To fluff or not to fluff?

[nyxkin]

I've made some progress in bastardising the trait system to get what I'd like; but it requires either a better modder, or a way to separate say <PawnTraitDef> from <ThingTraitDef>
(or maybe just a couple of weeks of trial and error )

Cat's idea is still awesome though; and personally if noone else picks it up, I'll see about making something between that and the quality system come A8.

It sounds like it'd be pretty easy to add a stat modifier to a weapon that offers a melee damage boost.

Sure, that's one way to look at it. Another would be adding something like:
     <li>
        <verbClass>Verb_MeleeAttack</verbClass>
        <cooldownTicks>120</cooldownTicks>
        <meleeDamageAmount>14</meleeDamageAmount>
        <meleeDamageDef>Cut</meleeDamageDef>
      </li>
And drawing a small blade on your weapon sprite; your colonist should automatically switch to using that attack in melee, causing cuts rather then bruises. (or any other type of damage you configure, stun prods, energyblades... )

The real trick would be pawns prioritising one weapon "verb" over another according to circumstances, say having both a verb to shoot AND to throw/launch a grenade...
Then there's really no reason not to have under barrel shotguns or grenade launchers and such.

OH I'd honeslty love if the weapons would have generated names in the same fashion as the factions get them

Badassadjective weapon of Terrainfeature Badasspersons
-> Notorious comb of crag assassin

So you're basically suggesting something like 'NameMakers_Guns' and the required structure?

[Aristocat]

[nyxkin]

Sir, I see your plushie and raise you a Putin, 'cause obviously.

[ToXeye]

https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=7420.msg74398#msg74398

"Categories: weapons, Tynan's genuine 'Sci-fi western' theme-friendly"

[ccheuer]

So, Rimworld is supposed to be in the (distant) future;
and the actual Rimworld (aka the planet) is, again supposedly, a 'fallen' HiveGlitterworld?

Awesome, I'm sure there are then all sorts of crazy interesting technosorcery... I mean it's not like I'll use Lee-Enfield (Mk I 1903?), M16(A2 1980?), L-15 LMG (Bergmann 1915?) and the occasional M24 (SWS 1988?)
Did we crash our star ship on an alien world, or a black hawk just off Mogadishu?

Sure, there are mechanoids and the occasional R-4, but they just stand out more.
And aside from them, it's closer to role playing an Australian/Afrikaans homestead then a colony on an alien world. Between green fields, weaponry considered obsolete even by today standards, and most of the 'actors' being human or terran like animals, spear wielding aboriginals, cowboy hats and dusters all 'round, and the whole drowning in 'tatters thing.

I get it's alpha and all; but where are all the fancy little things that actually make it sci-fi?
No weird aliens - no problem, look at Dune and the whole ghola and mentat 'thing' to spice it up; (and that's without mentioning Tleilaxu and their bio-horrors)
or how about taking a hint from Necromunda and the host of cult/ab/sub/meta-human mutants/cyborgs and such?

Or how about the whole PvE aspect: vitriolic/molten pools/rains, meteors which actually fall and damage features, having to adapt to hostile flora and fauna, or at least one different from Earth. (I'm sorry if I'm coming off as unreasonable, but I don't expect to land on Alpha Centauri's Chiron and start picking blueberries )

And speaking of fauna, how about weaponry; I mean what's wrong with the age old FPS tradition of either using generic titles such as "Assault Rifle" or spending 30 seconds per gun to make up a name: "CAR-52" (as in "Compact Assault Rifle model.2052") rather then defaulting to using a 1980's rifle in 2050+?
I mean, ignoring the possibility that say BAE Systems will file a claim about using the brand 'Lee-Enfield' or Colt Defense for 'M16' it -should- also be easier to balance a fantasy weapon.

And that's going for conventional weaponry, both Star Wars and Trek have next to no ballistic weaponry, Mass Effect is all about magnetic drivers, Dune went sonic and acid, 40k has laslances, plasma, plastic shuriken, ion and 20mm auto-guns as -staples- rather then super rarities. Ultimately, it's not about debating the effectiveness of established weaponry, it's about the idea of interesting new technologies, or that the existing ones are at least adapted to new and strange circumstances/environments.

