Agree. Did Tynan expose a lot of the logic so modders can add even more variety?
As much as possible (as always). You could build a whole new faction with a whole new title progression with a whole new set of permits if you wanted, with very little code. I'm actually surprised to not have seen a 'tribal titles' or 'pirate titles' mod yet.
Look guys, if I didn't leave any plot holes in the game, you'd have nothing to make comics about!
(But yeah, if it seems like a concern I'll look at writing/adjusting something to better explain why they want to stay by their shuttle. Of course they do have to stay there, since the whole point of the quest is to defend something outside your normal defenses. One thought is for the crashed shuttle itself to be under attack, or some emplaced nearby immovable object. Or they have to work on the shuttle for a while or something to upload some data or repair it. Lots of options here if it seems important.)
Read moreI thought she wrote constitutions for new countries.
And those additions are some of the best parts of the game. I don't think the issues players have with nerfs are invalid because they've been along side improvements.
The 1.1 Turret nerfs didn't stop players using killboxes, they just stopped players using turrets which felt like taking something away rather than adding.
Meanwhile Smoke launchers on the other hand are like the antithesis of nerfs. They add another tactical element that both player and AI can use, and the AI using them intelligently against turrets is the ideal way to lessen turret effectiveness.
Turrets still have a place, there's interplay between tactics where you can snipe smoke launchers at the cost of letting more dangerous weapons pass, not every raid has smoke, etc. Adding tactical complexity is the better model.
I don't think the issues players have with nerfs are invalid because they've been along side improvements.
Certainly, nor do I.
Turrets still have a place, there's interplay between tactics where you can snipe smoke launchers at the cost of letting more dangerous weapons pass, not every raid has smoke, etc. Adding tactical complexity is the better model.
Exactly. That's why we created this thread, to collect savegames that can help us test and develop such features!
I love the variety of events and raids, and for the most part I just wish that the frequency of events ramped up. As someone who doesn't play with a 'killbox', my main gripe is that at a certain point the game throws hundreds of humans or dozens of centipedes at you. At a certain density, you are forced to use wall blocking, traps, or a killbox to survive.
Personally, at a certain point I'd prefer to fight a smaller, elite group that uses tactics and abilities than be bludgeoned by wave after wave of mostly ineffective red-shirts. I know that developing an effective AI must be difficult, but if you are giving players new psycasts and utility items, endgame enemies should have it too. I'd love to see 1 enemy use their locust armor to jump behind cover, drop a broadshield pack, then start spamming vertigo pulse or blind.
I'd prefer to fight a smaller, elite group that uses tactics and abilities than be bludgeoned by wave after wave of mostly ineffective red-shirts
Me too! That's why we created this thread to collect savegames that we can use to test and develop these systems. I hope you'll consider contributing!
Currently sieges rely completely on mortars. Adding a cannon that can't fire over walls, but will open holes in the defense, would add a lot of variety as kill boxes and channeling raiders through them won't be effective. Maybe C4 and Dynamite as well, having to be placed but doing A LOT of damage to walls, being able to quickly open a huge hole even through several layers of walls.
This should also be very common with non-tribal raids. So defenses have to be developed in layers instead of making a kill box and leaving the rest of the base defenseless.
Overall I think the biggest issue right now is how easy it is to just set up a kill box and forget about them rest of the base. The exception are drop pods right into the base, but those also aren't fun because you can't really prepare for them, they'll just hit anywhere.
I actually have an old idea for a sort of 'beam digger' like this. Basically a siege, except they use a big crew-served beam weapon that digs holes on your base horizontally, from a distance.
Or it could just launch shells on a direct-fire trajectory at your walls.
It would be interesting to see multiple wave raids.
As soon as a raid is over, the player breathes a sigh of relief. They'll have a few days to repair and re-fortify their defenses. Their colonists get to sleep and recover joy. If a raid comes in sustained waves, they may need to use their colonists in shifts. This kind of event would influence how players build their defenses because durability becomes a priority. You've forced them to have different values and concerns.
It could influence base design and priorities on resource management. For example, a really long raid means you can't harvest corn. Better have some good reserves.
That could be compelling, although it would be annoying to micromanage sleep schedules. Player might need to have the ability to click on a colonist and tell them to sleep until they're fully rested.
Sounds similar to the quests that send multiple raids in a row? Both the endgame quests and some of the normal quests, no?
Instead of just throwing more and more raiders at a base, have different types of events show up. You guys are constantly nerfing defenses so that raids can't be cheesed. So you're worried about stopping players from doing what works. What you're not thinking about is how raids can be changed so that they're more dynamic and players need to invest in defense strategies that are different and dynamic to respond to different kinds of threats.
Instead of asking "What do I nerf next?" - you need to be asking what can be different about raids, enemy units, equipment, etc.
Maybe there's an alert that a suicide bomber has been spotted, he's going to touch a wall and then explode. Maybe flag that enemy so it's easy to see.
Mid-raid events: 20 tribals show up and attack from a different direction.
