Difference between revisions of "Money making guide"

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There are lots of ways of "'''making money'''" in RimWorld. Depending on a colony's location, progress, and inhabitants, certain means of production will be more viable than others. Some can give profit in the long-term, but require more set-up or work. And there are (at least!) two ways to measure "best" - making the fastest profit in the least time, or squeezing the most profit out of a limited amount of starting material, even if it takes longer. This guide will give an overview of the different options.
 
There are lots of ways of "'''making money'''" in RimWorld. Depending on a colony's location, progress, and inhabitants, certain means of production will be more viable than others. Some can give profit in the long-term, but require more set-up or work. And there are (at least!) two ways to measure "best" - making the fastest profit in the least time, or squeezing the most profit out of a limited amount of starting material, even if it takes longer. This guide will give an overview of the different options.
 
{{TOCright}}
 
{{TOCright}}
 
In no particular order:
 
In no particular order:
*[[Crop]]s, including [[cloth]] & [[drug]] production
+
* [[Crop]]s, including [[cloth]] & [[drug]] production
*[[Animal]]s, including [[textile]] crafting
+
* [[Animal]]s, including [[textile]] crafting
*Construction, art and crafting.
+
* Construction, art and crafting.
*[[Prisoner]]s, and their [[human resources]]
+
* [[Prisoner]]s, and their [[human resources]]
  
===Note on trading===
+
'''All values in this guide assume Strive to Survive [[difficulty]], and use [[Market Value]] instead of "actual" value.''' Difficulty impacts the yield of crops and many other activities. Difficulty also impacts the trade price disadvantage. The higher the difficulty, the less your goods sell for, and the more it costs to buy things.
There is no "buy low, sell high" in RimWorld. In general, trader prices do not vary, At most, any [[faction base]] offers a +2% [[Trade Price Improvement]], resulting in both lower buying prices ''and'' higher selling prices. But certain traders will only accept certain types of items. While a faction base will buy almost everything in their tech level, a combat supplier may not be interested in your [[human leather]].
 
  
There is another factor discouraging buy, then sell. There is a default 0.6x price multiplier for selling, and a seperate 1.4x price multiplier for buying anything. The [[AI Storytellers#Trade price disadvantage|Trade price disadvantage]] storyteller difficulty setting will make things even worse. Your trading disadvantage can be reduced by increasing Social skill (and other means of raising [[Trade Price Improvement|TPI]]).
+
=== Note on trading ===
 +
There is no "buy low, sell high" in RimWorld. In general, trader prices do not vary, At most, any [[faction base]] offers a +2% [[Trade Price Improvement]], resulting in ''both'' lower buying prices and higher selling prices. But certain traders will only accept certain types of items. While a faction base will buy almost everything in their tech level, a combat supplier may not be interested in your [[human leather]].
  
'''All values in this guide assume Strive to Survive [[difficulty]], and use [[Market Value]] instead of "actual" value.''' Difficulty impacts the yield of crops, as well as the trade price disadvantage. And, if you have 0 Social skill, expect things to become 233% more expensive in Strive to Survive, or 350% more expensive in Losing is Fun.
+
There is another factor discouraging buy, then sell. There is a default 0.6x price multiplier for selling anything, and a separate 1.4x price multiplier for buying anything. The [[AI Storytellers#Trade price disadvantage|Trade price disadvantage]] storyteller difficulty setting will make things even worse. Your trading disadvantage can be reduced by increasing Social skill (and other means of raising [[Trade Price Improvement|TPI]]).
  
==Food Crops==
+
== Food crops ==
 
{|class="wikitable sortable"
 
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
 
 
! Crop
 
! Crop
! Total Work<br>(per plant){{ref label|Sow|1}}
+
! Total Work<br/>(per plant){{Ref label|Sow|1}}
! Raw material<br>(per plant){{ref label|GrowYield|2}}
+
! Raw material<br/>(per plant){{Ref label|GrowYield|2}}
! Market Value<br>(per plant)
+
! Market Value<br/>(per plant)
! Market Value<br>(per hour work)
+
! Market Value<br/>(per hour work)
! Real days<br>to grow{{ref label|Fert|3}}
+
! Real days<br/>to grow{{Ref label|Fert|3}}
! Profit/day<br>plant growth
+
! Profit/day<br/>plant growth
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Corn plant]]
 
| [[Corn plant]]
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|corn}} 22
+
| {{Icon Small|corn}} 22 [[corn]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 24.2
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 24.2
| {{icon small|silver}} 163.5
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 163.5
 
| 20.86 days
 
| 20.86 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.16
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.16
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Haygrass]]
 
| [[Haygrass]]
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|hay}} 18
+
| {{Icon Small|hay}} 18 [[hay]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 10.8
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 10.8
| {{icon small|silver}} 73.0
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 73.0
 
| 12.92 days
 
| 12.92 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.83
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.83
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Rice plant]]
 
| [[Rice plant]]
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|rice}} 6
+
| {{Icon Small|rice}} 6 [[rice]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 6.6
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 6.6
| {{icon small|silver}} 44.6
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 44.6
 
| 5.54 days
 
| 5.54 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.19
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.19
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Potato plant]]
 
| [[Potato plant]]
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|potatoes}} 11
+
| {{Icon Small|potatoes}} 11 [[potatoes]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 12.1
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 12.1
| {{icon small|silver}} 81.77
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 81.77
 
| 10.71 days
 
| 10.71 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.12
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.12
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Nutrifungus]]{{IdeologyIcon}}
 
| [[Nutrifungus]]{{IdeologyIcon}}
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|raw fungus}} 11
+
| {{Icon Small|raw fungus}} 11 [[raw fungus]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 12.1
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 12.1
| {{icon small|silver}} 81.77
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 81.77
 
| 11.07 days
 
| 11.07 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.09
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.09
|-
 
 
|}
 
|}
:{{note label|Sow|1}} Time it takes to sow and then harvest. Directly reduced by [[Plant Work Speed]]. Does not account for travel/hauling time.
+
:{{Note label|Sow|1}} Time it takes to sow and then harvest. Directly reduced by [[Plant Work Speed]]. Does not account for travel/hauling time.
:{{note label|GrowYield|2}} Assuming 100% [[AI Storytellers#Harvest yield|harvest yield]] (difficulty stat) and 100% [[Plant Harvest Yield]] (pawn stat, impacted by Plants skill).
+
:{{Note label|GrowYield|2}} Assuming 100% [[AI Storytellers#Harvest yield|harvest yield]] (difficulty stat) and 100% [[Plant Harvest Yield]] (pawn stat, impacted by Plants skill).
:{{note label|Fert|3}} Time to grow, taking into account day/night cycles, but not sub-optimal [[light]] level. Assuming 100% soil fertility. Rice and Corn are equally affected by soil, but corn cannot be grown in [[hydroponics]]. Nutrifungus, then potatoes, are affected the least by both poor and good soil.
+
:{{Note label|Fert|3}} Time to grow, taking into account day/night cycles, but not sub-optimal [[light]] level. Assuming 100% soil fertility. Rice and Corn are equally affected by soil, but corn cannot be grown in [[hydroponics]]. Nutrifungus, then potatoes, are affected the least by both poor and good soil.
 
----
 
----
[[Corn plant|Corn]] is the best crop for both human food/work and cash/work. It is actually more profitable per unit work than any crop in the game, including every drug. However, it cannot be processed any further, meaning it is reliant entirely on the grow cycle. Per unit, it is less valuable than any drug, meaning more time is spent hauling. You'll might have to carry all that corn - only bulk goods traders and faction bases will buy it. And, in practice, the slow growing cycle can be a large issue. Corn is more dfficult to grow in bomes with a winter. It is vulnerable to destruction, whenever by [[fire]] and [[blight]].
+
[[Corn plant|Corn]] is the best crop for both human food/work and cash/work. It is actually more profitable per unit work than any crop in the game, including every drug. However, it cannot be processed any further, meaning it is reliant entirely on the grow cycle. Per unit, it is less valuable than any drug, meaning more time is spent hauling. You might have to carry all that corn - only bulk goods traders and faction bases will buy it. And, in practice, the slow growing cycle can be a large issue. Corn is more difficult to grow in biomes with a winter. It is vulnerable to destruction, whenever by [[fire]] and [[blight]].
  
[[Haygrass]] gives more nutrition/day than corn, but cannot be eaten by humans unless produced into [[kibble]], which gives a {{--|12}} moodlet. It is also less efficient for work. [[Rice plant|Rice]] is good as a ''stable'' source of food, but is not efficient at all in terms of product / work. Rice, potatoes, and corn all have roughly the same nutrition per day, just that rice is the most stable, and corn saves the most work.
+
[[Haygrass]] gives more nutrition/day than corn, but cannot be eaten by humans unless produced into [[kibble]], which gives a {{--|12}} moodlet. It is also less efficient for work. [[Rice plant|rice]] is good as a ''stable'' source of food, but is not efficient at all in terms of product / work. Rice, potatoes, and corn all have roughly the same nutrition per day, just that rice is the most stable, and corn saves the most work.
  
