To RimWorld Development Team (Appreciation)

[Polloneitor]

Coming from bottom of my heart.
I just created this account since through Reddit I wanted to show my appreciation on what the game brought for me.

I started to play RimWorld last year, and I was having quite the challenging due university and social life problems. It was hard for me to distract myself from certain problems for my future. Coming from a Third World Country (Chile) it was hard for me to get a job and study for an exam that would determine if I can study for a professional career. It was mindshattering sometimes, and my family didn't seem that I cared, it just that I never brought up myself in a expressive way, because I never wanted to stress myself. Around the start of 2019, I went to download some games since I cleaned up my Laptop's harddisk. Started with Wii and GC Games, some Steam Games, I tried games that were updated and my Laptop won't run it again. And piracy comes from time to time, I don't do it many times since with the games I've got is more than enough library but sometimes it comes for new variation and to test my hardware. I was looking for many RPGs and Strategy games, and got two recommended, Mount & Blade and RimWorld. Both downloaded to try and I got a blast with the first one, from that game I started to pursue computer science and coding from modding, just adding some troops that were based on people I know. I got like months of playing until I started with RimWorld. At first, it was a bit mixed, I really got curious on what the gameplay was like, on how easily exploitable certain things were, and why everyone in my colony was starving, I didn't know about strategies, or how to improve skills, I got easily scared when one of my dogs lost a leg and a tail, and despite not being graphic, I could imagine it by reading upon the health tab. It was an excited and scary moment that very few games really achieved it for me. From that on, I played Vanilla for a long time, the same old version I got from whatever website, until I had to delete it since I needed to study again. Flash-forward, I've got in my country many political problems, and a Social Crisis appeared, a small revelation to many, but a big one that could change many positions in a bad system. I was happy, but worried since Riots started to surge. So, once again, I distract myself with videogames after every study for my exams, I wanted to reinstall RimWorld, and so I did, but this time, I got the newest version of that time, not many changes but some quality help there. And then I found the mods...

Oh Boy, mods, where to begin, Star Wars, Witcher, Warhammer Lore. There were too many, I eventually did Star Wars and was too easy when a Colonist had the Force, or The Witcher one, once I got all ingredients for the trials, and I gave it to one character, it got stronger. I feel there is no other game with this fanbase and creativity. On how much freedom is given and how potentially useful the game is built for Modding.

The game helped me realize that as Näive as it sounds, I want to make games, I want to mod games as I started learning on old titles.

Nowadays, I finished to study for my exam for University Admission, we do in Chile something called PSU, a pretty bad structured exam that test your knowledge, in a very bad way as well...

I got my results. And the score I got allows me to study for Computer Science in an university that is close for me, I haven't applied to get inside, I sent an application to get into a list so I can apply to get inside, but I gotta wait. And for the meantime, I'll be playing RimWorld, but as well, pursuing what the Devs probably did a time ago, on Coding, on Level Design perhaps. I've been lurking around the internet trying to find what is most of helpful for me. Tutorials, people, small indie studios, games' Lore to get inspired, Mythology, Legends, Books, Life Experiences outside of a computer. Everything is needed for me to start imaging something, and hopefully have a dream.

Whatever it happens, either for bad or good, I feel I won't forget RimWorld. Other games as well, but RimWorld gave me more experiences than other game did in this year. Titles that are too rubish, too of the same as others, but an experience as this, is uncommon to see.

-To the Ludeon Studios, may them also find new inspirations, ideas, and dreams to continue make projects, inside or outside of RimWorld. For many, many years coming.

From: an Student in a Third World Country with very little income to pay new things for living.