Granted, it's alpha, but is (and I'm honestly trying not to come off as a jackass or attack) Tynan afraid to get creative?

My concern is: between people getting used to status quo and adding new features (obviously nothing wrong with either of those) in game 'fluff' like this will always take a backseat until it's likely forgotten or dismissed with:
"But we've always done it like this" or "That's not a priority compared to XYZ"

Also: Hi all, got bored of lurking.

Look at it this way. A pistol will eventually run out of bullets. In rimworld, has this ever happened? Clearly some high level tech involved in that.

[nyxkin]

...really?
OK, unlike say standardising names of weaponry, a "proper" reloading system would require a change in mechanics; and while it would be cool to have such a system in place, (think different types of ammo etc) it would certainly require additional "balancing and adjustments" to say prevent raiders from running out of bullets or even making sure that such a system is not only a gimp for the player. (and let's face it, any design should be weighted on the economical/practical scale or you get a "Molyneux"  )

Also, consider that in RW people never need: water, free time -OR- even bathroom breaks. Clearly some high level tech involved in -that-

But seriously, there's nothing wrong with anyone "role-playing immersion" or how ever you wanna call it. But one should never cover for broken, or at least features that lack in some sense. Obviously, "devs gonna do: what devs gonna do;" but surely there's more harm from the whole "fan-boi angle" then in a more "grounded" approach?

Or in case of TL:DR

It is still Alpha and fluff is less important right now. But I have to agree that there is a danger of fluff taking a back seat for so long that it gets forgotten or becomes the status quo. If the guns are going to be place holders then maybe it would be best to just give them generic names: Long Rifle, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Assault Rifle, Pistol, Revolver, SMG, HMG, GPMG, and so on and so on.

[ccheuer]

...really?
OK, unlike say standardising names of weaponry, a "proper" reloading system would require a change in mechanics; and while it would be cool to have such a system in place, (think different types of ammo etc) it would certainly require additional "balancing and adjustments" to say prevent raiders from running out of bullets or even making sure that such a system is not only a gimp for the player. (and let's face it, any design should be weighted on the economical/practical scale or you get a "Molyneux"  )

Also, consider that in RW people never need: water, free time -OR- even bathroom breaks. Clearly some high level tech involved in -that-

But seriously, there's nothing wrong with anyone "role-playing immersion" or how ever you wanna call it. But one should never cover for broken, or at least features that lack in some sense. Obviously, "devs gonna do: what devs gonna do;" but surely there's more harm from the whole "fan-boi angle" then in a more "grounded" approach?

Or in case of TL:DR

It is still Alpha and fluff is less important right now. But I have to agree that there is a danger of fluff taking a back seat for so long that it gets forgotten or becomes the status quo. If the guns are going to be place holders then maybe it would be best to just give them generic names: Long Rifle, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Assault Rifle, Pistol, Revolver, SMG, HMG, GPMG, and so on and so on.

Well, in an alpha game, I would rather them call a gun that function idenctially to a m249 a m249, simply because I would rather have that easy handle for what the gun does/how it functions, seeing as how naming a gun something futuristic to appease people rates a hell of a lot lower than pushing a massive feature which ENTERTAINS people.

So, it makes a hell of a lot more sense to keep the very old names of stuff so that we as players can just look at the name and know exactly what it does and what its trade offs are, then come up with entirely new names for stuff and turn this into a spreadsheet simulator so we can understand the nuances of each gun.

[nyxkin]

So you're suggesting that a 'Sniper Rifle' is more confusing then a 'M24' then?

I know of a helmet, a gas mask, several firearms, several ship classes, several planes and a howitzer that go by that designation. And I'm sure I've missed a couple.
*Should've googled first, missed quite a few

I should also point out that the RW LMG is a 'L-15' rather then the 'M249 SAW,' and I would be very much impressed if you can "understand the nuances" between what I'm assuming to be a Bergmann L-15 (it would certainly fit with the LEnfield) and a "R4 Charge Rifle" without writting down stats of both down somewhere and comparing them.