How many more Alphas?

[RimworldOx]

Who cares whether its in Alpha or Omega or Delta lol its the best indie game in the market and gets better each update; we as the consumer stand only to gain as time passes.

Many indie games spend forever in Alpha and play like trash, incomplete, then get abandoned (like Pixel Piracy)

Rimworld is already almost AAA quality, it could be released tomorrow and still hold its overwhelming positive rating on Steam.

Fortunately because of the type of game Rimworld is, there is unlimited room for improvement, and thats a good thing!

Don't even get me started on the amazing mod community.

[A Friend]

When the faction system is finally expanded upon and becomes a core part of the gameplay experience. Because imo, that's the only major feature that hasn't been fleshed out yet, preventing the game from truly being called "complete".

What are your thoughts on a better faction system? I find myself wanting it "better" but don't really know how it could be that way.

In short:
Region based factions that varies in strength and personality. And giving us different ways to interact with them. All the while making full use of the map, caravan and quest system. The faction system would make your Rimworld experience depend on what neighbors you happen to have.

Here's how I imagine it.

Factions are found in small regions and occupies territory. Factions also have a set amount of strength that determines how big their territory is, how heavily defended their bases are and how numerous and well-armed their troops are. Losing bases, caravans and failed raids weaken them but they can also get stronger over time. Factions can be involved in wars where the two sides send raiding parties to attack the other. Factions would

Pirates factions could be:
- Mercenaries (Heavily armed groups that'll leave you alone as long as you don't get in their way.)
- Opportunistic (Weak but hostile gangs that ambush you in the road or does extortions.)
- Merchant (Black Market-esque group that specializes in drugs, guns, bionics, slaves, etc.)
- Merciless (Your typical pirates that raid, kidnap and plunder. Very hard to communicate with and will hunt you down in their territory.)

With this, your interaction with pirates won't just be the predictable weekly event we now have. Depending on whose territory you land on, you can have a vastly different experience.

Scenario 1: You land in a territory occupied by Pirate Merchants. They leave you be early game. Sometime later, they find out that you've also been growing and producing drugs. Your good relations with nearby outlander towns ensure that they visit you more than them. The pirates are pissed off by this and becomes hostile to you.

Scenario 2: You land in a territory occupied by Merciless Pirates. They attack you constantly. Nearby are a group of Mercenaries. You pay them thousands of silver and they start a war with the Pirates. Mercenary NPCs roam around intercepting incoming raiders.

Scenario 3: An opportunistic gang ambushes your colonists on the road. They're alive but have been sold to a Pirate Merchant nearby. You could plan a rescue, buy them back, or beg the pirates to let them go at the cost of your relations with them.

And that's just pirates, there'd also be different kinds of tribals and outlanders with their own likes and dislikes that conflicts with each other. Just imagine the quest combinations that you can have with them. Relations would be more meaningful as it would determine what diplomatic options you'll have when interacting with factions.

okay well that's my idea for now, ill come back later, I suffered a little accident involving my thumb and a sharp object.