Make sure not to sell food that you need to eat. When cooked into [[simple meal]]s or regular [[fine meal]]s, each colonist will eat an effective 20 raw food per day. For reference, a field of ~25 tiles of rice, or 20 tiles of rich soil rice, is enough to ''practically'' sustain a single colonist in a year-round growing biome indefintely. Then you can grow and sell endless fields of corn, without starving.
+
Make sure not to sell food that you need to eat. When cooked into [[simple meal]]s or regular [[fine meal]]s, each colonist will eat an effective 20 raw food per day. For reference, a field of ~25 tiles of rice, or 20 tiles of rich soil rice, is enough to ''practically'' sustain a single colonist in a year-round growing biome indefinitely. Then you can grow and sell endless fields of corn, without starving.
  
===Product===
+
=== Product ===
 
Raw food can be turned directly into sellable [[packaged survival meal]]s, [[pemmican]], and [[chemfuel]]. However, both packaged meals and pemmican require a source of [[meat]], meaning they will not be covered in the table below. Both haygrass and corn can be used to feed [[animal]]s, but most animals can graze in the summer (or all year, if the biome supports it).
 
Raw food can be turned directly into sellable [[packaged survival meal]]s, [[pemmican]], and [[chemfuel]]. However, both packaged meals and pemmican require a source of [[meat]], meaning they will not be covered in the table below. Both haygrass and corn can be used to feed [[animal]]s, but most animals can graze in the summer (or all year, if the biome supports it).
  
 
{|class="wikitable"
 
{|class="wikitable"
|-
 
 
! Product
 
! Product
 
! Total Work
 
! Total Work
 
! Cost
 
! Cost
 
! Market Value
 
! Market Value
! Added Value @ Corn<br>(per hr work)
+
! Added Value @ Corn<br/>(per hr work)
! Added Value @ Human<br>meat (per hr work)
+
! Added Value @ Human<br/>meat (per hr work)
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Chemfuel]]
 
| [[Chemfuel]]
 
| 2500 ticks (no skill)
 
| 2500 ticks (no skill)
| 3.5 nutrition (70 [[raw food]])
+
| {{Icon Small|Stuff}} 3.5 nutrition ({{Icon Small|corn}} 70 [[raw food]])
| {{icon small|silver}} 80.5
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 80.5
| < {{icon small|silver}} 0.01
+
| < {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.01
| {{icon small|silver}} 24.5
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 24.5
 
|-
 
|-
 +
| [[Lavish meal]]
 +
| 800 ticks (Cooking)
 +
| {{Icon Small|meat}} 0.5 nutrition human meat + {{Icon Small|corn}} 0.5 nutrition [[corn|plant food]]<br>{{Icon Small|meat}} 1.25 nutrition human meat
 +
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 40
 +
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 65.6
 +
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 62.5
 
|}
 
|}
 
----
 
----
Line 102: Line 105:
 
Chemfuel has its advantages: it is lighter and never rots.
 
Chemfuel has its advantages: it is lighter and never rots.
  
==Cash crops==
+
== Cash crops ==
 
{|class="wikitable sortable"
 
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
 
 
! Crop
 
! Crop
! Planter Work<br>(per plant){{ref label|SowB|1}}
+
! Planter Work<br/>(per plant){{Ref label|SowB|1}}
! Raw material<br>(per plant){{ref label|GrowYieldB|2}}
+
! Raw material<br/>(per plant){{Ref label|GrowYieldB|2}}
! Market Value<br>(per plant)
+
! Market Value<br/>(per plant)
! Market Value<br>(per hr work)
+
! Market Value<br/>(per hr work)
! Real days<br>to grow{{ref label|FertB|3}}
+
! Real days<br/>to grow{{Ref label|FertB|3}}
! Profit/day<br>plant growth
+
! Profit/day<br/>plant growth
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Cotton plant]]
 
| [[Cotton plant]]
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|cloth}} 10
+
| {{Icon Small|cloth}} 10 [[cloth]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 15
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 15
| {{icon small|silver}} 101.35
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 101.35
 
| 14.77 days
 
| 14.77 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.02
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.02
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Devilstrand mushroom|Devilstrand]]
 
| [[Devilstrand mushroom|Devilstrand]]
 
| 600 ticks (Plants)
 
| 600 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|devilstrand}} 6
+
| {{Icon Small|devilstrand}} 6 [[devilstrand]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 33
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 33
| {{icon small|silver}} 137.5
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 137.5
 
| 41.54 days
 
| 41.54 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.794
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.794
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Healroot]]
 
| [[Healroot]]
 
| 1200 ticks (Plants)
 
| 1200 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|herbal medicine}} 1
+
| {{Icon Small|herbal medicine}} 1 [[herbal medicine]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 10
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 10
| {{icon small|silver}} 20.83
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 20.83
 
| 12.92 days
 
| 12.92 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.773
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.773
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Hops]]
 
| [[Hops]]
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|hops}} 8
+
| {{Icon Small|hops}} 8 [[hops]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 10.4
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 10.4
| {{icon small|silver}} 70.27
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 70.27
 
| 9.23 days
 
| 9.23 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.127
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.127
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Smokeleaf plant]]
 
| [[Smokeleaf plant]]
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|smokeleaf leaves}} 9
+
| {{Icon Small|smokeleaf leaves}} 9 [[smokeleaf leaves|smokeleaf]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 14.4
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 14.4
| {{icon small|silver}} 97.3
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 97.3
 
| 12.92 days
 
| 12.92 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.115
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.115
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Psychoid plant]]
 
| [[Psychoid plant]]
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
 
| 370 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|psychoid leaves}} 8
+
| {{Icon Small|psychoid leaves}} 8 [[psychoid leaves|psychoid]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 15.2
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 15.2
| {{icon small|silver}} 102.7
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 102.7
 
| 16.62 days
 
| 16.62 days
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.914
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.914
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Ambrosia bush]]{{ref label|Ambrosia|4}}
+
| [[Cocoa tree]]
 +
| 4400 ticks (Plants)
 +
| {{Icon Small|chocolate}} 20 [[chocolate]]
 +
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 60
 +
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 34.09
 +
| 29.54 days
 +
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 2.031
 +
|-
 +
| [[Ambrosia bush]]{{Ref label|Ambrosia|4}}
 
| 200 ticks (Plants)
 
| 200 ticks (Plants)
| {{icon small|ambrosia}} 4
+
| {{Icon Small|ambrosia}} 4 [[ambrosia]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 60
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 60
| {{icon small|silver}} (750)
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} (750)
 
| N/A
 
| N/A
 
| N/A
 
| N/A
 
|}
 
|}
:{{note label|SowB|1}} Time it takes to sow and then harvest. Directly reduced by [[Plant Work Speed]]. Does not account for travel/hauling time.
+
:{{Note label|SowB|1}} Time it takes to sow and then harvest. Directly reduced by [[Plant Work Speed]]. Does not account for travel/hauling time.
:{{note label|GrowYieldB|2}} Assuming 100% [[AI Storytellers#Harvest yield|harvest yield]] (difficulty stat) and 100% [[Plant Harvest Yield]] (pawn stat, impacted by Plants skill).
+
:{{Note label|GrowYieldB|2}} Assuming 100% [[AI Storytellers#Harvest yield|harvest yield]] (difficulty stat) and 100% [[Plant Harvest Yield]] (pawn stat, impacted by Plants skill).
:{{note label|FertB|3}} Time to grow, taking into account day/night cycles, but not sub-optimal [[light]] level. Assuming 100% soil fertility. Psychoid has the least Fert. sensitivity, and hops are less than the other plants.
+
:{{Note label|FertB|3}} Time to grow, taking into account day/night cycles, but not sub-optimal [[light]] level. Assuming 100% soil fertility. Psychoid has the least Fert. sensitivity, and hops are less than the other plants.
:{{note label|Ambrosia|4}} Ambrosia bushes cannot be planted, only appearing from the [[Event#Ambrosia sprout|event]]. You cannot control where the ambrosia sprouts, meaning that travel time is highly variable. Note that these bushes can be harvested multiple times.
+
:{{Note label|Ambrosia|4}} Ambrosia bushes cannot be planted, only appearing from the [[Event#Ambrosia sprout|event]]. You cannot control where the ambrosia sprouts, meaning that travel time is highly variable. Note that these bushes can be harvested multiple times.
 
----
 
----
Psychoid and cloth are the clear winners when selling raw. Psychoid has lowered fertillity sensitivity, so it is weaker per day in [[hydroponics]].
+
Psychoid and cloth are the clear winners when selling raw. Psychoid has lowered fertility sensitivity, so it is weaker per day in [[hydroponics]].
  
