Prison Architect Sold to Paradox: Potential Future Path for Rimworld?

[Kerr]

Rimworld 2 is a real possibility if you take into consideration one really weak thing of rimworld: graphics.
I can imagine a big company buying the whole big basic structure that rimworld is at the moment, then adding a couple new key features, some new mechanics, some quality of life, a bunch of items and, most importantly, improving the sound/visual aspect (without diverting too much). It's a guaranteed jackpot, with all the hard work already done. If i had money i would make an offer.

People dissing rimworld's graphics is a pet peeve of mine. Rimworld is incredibly well done at it's target graphics level and art style. Would redoing all of the sprites with more pixels and more greebles REAAAAALY add to the game's experience? For me the answer is no.

Rimworld has the mastery of the small details. The way a pawn slides over ever so gently when peeking a corner, how pawn speed gives you an idea of their condition, the brief chat bubbles that show when they interract...

It's like live action VS animation. Sure, live action can look the most "realistic" and with really good CGI it can have some pretty insane stuff. However - I can not name ONE actually GOOD live action remake of an animated piece of media. The things that made the original art work a success almost certainly can't translate to another art style.

[TheMeInTeam]

Terrible AI is a good thing for the publisher, so the gamer don't need to use cheats to win games ! :-)

Not really, especially not in games where faction relations matter more than Rimworld and the poor AI is frustrating.  Though the AI teams that work for these games are basically screwed due to the DLC model I alluded to.  Constant pushing of new mechanics by the design team on a short schedule onto an AI that wasn't created with them in mind.  As more DLC piles, more of these interact and require longer term planning, the AI falling years behind.

Rimworld largely avoids this by nature of its design, lack of the nonsense associated with DLC, and consideration for it when things are put in the game.  It's not compatible with how Firaxis/Pdox operate their developed games.

Players winning easily on highest difficulty sucks.  It not only removes the meaning of the difficulties, but also tends to mean there are gaps in AI capability that trivialize it.  I've yet to see a game where this occurs that didn't incentivize degenerate tactics and overcentralize it.