a snobbish medieval lord who you want to use his construction skill more, than have him sit at the Architect's Table to plan out your buildings better and delegate with more command to the peons who actually build! (While someone is at the Architect's Table all construction goes a little faster, maybe it also has less chance of decaying due to environmental concerns?)

Hmm, a fine idea.  Perhaps having an Architect's Table would also reduce the amount of materials needed, due to cutting out a bit of wastage?

Food:
Fertilizer - increased crop yield.
Irrigation - increased crop yield.
Spice Rack Nutrient Paste Dispenser upgrade; add flavor to that bland paste!

EDIT:  Was glancing at the wiki, had a few more!
Trash Compactor - reduces debris size, now you can fit more trash into your Dumping Area!
Recycling unit - some debris might have parts that can be re-used.  +x metal (or other resources if added).
Compost unit - organic garbage might be re-purposed as fertilizer (negative happy thoughts if pirate/colonist bodies are used, animals are ok).
Incinerator - completely remove some types of garbage (pirate bodies no prob, colonist bodies maybe cause a slight negative reaction).

[Starkiller]

Some hard sci-fi stuff:
3D printers - all purpose tools, weapons and parts builder
vat grown meat - increased food production, maybe mood boost (tasty homey beef)
robot assembly unit - build various various types of robots (farming, mining, construction, etc.)
robot control unit - colonists teleoperating robots
automatic surgery table - like the one in Prometheus (film)
water condenser - use electricity to condense water from air
water recycling - waste less water
heating system - for cold nights and eclipses
genetic lab - modifying animals, plants and colonists for a better future

[AspenShadow]

robot control unit - colonists teleoperating robots*

water recycling - waste less water*

Genetic lab - modifying animals, plants and colonists for a better future*

Like the ideas, keep them coming.
A few notes: I'm not sure having robots that required a colonist to operate would be worthwhile.
Water Recycling would benefit better as an upgrade researched to an existing water-regulatory-construction.
Atm I don't think buildings exist (or will) in Rimworld, it would be easier to re-label it as a "Genetic Sequencer", a 2x2/3x2 device.

[Spike]

A few notes: I'm not sure having robots that required a colonist to operate would be worthwhile.

What if it's a robot soldier?    Sure, you're safe in the control room... but if the robot dies, and had your only gun, you have to go out to pick up a weapon.

[AspenShadow]

A few notes: I'm not sure having robots that required a colonist to operate would be worthwhile.

What if it's a robot soldier?    Sure, you're safe in the control room... but if the robot dies, and had your only gun, you have to go out to pick up a weapon.

I'm not sure of robot soldiers, certainly labour-bots but it sounds similar to the mech-suits debate for me. And would have the added issue of removing risk of beloved colonist death from the story after you can produce robots.

[Zeiph]

•   Stasis Pod - Essentially the next level of bed, which gives more restful sleep and means they can wake up earlier in the morning at the same level of rest (more work hours in day allowed then) but at the price of it not being very comfortable? I've not got a solid con worked out yet.

Sorry aspen but on that I don't follow you. In most of the sci-fi culture, stasis pods are made for long term sleeping, usually to preserve bodies from the damages of time for long time space flights. Thus I don't find it could stick to the fast-sleeping idea.

I would add on the list one thing:
manned turret: like an automated turret but you need to provide a drafted colonist for it to be operational, but on the other side doesn't need energy to work

[Starkiller]

AspenShadow you are right, with the term "genetic lab" i mean some tech that will allow to modify your colonists, also some cyber-improvements would be nice; i think that giving the game a little bit of transhumanist's feeling would distinguish it a lot from others sim games. Also as a side note i was thinking about waste recycling, i don't know if is planned but some type of sewage management like building sewer pipes and black and grey water holding tanks is needed. And for last according to me installing artificial lights on walls and/or ceilings is better than building small lamps.
P.S.
My english is not so great (nor my primary language) so with the last sentence i didn't want to sound presumptuous i know that programming a game is not an easy task.

[Adamemnon]

Mine Shaft - Considering that the game is 2D, this building would enable mining underground, so that you don't have to mine whole map to get materials.

[AspenShadow]

•   Stasis Pod - Essentially the next level of bed, which gives more restful sleep and means they can wake up earlier in the morning at the same level of rest (more work hours in day allowed then) but at the price of it not being very comfortable? I've not got a solid con worked out yet.

Sorry aspen but on that I don't follow you. In most of the sci-fi culture, stasis pods are made for long term sleeping, usually to preserve bodies from the damages of time for long time space flights. Thus I don't find it could stick to the fast-sleeping idea.

I would add on the list one thing:
manned turret: like an automated turret but you need to provide a drafted colonist for it to be operational, but on the other side doesn't need energy to work

True enough, I was kinda reaching on that one. Though the manned turret that doesn't require power is just  a cannon which is already being implemented in future content I heard... wait I forgot where I heard it... Lol if anyone can confirm that'd be nice?

[Finjinimo]

On the Wild West Frontier vibe...

Distillery: A place to brew Moonshine.

Moonshine Keg: Like the food dispenser, but more fun.

Saloon: A place to drink moonshine. (req: chair, table, keg)


I just really like the idea of making my last stand in a saloon...

[Zeiph]

On the Wild West Frontier vibe...

Distillery: A place to brew Moonshine.

Moonshine Keg: Like the food dispenser, but more fun.

Saloon: A place to drink moonshine. (req: chair, table, keg)


I just really like the idea of making my last stand in a saloon...

Maybe not a whole saloon, because in the end of the day it is just another room, but maybe some kind of bar furniture to have your saloon (and the mandatory double saloon door with a *schlak schlak* noise when you go through it).

[AspenShadow]

Maybe not a whole saloon, because in the end of the day it is just another room, but maybe some kind of bar furniture to have your saloon (and the mandatory double saloon door with a *schlak schlak* noise when you go through it).

I like the idea it adds more to the Frontier theme established in the Alpha, a distillery can be used to brew various alcoholic drinks and similar to power & batteries, you store a type of booze in a keg because maybe it takes too much time to distil the drink and have it on request?

And whether it's saloon doors or not I do hope Tynan adds in some double-doors.