 
Devilstrand gives more $/work, but it grows nearly twice as slow as corn. As corn gives even more $/work, it is the superior option. Ambrosia blows all plants out of the water ''and'' requires no process work afterwards, but is limited to the event.
 
Devilstrand gives more $/work, but it grows nearly twice as slow as corn. As corn gives even more $/work, it is the superior option. Ambrosia blows all plants out of the water ''and'' requires no process work afterwards, but is limited to the event.
  
Cloth and devilstrand can be used as [[textile]]s for both Crafting and Construction items. The rest of the plants are drugs, and can be processed with either Cooking ''or'' Intellectual.
+
Cloth and devilstrand can be used as [[textile]]s for both Crafting and Construction items, after which quality will apply. A skilled crafter applying just a little bit of work can provide a huge +25%, +50%, or even +150% multiplier to the resulting product. (Conversely crafters below level 6 and construction below level 8 risks ''reducing'' the overall value or wasting materials during the build.) Production facilities can be placed essentially anywhere, and thus travel time can also be largely eliminated for even greater efficiency.
 +
 
 +
The rest of the plants are drugs, and can be processed with either Cooking ''or'' Intellectual.
  
==Drug Production==
+
== Drug production ==
 
{|class="wikitable sortable"
 
{|class="wikitable sortable"
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Drug
 
! Drug
! Synthesis Work<br>(per plant)
+
! Synthesis Work<br/>(per plant)
! Material<br>(per plant)
+
! Material<br/>(per plant)
! Market Value<br>(per plant)
+
! Market Value<br/>(per plant)
! Market Value<br>(per hr work total){{ref label|Total|1}}
+
! Market Value<br/>(per hr work total){{Ref label|Total|1}}
 
! class="unsortable"|
 
! class="unsortable"|
! Added Value<br>(per plant)
+
! Added Value<br/>(per plant)
! Added Value<br>(per hr work)
+
! Added Value<br/>(per hr work)
! Profit/day<br>plant growth
+
! Profit/day<br/>plant growth
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Beer]]
+
| [[Beer]]
| 320 ticks (Cook){{ref label|Beer|2}}
+
| 320 ticks (Cook){{Ref label|Beer|2}}
| {{icon small|beer}} 1.6
+
| {{Icon Small|beer}} 1.6 [[beer]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 19.2
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 19.2
| {{icon small|silver}} 69.56
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 69.56
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 8.8
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 8.8
| {{icon small|silver}} 68.75
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 68.75
| {{icon small|silver}} 2.086{{ref label|Ferm|3}}
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 2.086{{Ref label|Ferm|3}}
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Smokeleaf joint]]
+
| [[Smokeleaf joint]]
 
| 1012.5 ticks (Cook)
 
| 1012.5 ticks (Cook)
| {{icon small|smokeleaf joint}} 2.25
+
| {{Icon Small|smokeleaf joint}} 2.25 [[smokeleaf joint]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 24.75
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 24.75
| {{icon small|silver}} 46.22
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 46.22
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 10.35
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 10.35
| {{icon small|silver}} 25.56
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 25.56
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.916
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.916
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Psychite tea]]
 
| [[Psychite tea]]
 
| 800 ticks (Cook)
 
| 800 ticks (Cook)
| {{icon small|psychite tea}} 2
+
| {{Icon Small|psychite tea}} 2 [[psychite tea]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 20
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 20
| {{icon small|silver}} 42.73
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 42.73
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 2.4
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 2.4
| {{icon small|silver}} 7.5
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 7.5
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.316
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.316
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Flake]]
 
| [[Flake]]
 
| 500 ticks (Intel.)
 
| 500 ticks (Intel.)
| {{icon small|flake}} 2
+
| {{Icon Small|flake}} 2 [[flake]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 28
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 28
| {{icon small|silver}} 80.46
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 80.46
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 12.8
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 12.8
| {{icon small|silver}} 64
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 64
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.842
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.842
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Yayo]]
 
| [[Yayo]]
 
| 350 ticks (Intel.)
 
| 350 ticks (Intel.)
| {{icon small|yayo}} 1
+
| {{Icon Small|yayo}} 1 [[yayo]]
| {{icon small|silver}} 21
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 21
| {{icon small|silver}} 72.92
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 72.92
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 5.8
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 5.8
| {{icon small|silver}} 41.43
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 41.43
| {{icon small|silver}} 1.381
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.381
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
:{{note label|Total|1}} Combined work from both planting and synthesis. Controlled by [[Plant Work Speed]] and either [[Drug Cooking Speed]] (Cook) or [[Drug Synthesis Speed]] (Intel.).
+
:{{Note label|Total|1}} Combined work from both planting and synthesis. Controlled by [[Plant Work Speed]] and either [[Drug Cooking Speed]] (Cook) or [[Drug Synthesis Speed]] (Intel.).
:{{note label|Beer|2}} For beer, [[hops]] need to be converted into [[wort]], then put into a [[fermenting barrel]] to make beer. This extra hauling work is not accounted for.
+
:{{Note label|Beer|2}} For beer, [[hops]] need to be converted into [[wort]], then put into a [[fermenting barrel]] to make beer. This extra hauling work is not accounted for.
:{{note label|Ferm|3}} Beer takes 6 days to ferment from wort in a fermenting barrel. Fermentation can be done concurrently with plant work, so this is ignored.
+
:{{Note label|Ferm|3}} Beer takes 6 days to ferment from wort in a fermenting barrel. Fermentation can be done concurrently with plant work, so this is ignored.
 
----
 
----
*'''Why Drugs?'''
+
* '''Why Drugs?'''
 
Despite having a lower value/work ratio than raw plants, drugs have several major advantages.
 
Despite having a lower value/work ratio than raw plants, drugs have several major advantages.
  
All calculations assume that a drug is constantly being planted, harvested, and synthesized by 1 pawn, before travel time. These tables are comparing 1000 leaves-turned-flake to selling 2315 raw leaves, not 1000 to 1000 leaves. In other words, drug synthesis allows you to ''get more value from the same growing space''.  
+
All calculations assume that a drug is constantly being planted, harvested, and synthesized by 1 pawn, before travel time. These tables are comparing 1000 leaves-turned-flake to selling 2315 raw leaves, not 1000 to 1000 leaves. If your planter is not constantly harvesting and resowing every day until the first batch of drug finishes growing, then you have time to synthesize.
  
Creating drugs allows 2 pawns, perhaps with different skills and passions, to "work" at the same sized field at the same time. Certain [[biome]]s may be limited in grow space. Other biomes can let you grow in the summer, and synthesize in the winter. Even in a tropical rainforest: If a pawn is not constantly harvesting and resowing every day until the psychoid is done, you have time to synthesize. With Plants 8 and an 8 hour work day, this would be 897 tiles. Fields this large can be difficult to protect from [[fire]], [[raider]]s, and [[blight]] - not even considering walk distance. And this shouldn't need to be said, but if you have a pawn that's bad at plants but great at intellectual, then they are better off creating drugs.  
+
Even if you are able to plant every day, drug synthesis allows you to ''get more value from the same growing space''. Creating drugs allows 2 pawns, perhaps with different skills and passions, to "work" at the same sized field at the same time. If you have a pawn that's bad at plants but great at intellectual, then they are better off creating drugs. Certain [[biome]]s may be limited in grow space. Other biomes can let you grow in the summer, and synthesize in the winter. And even in a tropical rainforest, large fields can be difficult to protect from [[fire]], [[raider]]s, and [[blight]]. With Plants 8 and an 8 hour work day, a planter could theoretically sustain 897 tiles of psychoid.
  
 
The other advantage is with logistics. More traders accept drugs than raw plants. Drugs are much lighter than their raw materials, meaning [[caravan]]s and [[transport pod]]s can carry much more at a time. In addition, plant matter will rot when unrefrigerated; drugs don't.
 
The other advantage is with logistics. More traders accept drugs than raw plants. Drugs are much lighter than their raw materials, meaning [[caravan]]s and [[transport pod]]s can carry much more at a time. In addition, plant matter will rot when unrefrigerated; drugs don't.
  
*'''Drug Comparison'''
+
* '''Drug Comparison'''
 
Flake is the absolute winner for almost every relevant stat, considering beer's fermentation time. Yayo takes less work per leaf, but selling flake + excess leaves is more valuable than selling yayo. However: if work time is not an issue, but [[hydroponics]] space is, then smokeleaf is the superior choice. If [[Research#Psychite refining|Psychite Refining]] has not been researched, then Beer (requires [[Research#Beer brewing|Beer Brewing]]) and smokeleaf (requires [[Research#Drug production|Drug Production]] to not be half speed) have their merits.  
 
Flake is the absolute winner for almost every relevant stat, considering beer's fermentation time. Yayo takes less work per leaf, but selling flake + excess leaves is more valuable than selling yayo. However: if work time is not an issue, but [[hydroponics]] space is, then smokeleaf is the superior choice. If [[Research#Psychite refining|Psychite Refining]] has not been researched, then Beer (requires [[Research#Beer brewing|Beer Brewing]]) and smokeleaf (requires [[Research#Drug production|Drug Production]] to not be half speed) have their merits.  
  