Two saboteurs have dropped into a high value room and are going to begin destroying high value objects or maybe they'll just steal something and then mine out. This gives players challenging decisions to work with and new objectives.
A faction leader has just dropped in and is joining the raid. If you can capture them,
A special centipede with super armor just showed up. It's primary function is to take lots of damage and cause the player to focus on that while managing the rest of the raid. It's virtually immune to all forms of traps and security weapons. The only way to take it out is melee.
The nature of the raid just changed. It looks like they were about to do a regular base assault, however now they're building mortars from an airdrop of materials that just arrived.
Mounted troops: Cavalry are particularly deadly in melee, you don't want them getting close. They're awfully fast, so they may try to flank your lines or they may act like mounted archers did in real human history. They'd attack, then run away, then attack, then run away. But they run so fast you can't catch them on foot.
Undercover enemies. Some enemies arrived in stealth and they're already walking past your walls and some of your defenses.
Spies. Some enemies have arrived which won't be targeted by your defenses or your colonists unless you can have a dog or trained animal sniff them first. (Command and Conquer Red Alert had something like this.) - You can borrow from other RTS games to get GREAT ideas.
Oh my God, those aren't traders, it's a raid! - Traders enter the map and slowly approach, just like normal. But after arriving at their destination, they draw guns. Their goal is to either steal your goods or do some kidnapping.
Parley. Raiders arrive. Right before the battle is about to begin, one of them lights up like a quest giver. A good negotiator may be able to intimidate them into leaving, or bribe them to leave at a low price. Maybe, they can even improve faction relations by establishing a trade. Shotgun diplomacy to meet their need for 2,000 corn. Will you agree to let them have it or will you agree to a trade request that must be filled within five days? - That sort of thing.
Bugs are tunneling up over there! - Bugs begin spawning at a location on the map. Not all at once, but in a flow. Let some suspense build up. Maybe it's some kind of underground bug super-nest or tunnel that's going to take a lot of firepower to destroy. Until it's destroyed, bugs are going to come out of it.
Solar flare! - The enemies have either released a super sized EMP or they've created a solar flare event in the middle of their raid. Your electronic defenses are going to be down for a while.
A faction leader has arrived on the map mid-battle. All enemy combatants within 16 tiles of them are going to fight at +5 to all of their combat skills, their pain threshold is increased, their movement speed and mood is boosted. - You might want to get a sniper to take down that leader, or use a shock lance on them.
A drop pod has arrived containing a super weapon. Enemy raiders are chasing it down. Can you get to it first or are they going to potentially nuke your base with an ancient weapon?
Dead man's triggers: The enemies have sophisticated bombs planted inside of them. They're all going to explode when they die. Try to shoot them before they reach your walls. Move them away from anything valuable. Maybe engage them outside. So many strategies and problems.
There's a few zombies going on. A few enemies will resurrect several times unless burned.
All kinds of things can stop a battle from being static where the player just stays in a certain area and waits to shoot oncoming raiders. The goal is to have a mix of dangers and opportunities. Also, that strategy needs to become obsolete for certain enemies. Ideally, any of these should have the potential to do enough damage that a battle is changed or that base design and player behavior needs to adapt for it.
Most RTS do this through dynamic units that are balanced with wildly different stats like maybe some are super fast, some are super numerous, some fly, some have excellent melee but weak shooting, etc.
Rimworld doesn't have many distinct enemy types.
There's humans, bugs, and mechanoids.Maybe it's time to introduce some kind of archotech or even a type of civilization like the borgs in Startrek.
Infected. Raiders are going to have bugs burst out of their bodies eight hours after death. There's no warning about this ahead of time, it just happens unexpectedly. This doesn't address the raid complexity problem by a lot, but it's a fun event that players suddenly need to think about. Maybe they'll be more vigilant about corpse management.
Something like that makes players worried, and you want them to worry. You want them to feel unprepared, unbalanced, anxious, anticipatory. The idea of a trade caravan turning into a raid is a perfect example of that. Suddenly, the rim feels dangerous. Every time a caravan comes in, the player is acting cautious instead of feeling completely relaxed.
Message: A trade caravan is being chased by raiders. Offer to help? Raiders will arrive shortly after. - Create situations where raids have to be met outside of the base and away from defenses. Now players are going to think about building defenses all over the map and making a variety of strong points.
Message: A trade caravan is under attack outside of your base. They need your help. Will you send colonists into a battle?
Message: Thank god you've developed some drop pod launchers. An ally needs help defending their base. Please drop into the middle of it. - Now a player can experience defending a base using defenses that aren't their own. They can't rely on killboxes to win this one.
> Instead of just throwing more and more raiders at a base, have different types of events show up. You guys are constantly nerfing defenses so that raids can't be cheesed. So you're worried about stopping players from doing what works. What you're not thinking about is how raids can be changed so that they're more dynamic and players need to invest in defense strategies that are different and dynamic to respond to different kinds of threats... Instead of asking "What do I nerf next?" - you need to be asking what can be different about raids, enemy units, equipment, etc.
