Varying Quadrum/Year Lengths

[TechnetiumX]

        Possibly the one thing about RimWorld that doesn't sit right with me is the timescale. Having a year be the 60 days it is has both pros and cons. It's great because it makes for fast-paced gameplay, and the player does get a sense of advancement from the passage of short years. But at the same time, I think it definitely limits a colony's potential by not allowing realistic lifespans, procreation, and more. Also, from a sci-fi standpoint it seems a little strange that hundreds of vastly different planets would all have the exact same orbital patterns.
       
        What I propose is an option to change quadrum/year length in days on the World Generation screen at the start of a new colony. This way players who want a more realistic game can set it to maybe 300 days, whereas players who like it how it is can remain at 60. This sounds like it would be a good idea for a mod, but as I understand it, the number of ticks per year is completely impossible to change, as it's a constant game value which is not even accessible to modders. Actually, adding capability to make a mod like this would be fantastic, because it would ensure a satisfactory timescale for everyone. I am not entirely sure how difficult this system would be to implement, the value of a tick would still be a constant and remain unchanged, which makes me think it could be possible. On the other hand, I'm not super familiar with how game code works.

        Thanks for reading, any feedback from Moderator or player alike is much appreciated! 
         

[Call me Arty]

 This just kinda seems like it should've been in the game already. You have my support.

[Bolty]

You have my backing too. Quite like the sound of this. 

[Epic_Mimmit]

This sounds awesome, would make an excellent mechanic in my opinion.  :D

[AileTheAlien]

I'd be happy even if this was just exposed for modders to mess with.

[TechnetiumX]

I'd be happy even if this was just exposed for modders to mess with.

That was kind of my thinking. Allowing modders to change the year or quadrum length without actually changing the game itself would (I assume) be pretty easy, and is probably the simplest for everyone. The main deterrent for the inclusion of a different time scaling in RimWorld is balance. Everything is currently balanced as it is, but mods give a lot more freedom to explore what works and what doesn't. I still do think working it into the vanilla experience would be best, though.

[OFWG]

I'd be happy even if this was just exposed for modders to mess with.

IMO this is how this should be implemented rather than complicating the base game.