Psychite tea is clearly the worst available drug for selling. However, colonies may produce it to drink, decreasing the [[Rest]] each colonist needs. As calculated in psychite tea's [[Psychite_tea#Work_analysis|analysis section]], it is virtually always positive in terms of work gained : work required ratio. Extra psychite tea can be sold to traders for a decent profit.
+
Psychite tea is clearly the worst available drug for selling. However, colonies may produce it to drink. Psychite tea can be safely drunk by adult colonists every 2 days, giving [[Recreation]] and decreasing the [[Rest]] each colonist needs. As calculated in psychite tea's [[Psychite_tea#Work_analysis|analysis section]], it is virtually always positive in terms of work gained : work required ratio. Excess psychite tea can be sold to traders for a decent profit.
 +
 
 +
* '''High Life'''{{IdeologyIcon}}
 +
The [[high life]] meme{{IdeologyIcon}} multiplies yield of drug plants by x1.5, drug creation speed by x1.5, and gives +10% [[Trade Price Improvement]] when selling drugs. Psychoid leaves alone becomes very comparable in Value / Planter Work to corn.  
  
===Neutroamine drugs===
+
While psychoid (and other drug crops) are still worse in ''optimal'' value / work time than corn, creating drugs has its advantages, listed in "Why Drugs?". Therefore, high life flake tends to be better in practice than corn, let alone flake without an ideology.
 +
 
 +
----
 +
=== Neutroamine drugs ===
 
Some drugs require [[neutroamine]], which can only be reliably obtained via trade. This is subject to the various [[Trade Price Improvement]]s, but under the default difficulty settings at 0% TPI, you buy at a x1.4 markup and sell at a x0.6 loss. Neutroamine is a finite resource at any one point in time, so you are often better off using it for the actual drugs
 
Some drugs require [[neutroamine]], which can only be reliably obtained via trade. This is subject to the various [[Trade Price Improvement]]s, but under the default difficulty settings at 0% TPI, you buy at a x1.4 markup and sell at a x0.6 loss. Neutroamine is a finite resource at any one point in time, so you are often better off using it for the actual drugs
  
 
{|class="wikitable sortable"
 
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
 
 
! Drug
 
! Drug
! Synthesis Work<br>
+
! Synthesis Work<br/>
! Cost ({{icon small|silver}} @ 0% TPI){{ref label|Neutro|1}}
+
! Cost ({{Icon Small|silver}} @ 0% TPI){{Ref label|Neutro|1}}
 
! Market Value
 
! Market Value
! Profit @ 0% TPI<br>(per drug)
+
! Profit @ 0% TPI<br/>(per drug)
! Profit @ 0% TPI<br>(per hr work)
+
! Profit @ 0% TPI<br/>(per hr work)
 
! class="unsortable"|
 
! class="unsortable"|
! Profit @ 30% TPI<br>(per drug){{ref label|TPI|2}}
+
! Profit @ 30% TPI<br/>(per drug){{Ref label|TPI|2}}
! Profit @ 30% TPI<br>(per hr work){{ref label|TPI|2}}
+
! Profit @ 30% TPI<br/>(per hr work){{Ref label|TPI|2}}
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Penoxycyline]]
+
| [[Penoxycyline]]
|600 ticks (Intel.)
+
| 600 ticks (Intel.)
|{{icon small|neutroamine}} 2 ({{icon small|silver}} 16.8)
+
| {{Icon Small|neutroamine}} 2 ({{Icon Small|silver}} 16.8)
|{{icon small|silver}} 18
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 18
|{{icon small|silver}} {{--|6}}
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} {{--|6}}
|N/A
+
| N/A
 
!
 
!
|{{icon small|silver}} 2.28
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 2.28
|{{icon small|silver}} 9.5
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 9.5
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Medicine]]
+
| [[Medicine]]
|900 ticks (Intel.)
+
| 900 ticks (Intel.)
|{{icon small|neutroamine}} 1 + {{icon small|cloth}} 3 + {{icon small|herbal medicine}} 1 <br>({{icon small|silver}} 8.4 bought + 14.5 other)
+
| {{Icon Small|neutroamine}} 1 + {{Icon Small|cloth}} 3 + {{Icon Small|herbal medicine}} 1 <br/>({{Icon Small|silver}} 8.4 bought + 14.5 other)
|{{icon small|silver}} 18
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 18
|Never
+
| Never
|N/A
+
| N/A
 
!
 
!
|Never
+
| Never
|N/A
+
| N/A
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Go-juice]]
+
| [[Go-juice]]
|600 ticks (Intel.)
+
| 600 ticks (Intel.)
|{{icon small|neutroamine}} 2 + {{icon small|yayo}} 1<br>({{icon small|silver}} 16.8 bought + 21 other)
+
| {{Icon Small|neutroamine}} 2 + {{Icon Small|yayo}} 1<br/>({{Icon Small|silver}} 16.8 bought + 21 other)
|{{icon small|silver}} 53
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 53
|{{icon small|silver}} 2.4
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 2.4
|{{icon small|silver}} 10
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 10
 
!
 
!
|{{icon small|silver}} 13.2
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 13.2
|{{icon small|silver}} 55
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 55
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Wake-up]]
+
| [[Wake-up]]
|900 ticks (Intel.)
+
| 900 ticks (Intel.)
|{{icon small|neutroamine}} 2 ({{icon small|silver}} 16.8)
+
| {{Icon Small|neutroamine}} 2 ({{Icon Small|silver}} 16.8)
|{{icon small|silver}} 35
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 35
|{{icon small|silver}} 4.2
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 4.2
|{{icon small|silver}} 11.67
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 11.67
 
!
 
!
|{{icon small|silver}} 15.54
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 15.54
|{{icon small|silver}} 43.17
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 43.17
|-
 
 
|}
 
|}
:{{note label|Neutro|1}} Assuming neutroamine is bought, at 140% markup. Anything that can be produced in your colony is assumed to be produced at your colony, and is worth regular market value. The trade disadvantage is taken account when calculating profits for not-neutroamine goods (i.e. yayo is 21 * 0.6 for the 0% TPI profit column).
+
:{{Note label|Neutro|1}} Assuming neutroamine is bought, at 140% markup. Anything that can be produced in your colony is assumed to be produced at your colony, and is worth regular market value. The trade disadvantage is taken account when calculating profits for not-neutroamine goods (i.e. yayo is 21 * 0.6 for the 0% TPI profit column).
:{{note label|TPI|2}} 30% [[Trade Price Improvement|TPI]] is reached at 20 Social skill with no other modifiers, or 8 Social skill with a trading [[inspiration]] (you may need to have multiple inspirations). You sell at x0.78 and buy at x0.98.
+
:{{Note label|TPI|2}} 30% [[Trade Price Improvement|TPI]] is reached at 20 Social skill with no other modifiers, or 8 Social skill with a trading [[inspiration]] (you may need to have multiple inspirations). You sell at x0.78 and buy at x0.98.
 
----
 
----
 
As the trade price disadvantage is increased for [[difficulties]] past Strive to Survive, all neutroamine drugs cease to become (very) profitable.
 
As the trade price disadvantage is increased for [[difficulties]] past Strive to Survive, all neutroamine drugs cease to become (very) profitable.
  
==Apparel and Armchairs==
+
== Apparel and armchairs ==
 
All the uses for [[cloth]] and other [[textile]]s. Both buildings and apparel have a [[quality]] value. The higher the quality, the higher the value. As a reference: you ''average'' normal quality at Crafting / Construction 6. You average good quality at Skill 13. For all effects of quality, including price multi. per quality, and the chance of each quality at a given skill level, see the [[Quality]] page.  
 
All the uses for [[cloth]] and other [[textile]]s. Both buildings and apparel have a [[quality]] value. The higher the quality, the higher the value. As a reference: you ''average'' normal quality at Crafting / Construction 6. You average good quality at Skill 13. For all effects of quality, including price multi. per quality, and the chance of each quality at a given skill level, see the [[Quality]] page.  
  
Each product is made out of [[cloth]] for comparison.
+
Each product is made out of [[cloth]], for comparison.
 