In fairness we did add
- Sappers
- Turret-avoider raids
- Drop-in pod raids
- Tunnel-up infestations
- Multi-group raids
- Mechanoid clusters with mixed shields, assemblers, turrets, activators, etc
- Problem causer camps
- Bandit camp quests
- Shuttle defense quests
- Aerial drop combat missions
- Smokepop packs
- Broadshield packs
- Sieges
- Refugee betrayals
- NPC base attacks
- Caravan ambus...
Read moreDone! :D The reason why Royalty gets fewer reviews might just be the steam interface. It asks you to write one for the base game right there on your launch page but to get to the DLC you have to actively look for it.
Speaking of the reviews, I was quite sad to see so many people decry the value proposition. With all the content rimworld got over the years, many other games would be on their 3rd or 4th sequel by now, asking full price every time. I don't even know how many hours I put into the game before the steam release but we're getting close to having more hours in Rimworld than most of my AAA games combined. If that isn't good value, I don't know what is! Although maybe that's exactly it. Next to all the free content we got over the years, perhaps anything that was released with a pricetag was doomed to receive at least some reviews like that.
Thanks very much Nightfish!
For better or worse, people like to judge things comparatively. Which means that the richer a base game is, and the richer the mod scene is, the lower ratings you'll get for any kind of expansion or follow-up.
I think it's one of the sad reasons that some companies lock down modding.
I have reported a similar bug that occurs in the stable build, but have not been able to reproduce in unstable unfortunately. Its one of those tricky ones where if the bug exists when you update to unstable it remains.
We may have fixed it already.
Thanks! I appreciate it, and I'm sure all the other devs here who worked on the update will too. I'm gonna pass this around to everyone.
(And hey, don't keep a secret! Royalty gets weirdly few reviews since it's a DLC so if anyone wants to write their thoughts, whatever their opinion, I'd say thank you.).
First fail I had a smaller throne room filled with a table and chairs, still valid as the quest wouldn't let me accept it until the throne room ticked the check boxes. My bedroom didn't have floor. Bestower went to my barracks (not bedroom) and it failed with message that bedroom was no good. Vanilla no mods.
Second fail same crowded throne room, fully acceptable bedroom, bestower went to stable and failed. Vanilla no mods.
Then I built the larger throne room seen in picture. Bestower went to stable and failed. Added mods by this point.
Awesome. Let me draw tester /u/pheanox 's attention. We will investigate!
Will check thanks.
That's what I'm seeing, yes, it have been more than 120 days since the last psylink neuroformer I got which was with the deserter quest (and thus more than 60 since the supposed deadline of this quest). I started this colony on 1.2. If you want to I can try and grab some values with the dev tools.
We actually confirmed a bug like this thanks! We'll be fixing it and releasing a quick update soon.
Writing now.
Everything for you!
You're too kind :)
I will treasure your reply as my heirloom. I love your game so much.
Have another one!
But hey seriously, I definitely appreciate the props. If you want to do me a micro-favor don't hesitate to drop a Steam review for Royalty. Almost nobody reviews DLCs so it looks lonely! Steam link
How long should it take to appear after clearing the deserter's quest ? My current colony of 2 years with a wealth of 20.000 never saw one as a quest reward, is enemy with the empire, have done the rebel quest (more than one year ago) and is not tribal. I tried to generate roughly 500 quest with 10.000 points with the dev mode, and no psychic amplifier ever appeared
About 40 days. If you're not getting psylinks by any route at all, and you were on the latest 1.1 or 1.2, you should be pretty much guaranteed to see psylink neuroformer quest rewards. If you're not, it would be a bug - is that what you're seeing?
I have never seen a neuroformer reward outside of the initial one given in the introductory quest set (save royal pawn from manhunting animal).
Also, on my old play through of a 1.1 game In the unstable patch last week, all pawns who had an existing title did not receive a Bestower quest when ranking up. I waited for about two years for it to occur. Rank ups were achieved via questing rewards.
I was able to fix this by using Dev Mode to demote then re-promote them to their proper ranks. This did unfortunately result in one of my Countesses only receiving one permit points instead of the usual three. I have since not had issues with any colonists ranking up in the same save or in other saves.
Thanks. Yeah you wouldn't expect neuroformer rewards if you're getting psylinks through titles.
I'm gonna ask /u/pheanox to help us look into that other issue though. There may be a back-compatibility bug.
I never see them in a 3 years colony. Only quests with royal favor reward. (Running 1.1)
The quest will only state the favor as reward and if I accept it with pawns who has yet to reach a favor threshold, the neuroformer will be sent after finishing quest.
I don't think I ever see only item as a reward. No titles and anima tree.
Thanks. That sounds fine, if you were getting titles and thus neuroformers (in 1.1).
I just made your character eat his own wife. I am so sorry.
It's okay, that's future me so fuck that guy.