Obviously I'm doing something wrong but what...

Started by City Builder, February 04, 2014, 05:57:06 AM

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City Builder

Hi,

It's been a while since I tinkered around in the previous version of Rimworld and so just recently got a message about the new version release so I downloaded it, and got rid of the old version.

Where before (in the older version) I could get a base up and running without too much trouble from my colonists at all,  Now in version 334 I don't even come close to getting a base up and running before my three colonists either go mad or just leave the colony all together.

I'm not doing too much if anything different than I did in the previous version so not sure what is causing my colonists to go all batty and or leave my colony.

Any clues how to find out, what to do differently so that my colonists don't go mad and or leave my colony so SO early in my game?

Thanks

Jones-250

Well... Hauling things around does strech the time between starting the building of something and when it´s finished. I´ve had no problems with my colonists, but that´s probably because I´ve taken the additional time it takes to finish stuff in consideration. Usually I fix them proper beds and roofing asap, as there´s quite a lot of food around on the ground. Then I fix a small farmland and a dispenser. Defences come last... Usually in the nick of time.
Skill,
  Cohesion
      and a Forward spirit.

DarkMyau

#2
You beat me to it.

Alpha has been a nightmare. I don't even know whats wrong half the time.

In one game my miner just up and left! No mental break warning or anything. And the colony was really looking good at that point too!

What I think it is, is that the colonists don't like being outside and you need to speed up their rooms.

Food is now a massive issue. It seems you need hydroponics up and running ASAP. If your oaf has any other duty, it seems to kill off food production completely. Growing areas just are not as useful as they were.

Bodog999

You have enough food supplies a nutriënt paste dispenser with filled hoppers enough room and proper beds?

Semmy

in the top right it is always stated what is happening.
Mental breakdowns etc are noted there.

Maybe look into that and tell us what is going wrong so we can help you out.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke

OobleckTheGreen

I'm a new player, and have no experience with the older version. However, I do agree that it's extremely hard to get a colony going. I've had some success by making sure that a proper room is built ASAP, moving the beds there, dropping down a solar generator next to the wall, and putting in a food dispenser immediately right after that. Then build a farm and hope to hell that the first couple waves of raiders don't have someone with Molotovs or grenades. If they do, I always run straight into melee before they get to my base. Problem is, the first raider attacks almost always happen soon after building a rudimentary base, and it can be hard to recuperate from the first attack before the next problem happens.

City Builder

Thanks for the response, I was just about to write another message asking what would be considered the proper build order when you start a new game as there appears that there is one, but I don't recall what it was exactly on the previous version but I followed it (even if it was unintentional) and never had any issues starting up a new base.  At least not until the raiders would show up, but that could be countered with proper placement of turrets etc.

So, is there an "optimal" build order for getting a base up and running in this version?  Would it be better to put up a quick room and get the colonists indoors before let's say building a thermal generator etc?

Is it better to quick build a 4 wall shack to house the colonists or build them a quick rough room in the inside of the mountain to hold their beds?


Quote from: OobleckTheGreen on February 04, 2014, 11:54:45 AM
I'm a new player, and have no experience with the older version. However, I do agree that it's extremely hard to get a colony going. I've had some success by making sure that a proper room is built ASAP, moving the beds there, dropping down a solar generator next to the wall, and putting in a food dispenser immediately right after that. Then build a farm and hope to hell that the first couple waves of raiders don't have someone with Molotovs or grenades. If they do, I always run straight into melee before they get to my base. Problem is, the first raider attacks almost always happen soon after building a rudimentary base, and it can be hard to recuperate from the first attack before the next problem happens.

OobleckTheGreen

I've been doing sort of a cross between building them a shack and digging into the mountain. When the game starts, I immediately pause and search the map for a largish alcove in the mountains that I could put a wall in front of. Sometimes I find two or three "rock islands" -- mountainous areas with empty space between -- that I can run a couple disconnected walls between to create a sort of cheap base (using minimum walling possible).

The idea there is to get a fairly large area that I can eventually build into, but have it be walled off completely from raiders while I get myself together. Obviously, it's good to find an area with a thermal vent.