{|class="wikitable"
 
{|class="wikitable"
|-
 
 
! Product
 
! Product
! Total Work{{ref label|Craft|1}}
+
! Total Work{{Ref label|Craft|1}}
 
! Cost
 
! Cost
 
! Net Value @ Normal
 
! Net Value @ Normal
! Added Value<br>@ Normal<br>(per unit material)
+
! Added Value<br/>@ Normal<br/>(per unit material)
! Added Value<br>@ Normal<br>(per hr work)
+
! Added Value<br/>@ Normal<br/>(per hr work)
 
! class="unsortable"|
 
! class="unsortable"|
 
! Net Value @ Good
 
! Net Value @ Good
! Added Value<br>@ Good<br>(per unit material)
+
! Added Value<br/>@ Good<br/>(per unit material)
! Added Value<br>@ Good<br>(per hr work)
+
! Added Value<br/>@ Good<br/>(per hr work)
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Tribalwear]]
 
| [[Tribalwear]]
 
| 1800 ticks (Craft)
 
| 1800 ticks (Craft)
| {{icon small|cloth}} 60 ({{icon small|silver}} 90)
+
| {{Icon Small|cloth}} 60 ({{Icon Small|silver}} 90)
| {{icon small|silver}} 97
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 97
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.117 ({{+|7.7%}})
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.117 ({{+|7.7%}})
| {{icon small|silver}} 9.72
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 9.72
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 121.25
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 121.25
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.521 ({{+|34.7%}})
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.521 ({{+|34.7%}})
| {{icon small|silver}} 43.4
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 43.4
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Duster]]
 
| [[Duster]]
 
| 10000 ticks (Craft)
 
| 10000 ticks (Craft)
| {{icon small|cloth}} 80 ({{icon small|silver}} 120)
+
| {{Icon Small|cloth}} 80 ({{Icon Small|silver}} 120)
| {{icon small|silver}} 156
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 156
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.335 ({{+|22.3%}})
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.335 ({{+|22.3%}})
| {{icon small|silver}} 9
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 9
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 195
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 195
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.938 ({{+|62.5%}})
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.938 ({{+|62.5%}})
| {{icon small|silver}} 18.75
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 18.75
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Armchair]]
 
| [[Armchair]]
 
| 14000 ticks (Constr.)
 
| 14000 ticks (Constr.)
| {{icon small|cloth}} 110 ({{icon small|silver}} 165)
+
| {{Icon Small|cloth}} 110 ({{Icon Small|silver}} 165)
| {{icon small|silver}} 150.5{{ref label|Build|2}}
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 150.5{{Ref label|Build|2}}
| {{icon small|silver}} {{--|0.13}} ({{--|8.6%}})
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} {{--|0.13}} ({{--|8.6%}})
| {{icon small|silver}} {{--|2.59}}
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} {{--|2.59}}
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 188.1{{ref label|Build|1}}
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 188.1{{Ref label|Build|1}}
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.34 ({{+|22.8%}})
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.34 ({{+|22.8%}})
| {{icon small|silver}} 4.13
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 4.13
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Corset]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}<br>[[Formal vest]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}
+
| [[Corset]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}<br/>[[Formal vest]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}
 
| 12000 ticks (Craft)
 
| 12000 ticks (Craft)
| {{icon small|cloth}} 45 ({{icon small|silver}} 67.5)
+
| {{Icon Small|cloth}} 45 ({{Icon Small|silver}} 67.5)
| {{icon small|silver}} 111
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 111
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.97 ({{+|64.7%}})
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.97 ({{+|64.7%}})
| {{icon small|silver}} 9.06
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 9.06
 
!
 
!
| {{icon small|silver}} 166.5 {{Check Tag|Please doublecheck|Shouldn't the value be 111 * 1.25, which is 138.75 ?}}
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 138.75
| {{icon small|silver}} 2.2 ({{+|146.6%}})
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 1.58 ({{+|105.5%}})
| {{icon small|silver}} 14.84
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 14.84
|-
 
 
|}
 
|}
:{{note label|Craft|1}} Crafting speed is not increased by Crafting skill; skill only impacts [[quality]]. However, [[Construction Speed]] ''is'' impacted by the skill.
+
:{{Note label|Craft|1}} Crafting speed is not increased by Crafting skill; skill only impacts [[quality]]. However, [[Construction Speed]] ''is'' impacted by the skill.
:{{note label|Build|2}} All constructed buildings are sold at at x0.7 price, in addition to the regular [[Trade Price Improvement|TPI]] and [[difficulty]] penalties. This is reflected in the armchair's value and profit.
+
:{{Note label|Build|2}} All constructed buildings are sold at at x0.7 price, in addition to the regular [[Trade Price Improvement|TPI]] and [[difficulty]] penalties. This is reflected in the armchair's value and profit.
 
----
 
----
 
For nearly every crafted / consructed item in RimWorld, market value is calculated ''directly'' with (Ingredient Value) and (Work to Make). This means that '''there's no particularly 'bad' or 'good' apparel item''' for the purposes of craft -> selling. The listed items are just the most optimal for a desired goal; do you want more profit per material, or do you want more profit per work time?
 
For nearly every crafted / consructed item in RimWorld, market value is calculated ''directly'' with (Ingredient Value) and (Work to Make). This means that '''there's no particularly 'bad' or 'good' apparel item''' for the purposes of craft -> selling. The listed items are just the most optimal for a desired goal; do you want more profit per material, or do you want more profit per work time?
  
Dusters {{RimworldIcon}} or [[Corset]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} / [[Formal vest]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} require the most Work : Material, and therefore the most profitable in terms of Value/Material. However, they are poor in terms of $/Work. You should make them if you have crafters doing nothing AND have spare textiles lying around. Alternatively, you can sell any low-quality dusters you've accidentially made to any traders that show up.  
+
Depending on installed [[DLC]], [[duster]]s {{RimworldIcon}} or [[corset]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} / [[formal vest]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} require the most Work : Material, and therefore the most profitable in terms of Value/Material. However, they are poor in terms of $/Work. You should make them if textile supply is limited, or if crafters can spare the work. Alternatively, you can sell any low-quality dusters you've accidentally made to any traders that show up.  
  
 
Tribalwear is the polar opposite; best in $/work but worst in value/material. If you have a lot of spare material but need extra money fast, then create those. Quality has a huge impact on profit. The [[empire]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} will not buy tribalwear; [[top hat]]s will become the best for $/work.
 
Tribalwear is the polar opposite; best in $/work but worst in value/material. If you have a lot of spare material but need extra money fast, then create those. Quality has a huge impact on profit. The [[empire]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} will not buy tribalwear; [[top hat]]s will become the best for $/work.
Line 396: Line 410:
 
Armchairs are in a similar, but worse position to dusters. Only make them if you have the textiles to spare, have an idle constructor, and have a ''much'' better constructor than crafter. With poor quality armchairs, it is more convenient to just deconstruct armchairs than sell them.
 
Armchairs are in a similar, but worse position to dusters. Only make them if you have the textiles to spare, have an idle constructor, and have a ''much'' better constructor than crafter. With poor quality armchairs, it is more convenient to just deconstruct armchairs than sell them.
  
*'''Ideology Roles'''{{IdeologyIcon}}
+
* '''Ideology Roles'''{{IdeologyIcon}}
[[Roles#Production specialist|Production Specialists]]{{IdeologyIcon}} have +50% [[general labor speed]] and +1 [[quality]] on all items. Masterwork items, worth x2.5 as much as normal, can become incredibly common. A level 20 specialist making tribalwears creates an average of {{icon small|silver}} 283.3 silver/hour. This should be compared to a level 20 [[Roles#Plants specialist|Plants Specialist]] churning out corn at 308% speed and 143% yield, for {{icon small|silver}} 720 silver/hour. The amount of space required and amount of corn produced for maximum efficiency will be absurd, but so is the cloth required for max efficiency production specialist.
+
[[Roles#Production specialist|Production Specialists]]{{IdeologyIcon}} have +50% [[general labor speed]] and +1 [[quality]] on all items. Masterwork items, worth x2.5 as much as normal, can become incredibly common. A level 20 specialist making tribalwears creates an average of {{Icon Small|silver}} 283.3 silver/hour. This should be compared to a level 20 [[Roles#Plants specialist|Plants Specialist]] churning out corn at 308% speed and 143% yield, for {{Icon Small|silver}} 720 silver/hour. The amount of space required and amount of corn produced for maximum efficiency will be absurd, but so is the cloth required for max efficiency production specialist.
  
==Sculptures==
+
== Sculptures ==
 
The game encourages creating art for sale. Art sells for x1.1 its value, as opposed to x0.7 value for most other constructed buildings (a 57% increase). Wood is the only material that makes sense to build sculptures for profit in terms of value added per unit work. For materials other than wood, the ratio of work cost versus value added is so low that it isn't worth it unless you either 1) have time and material to burn, or 2) are trying for a specific high-quality sculpture and are willing to sell off the failures.
 
The game encourages creating art for sale. Art sells for x1.1 its value, as opposed to x0.7 value for most other constructed buildings (a 57% increase). Wood is the only material that makes sense to build sculptures for profit in terms of value added per unit work. For materials other than wood, the ratio of work cost versus value added is so low that it isn't worth it unless you either 1) have time and material to burn, or 2) are trying for a specific high-quality sculpture and are willing to sell off the failures.
  
