Water

[Wilco]

I dont know how one would make beer out of just hops, cook vegetables or survive without using water.

Your colonists will be able to use buckets to gather water from a water source like a lake. Or set up buckets to collect rain water.
The water would then be used to cook, make beer, survive, feed pets and much more.

Later on in the game you can research water systems (please rename this). This allows you to lay down pipes to transfer liquids like water, you need a pump of course that is powered by electricity. This water can then be pumped into a crafting stations and machines:

• Cook Stove
• Brewery
• Boiler (produces steam)
• Steam Engine (uses steam)(produces alot of power)
• sprinkler (puts out fire and can be re-used)
• Sink (Colonists can get water from here and wash things)
• Shower (new hygiene need)
• Toilet (new needs? maybe)
• Many more possibilities

I hope you like this new system, leave any suggestions down BELOOW

[Kegereneku]

I find your suggestion slightly too complex, too time intensive & with too much new items to place.
Looking for realism is nice but only if it improve your game experience.
Rimworld is hard enough that "water" could better be considered an improvement for late-game rather than an absolute necessity.

Also you really don't need toilet, no really (and that come from mister "manure for crops !")

Minimalist alternative :
No need for colonist to drink.
- 1 powered water-source (aka, omni-pump/desalinization/storage) to put on Geyser/shallow-water
- pipes
Simply link the pipes to anything that accept it (cooking-stove) to give it a [whatever] bonus.
Then, obviously some multi-function items like sprinkler (plant/fire), shower (mood/health), fountain(Art/beauty).

It might not look vital enough but once you reach middle-game with picky colonist anything that improve their mood will be welcome, you'll be using valuable resources and it is also meant to open the way to water-based events like any reason for fire, drought or poisoned water.
The error would be to make a system so complex that it become it's own game, rather than fuse with other features.

[panofduluth]

I like the idea of somethings needing water. of course if it was added then colonists would/should require water as well. DF easily has drinks and water incorporated without being to complex. i don't see how laying down a pump and pipes is to complex but you would be able to do things with water without pipes. it would just help. imagine power lines but pipes instead. but then there would have to be flooding incidents and other stuff. its a neat idea i would be ok with if it was added correctly. the mechanics would have to be thought about but this idea definitely shouldn't just be dismissed.

[cultist]

imagine power lines but pipes instead.

And that's the main problem with this idea I think. It's just power lines, but you have to do it twice. Simply building a pump/water producing object and dragging pipes all over the place doesn't sound like it adds anything this game doesn't have in spades. I already find the power line construction annoying because constructers refuse to reserve more than 8-9 of them at once, so they haul tiny stacks of steel back and forth, back and forth... even with a stockpile nearby it's slow and tedious building long power lines. I really don't want to have to do it two times for every room I build.

[DNK]

I disagree, I think having more "power lines" type things would improve the game. I think it's one of the neat aspects of the game I'd like to see utilized more.

You could use it for electrical (and perhaps have multiple electrical circuits in one tile), water, heating, and fire control.

[Toggle]

This is one of the most frequently suggested topics in rimworld, along with pregnancy.

[cultist]

I disagree, I think having more "power lines" type things would improve the game.

How, exactly? I don't see what it adds except an extra thing you have to build everywhere for your buildings to function.

[panofduluth]

I do not have a problem with my colonists building long power lines as is and i play on ludicrous map size. they are no more difficult then anything else. just need them to be available. try to do to much and sure it will be goofy but same goes for trying to have to much farm land and not enough time to work it all. got to find a balance.