This screenshot shows a base that's obviously advanced well beyond the initial stages, but it does sort of show the type of area I originally looked for. 80% of the blue bedroom area was originally mountain, and there was only one small entrance to get into the mountainous region, that top blob of rock. I was able to build without even being bothered by raiders for quite a while, since they'd show up with pistols and had no way to breach my walled defenses. Since I had so much mountain to play with, I just dug in and got my metal without needing to send my guys past the outer wall until I felt stronger.


jjgoldman

I agree with the original poster.  I find the "start-up" portion has indeed become more difficult, and requires a more "incremental" approach then the prior builds. 

For example, in the first couple of tries with this build I would plop down 2 growing areas at the outset, as I had in the past.  Well I've determined that I'm better off with only 1 growing area as the time spent planting the second is much better spent mining out a base with rooms.  Not to mention I inevitably get a crop failure as one of my first "events".  Same goes for the solar panels, only 1 initially, then a second when the base is initially mined out.  The whole "transport" of resources takes much more time as well, which means less done in the same time, which means more mental issues before you've got a chance to set up everything.

Tynan

Hmm. I thought this might happen. I tried to soften the timing a bit, but yeah, the stockpiling adds more labor for the colonists to do in several areas, so your development will be slowed. I'll look into balancing this back a bit for Alpha 2.
Tynan Sylvester - @TynanSylvester - Tynan's Blog

City Builder

Quote from: Tynan on February 05, 2014, 12:48:08 PM
Hmm. I thought this might happen. I tried to soften the timing a bit, but yeah, the stockpiling adds more labor for the colonists to do in several areas, so your development will be slowed. I'll look into balancing this back a bit for Alpha 2.
Thank you.

Dr. Z

I think one of the things that need more time than before is building, because the colonists need to carry the metal to the building side before they can build. Hauling also needs more time than before alpha 1.

I agree with jjgoldman and OobleckTheGreen. Find a place you can defend with minimum walling right at the start and build one room with dispenser, beds/sleeping spots and battery along with a solar panel and a growing area outside so you have the basics.

I also wan to say that I like the increased diffcult in early game, because you can't get a base up and running as easy and fast as in the former build.
Prasie the Squirrel!

sparda666

I havent really encountered any differences other than it takes longer to build things due to stockpiling and having to build hoppers for nutrient paste.

what enrages me the most about building is that usually when I tell someone to build something small like a mine, they will grab the metal from the stockpile, drop it at the blueprint location to start construction, but immediately leave to do something else and then someone on the complete opposite side of my base is assigned to continue the construction.

ChristianWarrior

I've had a pretty good success rate on all my colonies (though I haven't tried the hard mode storyteller).  First thing I un-forbid everything, then get them to mine the chunk of minerals.  While they do that I find a good spot with a geothermal and move the stockpile zone and beds over by it, mine out any rock in the way and normally have the geothermal up by day 2.  After that I build a research bench, do hydroponics.  I switch to manual priorities here, giving the best researcher a one for research but leaving everything else alone.  While it researches I dig into the rock, hollow out a spot for a main room, hydroponics room and bedrooms.  Build the tables when the research is done, then switch back to auto-priority.  Make sure someone has everything above growing switched off, at least make sure construction is off or they will never grow.  After that, depends on how I want to play that game.

Hope this helps!
Awesome game, isn't it?

daft73

#14
 
Quote from: sparda666 on February 07, 2014, 12:22:03 AM
I havent really encountered any differences other than it takes longer to build things due to stockpiling and having to build hoppers for nutrient paste.

what enrages me the most about building is that usually when I tell someone to build something small like a mine, they will grab the metal from the stockpile, drop it at the blueprint location to start construction, but immediately leave to do something else and then someone on the complete opposite side of my base is assigned to continue the construction.

I rarely run into this problem of starting a job and then hiking across the map for 5 count of potato..or other silly situations. That said setting up priorities early is always key for a good start.

My usual first colonists consist of; Miner, Grower, Builder. And from the start they are routed in certain paths to get things up and going.

My grower runs around to collect food, metals, and silver. The digger (depending on map) will either start to collect more metals, or more often than not dig out the areas around the closest geyser source.
Finally my builder will get power built, bedding/ food dispenser and prisoner bedding.

I try to get all of the done by the first evening....helps alot to get foundations firmly established.

Also setting up your to-do chart is of most importance ;)


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