In general, small sculptures have the highest profit/material and lowest profit/work, while large/grand sculptures are the opposite. What this means is that if you have time but are short on material and want to make the most of what you do have, make small sculptures. Conversely, if you have lots of material and want to create value (relatively) quickly, make grand sculptures. Practically speaking, grand sculptures, at a size of 4x4, are not as useful in your colony as large sculptures, so many players make large and sell off their lower-quality discards.
+
In general, small sculptures have the highest profit/material and lowest profit/work, while large/grand sculptures are the opposite. What this means is that if you have time but are short on material and want to make the most of what you do have, make small sculptures. Conversely, if you have lots of material and want to create value (relatively) quickly, make grand sculptures. Practically speaking, grand sculptures, at a size of 2x2, are not as useful in your colony as large sculptures, so many players make large and sell off their lower-quality discards.
  
 
Also, be mindful that traders may not have enough silver or even goods to buy the best large/grand sculptures. Even [[faction base]]s and [[comms console|orbital trader]]s will run out of actual silver.
 
Also, be mindful that traders may not have enough silver or even goods to buy the best large/grand sculptures. Even [[faction base]]s and [[comms console|orbital trader]]s will run out of actual silver.
Line 416: Line 430:
 
| [[Small sculpture]]
 
| [[Small sculpture]]
 
| 12600 ticks (Art)
 
| 12600 ticks (Art)
| {{icon small|silver}} 49.5
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 49.5
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.99
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.99
| {{icon small|silver}} 9.81
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 9.81
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Large sculpture]]
 
| [[Large sculpture]]
 
| 21000 ticks (Art)
 
| 21000 ticks (Art)
| {{icon small|silver}} 83.6
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 83.6
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.836
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.836
| {{icon small|silver}} 9.94
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 9.94
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Grand sculpture]]
 
| [[Grand sculpture]]
 
| 73500 ticks (Art)
 
| 73500 ticks (Art)
| {{icon small|silver}} 291.5
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 291.5
| {{icon small|silver}} 0.729
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 0.729
| {{icon small|silver}} 9.91
+
| {{Icon Small|silver}} 9.91
 
|}
 
|}
  
Line 442: Line 456:
 
Ranching for profit works best in equatorial biomes (where growing hay is unnecessary), and for colonies that are more constrained by space than labor (most of them, under default map size/soft pawn limit settings). Other areas will find it far less efficient.
 
Ranching for profit works best in equatorial biomes (where growing hay is unnecessary), and for colonies that are more constrained by space than labor (most of them, under default map size/soft pawn limit settings). Other areas will find it far less efficient.
  
== Material Production ==
+
Aspiring ranchers may find it useful to consult the [[Animal husbandry#Feeding animals|animals]] page to compare relative requirements to raise each animal type.
(tbd)
+
 
 +
Horses are a very strong contender which also fit well with the hands-off approach. They can do triple work as pack animals, mounts, and a source of income.
 +
 
 +
Conversely, pure carnivores offer very poor returns for ranching. They require other animals as food, which is already inefficient (if you're ranching them) and is even worse if you're hunting them. Still, most carnivores (minus the [[warg]]) can be fed with kibble, which allows partial haygrass diets. Remember also that carnivores eat corpses in the wild, and all those raider corpses [[Human_resources#Unprocessed_corpses|could be put to use in a cooled feeding room]], rather than cremated or buried... Colonists might mind when you butcher human bodies, but if you stuff them in a freezer and let your wargs/dogs/etc munch on them they won't even raise an eyebrow, as long as they don't see the corpses.
 +
 
 +
== Material production ==
 +
While not the most lucrative venture, stone blocks can be sourced infinitely on any map that is not located in [[Biomes#Ice_sheet|ice sheet]] and [[Biomes#Sea_ice|sea ice]] [[biome]]s. It is also extremely scalable - a sweatshop of a dozen laborers and miners can constantly produce value that would otherwise take a much larger growing area. You are only functionally limited by the amount of pawns, power (for [[deep drill]]s), and defenses (to survive raiders).
 +
 
 +
Infinite chunks can be spawned from a deep drill in an area that contains no underground resources. The type of chunk produced will be displayed on the deep drill's tooltip. It can be beneficial to place the drill right next to the stonecutter's table to remove the need for hauling, but this does risk the stonecutter being attacked by the insectoids that the drill can occasionally spawn, in addition to the drill operator.
 +
 
 +
Consider optimizing your stone selection for your export aim. Most maps contain two stone types, at most three. [[Slate block]]s offer the highest value:weight ratio, although this advantage goes away if you further process them into sculptures. Sandstone has the highest market value per unit of work so is the best stone type for crafting items for sale in bulk (all stone blocks are worth 0.9 silver per block.) Note: Blocks can only be traded to bulk goods traders or most faction bases. Given the incredibly poor value:weight ratio of even slate, you will largely be limited to exporting to whatever bulk goods traders happen to visit. Sculptures can be sold to ''anyone'' and offer a 10% premium on their sale price, as such they are appropriate for most colony circumstances.
 +
 
 +
Marble may be worth extra consideration, as it provides a large bonus to beauty. Marble walls, marble sculptures, even marble slab beds will be more beautiful than their other stone counterparts. Beautiful surroundings increases [[mood]], so it can keep your colony from descending into chaos... or even inspire an artist or two to create legendary works. Marble furniture can be placed around the colony and easily uninstalled later when it comes time to export them.
  
== The Most Money ==
+
Ultimately, chunk->block value production is simply a function of how much work your pawns apply. With the Ideology DLC installed, [[slaves]]{{IdeologyIcon}} are ideal as stone cutters as the task doesn't depend on any of the pawn's skills. The -15% work speed from slaves is offset by a lack of need for recreation. Adding a [[circadian half-cycler]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} further increases efficiency by removing the need for sleep at the cost of -15% consciousness.
 +
 
 +
== The most money ==
 
By now, it should be established that [[corn]] is easily the most profitable per unit work. With all the DLCs, how far can it go?
 
By now, it should be established that [[corn]] is easily the most profitable per unit work. With all the DLCs, how far can it go?
 
*At level 20 Plants, you reach 113% Harvest Yield and 238% Plants Harvest Speed.
 
*At level 20 Plants, you reach 113% Harvest Yield and 238% Plants Harvest Speed.
*[[Traits#Very neurotic|Very neurotic]] + [[Traits#Industrious|Industrious]] give 175% Global Work Speed
+
* [[Very neurotic]] + [[Industrious]] give 175% Global Work Speed
*[[Trauma savant]] adds +50% [[Manipulation]]
+
* [[Trauma savant]] adds +50% [[Manipulation]]
*2 [[field hand]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} offset Plants Harvest Speed by +160% each
+
* 2 [[field hand]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} offset Plants Harvest Speed by +160% each
*[[Roles#Plants specialist|Plants Specialist]]{{IdeologyIcon}} gives +70% speed and +30% yield.
+
* [[Roles#Plants specialist|Plants Specialist]]{{IdeologyIcon}} gives +70% speed and +30% yield.
*[[Genes#Elongated fingers|Elongated fingers]]{{BiotechIcon}} boosts manipulation by x110% (for 165% manipulation)
+
* [[Genes#Elongated fingers|Elongated fingers]]{{BiotechIcon}} boosts manipulation by x110% (for 165% manipulation)
*[[Genes#Never sleep|Never Sleep]]{{BiotechIcon}} removes sleep without any work-related penalty
+
* [[Genes#Never sleep|Never Sleep]]{{BiotechIcon}} removes sleep without any work-related penalty
With a total of 150% yield and 3367% speed, you would reach a theoretical optimum of {{icon small|silver}} 8257 silver per hour. You would be planting 227.5 tiles per hour, or 5,460 tiles (a 73x73 area) per 24 hour day. If the entire map was regular soil and you didn't have to worry about travel time/light/food/recreation, this results in planting 113,895 tiles by the time the first corn finishes growing. This is a 337 x 337 area, much larger than a regular map.
+
With a total of 150% yield and 3367% speed, you would reach a theoretical optimum of {{Icon Small|silver}} 8257 silver per hour. You would be planting 227.5 tiles per hour, or 5,460 tiles (a 73x73 area) per 24 hour day. If the entire map was regular soil and you didn't have to worry about travel time/light/food/recreation, this results in planting 113,895 tiles by the time the first corn finishes growing. This is a 337 x 337 area, much larger than a regular map. Due to travel speed, the actual result will be much smaller.
 +
 
 +
With the release of [[Biotech]]{{BiotechIcon}}, there are even more avenues to squeeze wealth out of your growing. Genes like [[Genes#Psychic_bonding|psychic bonding]]{{BiotechIcon}} or [[pollution stimulus]]{{BiotechIcon}} offer direct manipulation and move speed buffs. Even better, your single grower could also be a [[mechanitor]]{{BiotechIcon}} who controls dozens of [[agrihand]]s{{BiotechIcon}}. Once they've been set up, they'll work forever unless anything harms them. (NB: A plants specialist cannot gestate or repair mechs, but you can set them up ''before'' becoming a plants specialist!)
  
