[Mod request] Make water a resource (and/or water scarcity in dry climes)

[gaultesian]

Hey folks,

I love this game (duh), and I have only been playing for about a month now.  I thoroughly enjoy mods that give us greater selection and reliance of other resources (minerals, food, textiles, etc.), and I enjoy living in a variety of climes.  After playing a desert scenario, I noticed that growing food is not that hard:  water does not seem to be a commodity.  More importantly, we do not know where our water comes from (air, surface or ground), or any idea about water scarcity.  Water being one of the key components to habitat suitability, I would think it would be given more credence in the game.  Yes, I know that food is collectively all of the items for sustenance, including water, but I can grow crops just as well in the desert as I can in the tundra (actually, I can grow it easier, provided I have proper soil), so food itself does not accurately project the challenge of obtaining and storing water.

So, my first question:  are there any water mods created for Rimworld?

A water mod would make water a necessary component for survival.  Water amounts would then 'feed' the crops we are growing, and maybe a component of our actual daily necessity (food requirements in our needs).

You could also transmit diseases via water-borne illnesses, to liven things up (anyone want a cup'o dysentery?), and evaporation would be a factor for 'outdoors' extraction techniques.

Water can be found and extracted in many ways, often with drawbacks or advantages.  Of the top of my head, the following devices or means of water extraction could be used:

Air/fog extractors, for dry climes.  Water is potable with no threat of diseases, but you can only extract a limited amount, so building lots of extractors would be necessary for colonists.  Also, water extraction like this would only happen during the very early morning (prior and just after sunrise).
Rain or snow collectors
Surface springs
River or lake extraction (don't forget the nasty diseases!)
Artesian wells (we would need a device to drill and then extract it)

And with all of these extraction techniques, you can then build water storage (cisterns, wells, containers, etc.) during drought times.  At the very least (if you just keep 'food' as the catch term for food and water), you can make crops depend on a steady water supply to make it viable.

It would add an extra amount of challenge and events, not to mention drought (i thought it was rather odd that hot dry climes did not ultimately worry about water).  Of course, writing this out, I can glimpse in my non-programming eye that this would be rather complex (or not?  again, I am not a programmer).

Just a thought.

Cheers,
Gaultesian

[dburgdorf]

This is something that I suspect a lot of players would like to see. But you're correct to think that it would be a *huge* undertaking, as there's honestly very little in the game that wouldn't have to be modified if the presence or absence of water as a resource suddenly became a relevant concern.

[kaptain_kavern]

Dubs Hygiene & Central Heating add water mechanics but not exactly how you described.

I recall one of CuproPanda's mods was adding a well also but I can't recall which one

[gaultesian]

Aye, I just read a post by Tynan back in 2015, where he said that water would not become a resource in the foreseeable future.  He had to prioritise his work, and water was not a high priority (totally understandable).

Still, if water were to affect plant growth (along with sunlight and temperature), that would be ok, but as I suspected, it may be far more work than worth in the long run.

I will look at these mods, as I am always finding decent niche mods that add more flavor to the game experience.  Thanks for the replies folks.

[dburgdorf]

Dubs Hygiene & Central Heating add water mechanics but not exactly how you described.

Yeah. Pawns have to wash (and use the toilet, which really just strikes me as a weird thing to add to the game, but hey, tastes vary), but they don't have to drink. And it doesn't actually address water availability at all; it's just concerned with a specific aspect of water *usage*.

Still, if water were to affect plant growth (along with sunlight and temperature), that would be ok, but as I suspected, it may be far more work than worth in the long run.

Water availability and its effect on plant growth in various biomes is sort of approximated in the game already, by virtue of the relative availability of "good" soil for farming on different types of maps. But it can't really be adjusted, at least not in ways that are directly tied to the idea of having water available. My "Fertile Fields" mod, for example, allows soil improvement and terraforming, but such adjustments aren't linked in any way to having access to water.

[gaultesian]

Pretty good points.  Knowing the internal mechanics that may address water via soil is a good start.  I actually use your fertile fields mod (love it!), and I know how much work and energy it takes to make a sandy soils into relatively fertile soil, so I should consider that as the challenge, and forgo the 'what about water' aspect.

A soil degradation event (akin to plant blight, but soil permanently destabilises into infertile soil) would be a good (evil) event, and it can sort of simulate drought or excess salt in soil.

Thanks!

[Distman]

I've started working on a thirst mod. Got about halfway then i got confused how the pawn take care of the need.
Any one experienced in JobDriver stuff? Holler if you want to collab.

As far as i see it, water can be obtained almost everywhere, some places harder to get, sure, but not impossible. Primitive well -> well -> Water purification machine (placed on water cells) -> Dew collector

[Fregrant]

Maybe look into the MarsX conversion, there definitely should be some water\thirst mechanic.
https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=25926.0

[Razzoriel]

Hi there.

I'm working on a complete overhaul/expansion of Rimworld called Outer Galaxies. Players will have to gather water to cook meals, and purify them as they get them from rivers, or from water pumps. So though it does not introduce water as a thirst mechanic per se, it requires players to make water if they want to have meals. Water is also used for a myriad of purposes, such as ore flotation, chemical reactions, fruit juices for a small joy gain, manufacture of glue and assorted uses. Make sure to check it out once its complete.

[gaultesian]

That sounds awesome!  I will keep my eyes peeled (gonna hurt though).

Cheers!

[Switter]

It is necessary to make compatibility with Dubs Hygiene. Water can also be contaminated)