 
This is before temporary modifiers like [[wake-up]], [[inspiration|work frenzy]], and [[Roles#Leader|Work Drive]]{{IdeologyIcon}}.
 
This is before temporary modifiers like [[wake-up]], [[inspiration|work frenzy]], and [[Roles#Leader|Work Drive]]{{IdeologyIcon}}.
  
==How to Calculate==
+
== How to calculate ==
 
How to derive these numbers by yourself, in case you want to double-check this guide, or calculate values for other items.
 
How to derive these numbers by yourself, in case you want to double-check this guide, or calculate values for other items.
  
 
Note: 1 RimWorld hour = 2,500 [[ticks]].
 
Note: 1 RimWorld hour = 2,500 [[ticks]].
  
===Plants===
+
=== Plants ===
*Planter Work = (Work to Sow) + (Work to Harvest)
+
* Planter Work = (Work to Sow) + (Work to Harvest)
*Market Value per plant = (Material Value) * (Material Yield)
+
* Market Value per plant = (Material Value) * (Material Yield)
*Market Value per hour work = (Market Value per plant) * [ (2500 ticks) / (Planter Work) ]
+
* Market Value per hour work = (Market Value per plant) * [ (2500 ticks) / (Planter Work) ]
*Profit per day = (Market Value per plant) / (Real Days to Grow)
+
* Profit per day = (Market Value per plant) / (Real Days to Grow)
  
===All produced items===
+
=== All produced items ===
*Synthesis Work or Crafter Work = (Work to Make)
+
* Synthesis Work or Crafter Work = (Work to Make)
*Total Work = (Work Ingredients) + (Work to Make)
+
* Total Work = (Work Ingredients) + (Work to Make)
*Market Value per work total = (Market Value) / (Total Work)
+
* Market Value per work total = (Market Value) / (Total Work)
*Net Value = (Market Value) * ([[Sell Price Multiplier]])
+
* Net Value = (Market Value) * ([[Sell Price Multiplier]])
  
 
'''Added Value & Profit'''
 
'''Added Value & Profit'''
*Added Value = (Market Value) - (Ingredient Value * Ingredients required)
+
* Added Value = (Market Value) - (Ingredient Value * Ingredients required)
*Added Value per hour work = (Added Value) * [ (2500 ticks) / (Synthesis Work) ]
+
* Added Value per hour work = (Added Value) * [ (2500 ticks) / (Synthesis Work) ]
*Profit at 0% [[Trade Price Improvement|TPI]] = 0.6 * (Market Value - Material Value Produced) - 1.4 * (Material Value Bought)
+
* Profit at 0% [[Trade Price Improvement|TPI]] = 0.6 * (Market Value - Material Value Produced) - 1.4 * (Material Value Bought)
 
(At 0% TPI, items sell at 60% and are bought at 140%. See TPI page for all the buy/sell multipliers)
 
(At 0% TPI, items sell at 60% and are bought at 140%. See TPI page for all the buy/sell multipliers)
  
 
{{Nav/guides|wide}}
 
{{Nav/guides|wide}}
[[Category: Guides]]
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[[Category:Guides]]

Latest revision as of 02:36, 23 July 2024

There are lots of ways of "making money" in RimWorld. Depending on a colony's location, progress, and inhabitants, certain means of production will be more viable than others. Some can give profit in the long-term, but require more set-up or work. And there are (at least!) two ways to measure "best" - making the fastest profit in the least time, or squeezing the most profit out of a limited amount of starting material, even if it takes longer. This guide will give an overview of the different options.

In no particular order:

All values in this guide assume Strive to Survive difficulty, and use Market Value instead of "actual" value. Difficulty impacts the yield of crops and many other activities. Difficulty also impacts the trade price disadvantage. The higher the difficulty, the less your goods sell for, and the more it costs to buy things.

Note on trading[edit]

There is no "buy low, sell high" in RimWorld. In general, trader prices do not vary, At most, any faction base offers a +2% Trade Price Improvement, resulting in both lower buying prices and higher selling prices. But certain traders will only accept certain types of items. While a faction base will buy almost everything in their tech level, a combat supplier may not be interested in your human leather.

There is another factor discouraging buy, then sell. There is a default 0.6x price multiplier for selling anything, and a separate 1.4x price multiplier for buying anything. The Trade price disadvantage storyteller difficulty setting will make things even worse. Your trading disadvantage can be reduced by increasing Social skill (and other means of raising TPI).

Food crops[edit]

Crop Total Work
(per plant)[1]
Raw material
(per plant)[2]
Market Value
(per plant)
Market Value
(per hour work)
Real days
to grow[3]
Profit/day
plant growth
Corn plant 370 ticks (Plants) Corn 22 corn Silver 24.2 Silver 163.5 20.86 days Silver 1.16
Haygrass 370 ticks (Plants) Hay 18 hay Silver 10.8 Silver 73.0 12.92 days Silver 0.83
Rice plant 370 ticks (Plants) Rice 6 rice Silver 6.6 Silver 44.6 5.54 days Silver 1.19
Potato plant 370 ticks (Plants) Potatoes 11 potatoes Silver 12.1 Silver 81.77 10.71 days Silver 1.12
NutrifungusContent added by the Ideology DLC 370 ticks (Plants) Raw fungus 11 raw fungus Silver 12.1 Silver 81.77 11.07 days Silver 1.09
1 Time it takes to sow and then harvest. Directly reduced by Plant Work Speed. Does not account for travel/hauling time.
2 Assuming 100% harvest yield (difficulty stat) and 100% Plant Harvest Yield (pawn stat, impacted by Plants skill).
3 Time to grow, taking into account day/night cycles, but not sub-optimal light level. Assuming 100% soil fertility. Rice and Corn are equally affected by soil, but corn cannot be grown in hydroponics. Nutrifungus, then potatoes, are affected the least by both poor and good soil.

Corn is the best crop for both human food/work and cash/work. It is actually more profitable per unit work than any crop in the game, including every drug. However, it cannot be processed any further, meaning it is reliant entirely on the grow cycle. Per unit, it is less valuable than any drug, meaning more time is spent hauling. You might have to carry all that corn - only bulk goods traders and faction bases will buy it. And, in practice, the slow growing cycle can be a large issue. Corn is more difficult to grow in biomes with a winter. It is vulnerable to destruction, whenever by fire and blight.

Haygrass gives more nutrition/day than corn, but cannot be eaten by humans unless produced into kibble, which gives a −12 moodlet. It is also less efficient for work. rice is good as a stable source of food, but is not efficient at all in terms of product / work. Rice, potatoes, and corn all have roughly the same nutrition per day, just that rice is the most stable, and corn saves the most work.

Make sure not to sell food that you need to eat. When cooked into simple meals or regular fine meals, each colonist will eat an effective 20 raw food per day. For reference, a field of ~25 tiles of rice, or 20 tiles of rich soil rice, is enough to practically sustain a single colonist in a year-round growing biome indefinitely. Then you can grow and sell endless fields of corn, without starving.

Product[edit]

Raw food can be turned directly into sellable packaged survival meals, pemmican, and chemfuel. However, both packaged meals and pemmican require a source of meat, meaning they will not be covered in the table below. Both haygrass and corn can be used to feed animals, but most animals can graze in the summer (or all year, if the biome supports it).

Product Total Work Cost Market Value Added Value @ Corn
(per hr work)
Added Value @ Human
meat (per hr work)
Chemfuel 2500 ticks (no skill) Stuff 3.5 nutrition (Corn 70 raw food) Silver 80.5 < Silver 0.01 Silver 24.5
Lavish meal 800 ticks (Cooking) Meat 0.5 nutrition human meat + Corn 0.5 nutrition plant food
Meat 1.25 nutrition human meat
Silver 40 Silver 65.6 Silver 62.5

Corn-turned chemfuel in a biofuel refinery is barely profitable when compared to selling raw corn. You can use less desirable food, like human meat and insect meat, though it is still less profitable than growing rice. Haygrass cannot be used in the refinery unless first turned into kibble.

Chemfuel has its advantages: it is lighter and never rots.

Cash crops[edit]

Crop Planter Work
(per plant)[1]
Raw material
(per plant)[2]
Market Value
(per plant)
Market Value
(per hr work)
Real days
to grow[3]
Profit/day
plant growth
Cotton plant 370 ticks (Plants) Cloth 10 cloth Silver 15 Silver 101.35 14.77 days Silver 1.02
Devilstrand 600 ticks (Plants) Devilstrand 6 devilstrand Silver 33 Silver 137.5 41.54 days Silver 0.794
Healroot 1200 ticks (Plants) Herbal medicine 1 herbal medicine Silver 10 Silver 20.83 12.92 days Silver 0.773
Hops 370 ticks (Plants) Hops 8 hops Silver 10.4 Silver 70.27 9.23 days Silver 1.127
Smokeleaf plant 370 ticks (Plants) Smokeleaf leaves 9 smokeleaf Silver 14.4 Silver 97.3 12.92 days Silver 1.115
Psychoid plant 370 ticks (Plants) Psychoid leaves 8 psychoid Silver 15.2 Silver 102.7 16.62 days Silver 0.914
Cocoa tree 4400 ticks (Plants) Chocolate 20 chocolate Silver 60 Silver 34.09 29.54 days Silver 2.031
Ambrosia bush[4] 200 ticks (Plants) Ambrosia 4 ambrosia Silver 60 Silver (750) N/A N/A
1 Time it takes to sow and then harvest. Directly reduced by Plant Work Speed. Does not account for travel/hauling time.
2 Assuming 100% harvest yield (difficulty stat) and 100% Plant Harvest Yield (pawn stat, impacted by Plants skill).
3 Time to grow, taking into account day/night cycles, but not sub-optimal light level. Assuming 100% soil fertility. Psychoid has the least Fert. sensitivity, and hops are less than the other plants.
4 Ambrosia bushes cannot be planted, only appearing from the event. You cannot control where the ambrosia sprouts, meaning that travel time is highly variable. Note that these bushes can be harvested multiple times.

Psychoid and cloth are the clear winners when selling raw. Psychoid has lowered fertility sensitivity, so it is weaker per day in hydroponics.

Devilstrand gives more $/work, but it grows nearly twice as slow as corn. As corn gives even more $/work, it is the superior option. Ambrosia blows all plants out of the water and requires no process work afterwards, but is limited to the event.

Cloth and devilstrand can be used as textiles for both Crafting and Construction items, after which quality will apply. A skilled crafter applying just a little bit of work can provide a huge +25%, +50%, or even +150% multiplier to the resulting product. (Conversely crafters below level 6 and construction below level 8 risks reducing the overall value or wasting materials during the build.) Production facilities can be placed essentially anywhere, and thus travel time can also be largely eliminated for even greater efficiency.

The rest of the plants are drugs, and can be processed with either Cooking or Intellectual.

Drug production[edit]

Drug Synthesis Work
(per plant)
Material
(per plant)
Market Value
(per plant)
Market Value
(per hr work total)[1]
Added Value
(per plant)
Added Value
(per hr work)
Profit/day
plant growth
Beer 320 ticks (Cook)[2] Beer 1.6 beer Silver 19.2 Silver 69.56 Silver 8.8 Silver 68.75 Silver 2.086[3]
Smokeleaf joint 1012.5 ticks (Cook) Smokeleaf joint 2.25 smokeleaf joint Silver 24.75 Silver 46.22 Silver 10.35 Silver 25.56 Silver 1.916
Psychite tea 800 ticks (Cook) Psychite tea 2 psychite tea Silver 20 Silver 42.73 Silver 2.4 Silver 7.5 Silver 1.316
Flake 500 ticks (Intel.) Flake 2 flake Silver 28 Silver 80.46 Silver 12.8 Silver 64 Silver 1.842
Yayo 350 ticks (Intel.) Yayo 1 yayo Silver 21 Silver 72.92 Silver 5.8 Silver 41.43 Silver 1.381
1 Combined work from both planting and synthesis. Controlled by Plant Work Speed and either Drug Cooking Speed (Cook) or Drug Synthesis Speed (Intel.).
2 For beer, hops need to be converted into wort, then put into a fermenting barrel to make beer. This extra hauling work is not accounted for.
3 Beer takes 6 days to ferment from wort in a fermenting barrel. Fermentation can be done concurrently with plant work, so this is ignored.

  • Why Drugs?

Despite having a lower value/work ratio than raw plants, drugs have several major advantages.

All calculations assume that a drug is constantly being planted, harvested, and synthesized by 1 pawn, before travel time. These tables are comparing 1000 leaves-turned-flake to selling 2315 raw leaves, not 1000 to 1000 leaves. If your planter is not constantly harvesting and resowing every day until the first batch of drug finishes growing, then you have time to synthesize.

Even if you are able to plant every day, drug synthesis allows you to get more value from the same growing space. Creating drugs allows 2 pawns, perhaps with different skills and passions, to "work" at the same sized field at the same time. If you have a pawn that's bad at plants but great at intellectual, then they are better off creating drugs. Certain biomes may be limited in grow space. Other biomes can let you grow in the summer, and synthesize in the winter. And even in a tropical rainforest, large fields can be difficult to protect from fire, raiders, and blight. With Plants 8 and an 8 hour work day, a planter could theoretically sustain 897 tiles of psychoid.

The other advantage is with logistics. More traders accept drugs than raw plants. Drugs are much lighter than their raw materials, meaning caravans and transport pods can carry much more at a time. In addition, plant matter will rot when unrefrigerated; drugs don't.

  • Drug Comparison

Flake is the absolute winner for almost every relevant stat, considering beer's fermentation time. Yayo takes less work per leaf, but selling flake + excess leaves is more valuable than selling yayo. However: if work time is not an issue, but hydroponics space is, then smokeleaf is the superior choice. If Psychite Refining has not been researched, then Beer (requires Beer Brewing) and smokeleaf (requires Drug Production to not be half speed) have their merits.

Psychite tea is clearly the worst available drug for selling. However, colonies may produce it to drink. Psychite tea can be safely drunk by adult colonists every 2 days, giving Recreation and decreasing the Rest each colonist needs. As calculated in psychite tea's analysis section, it is virtually always positive in terms of work gained : work required ratio. Excess psychite tea can be sold to traders for a decent profit.

  • High LifeContent added by the Ideology DLC

The high life memeContent added by the Ideology DLC multiplies yield of drug plants by x1.5, drug creation speed by x1.5, and gives +10% Trade Price Improvement when selling drugs. Psychoid leaves alone becomes very comparable in Value / Planter Work to corn.

While psychoid (and other drug crops) are still worse in optimal value / work time than corn, creating drugs has its advantages, listed in "Why Drugs?". Therefore, high life flake tends to be better in practice than corn, let alone flake without an ideology.


Neutroamine drugs[edit]

Some drugs require neutroamine, which can only be reliably obtained via trade. This is subject to the various Trade Price Improvements, but under the default difficulty settings at 0% TPI, you buy at a x1.4 markup and sell at a x0.6 loss. Neutroamine is a finite resource at any one point in time, so you are often better off using it for the actual drugs

Drug Synthesis Work
Cost (Silver @ 0% TPI)[1] Market Value Profit @ 0% TPI
(per drug)
Profit @ 0% TPI
(per hr work)
Profit @ 30% TPI
(per drug)[2]
Profit @ 30% TPI
(per hr work)[2]
Penoxycyline 600 ticks (Intel.) Neutroamine 2 (Silver 16.8) Silver 18 Silver −6 N/A Silver 2.28 Silver 9.5
Medicine 900 ticks (Intel.) Neutroamine 1 + Cloth 3 + Herbal medicine 1
(Silver 8.4 bought + 14.5 other)
Silver 18 Never N/A Never N/A
Go-juice 600 ticks (Intel.) Neutroamine 2 + Yayo 1
(Silver 16.8 bought + 21 other)
Silver 53 Silver 2.4 Silver 10 Silver 13.2 Silver 55
Wake-up 900 ticks (Intel.) Neutroamine 2 (Silver 16.8) Silver 35 Silver 4.2 Silver 11.67 Silver 15.54 Silver 43.17
1 Assuming neutroamine is bought, at 140% markup. Anything that can be produced in your colony is assumed to be produced at your colony, and is worth regular market value. The trade disadvantage is taken account when calculating profits for not-neutroamine goods (i.e. yayo is 21 * 0.6 for the 0% TPI profit column).
2 30% TPI is reached at 20 Social skill with no other modifiers, or 8 Social skill with a trading inspiration (you may need to have multiple inspirations). You sell at x0.78 and buy at x0.98.

As the trade price disadvantage is increased for difficulties past Strive to Survive, all neutroamine drugs cease to become (very) profitable.

Apparel and armchairs[edit]

All the uses for cloth and other textiles. Both buildings and apparel have a quality value. The higher the quality, the higher the value. As a reference: you average normal quality at Crafting / Construction 6. You average good quality at Skill 13. For all effects of quality, including price multi. per quality, and the chance of each quality at a given skill level, see the Quality page.

Each product is made out of cloth, for comparison.

Product Total Work[1] Cost Net Value @ Normal Added Value
@ Normal
(per unit material)
Added Value
@ Normal
(per hr work)
Net Value @ Good Added Value
@ Good
(per unit material)
Added Value
@ Good
(per hr work)
Tribalwear 1800 ticks (Craft) Cloth 60 (Silver 90) Silver 97 Silver 0.117 (+7.7%) Silver 9.72 Silver 121.25 Silver 0.521 (+34.7%) Silver 43.4
Duster 10000 ticks (Craft) Cloth 80 (Silver 120) Silver 156 Silver 0.335 (+22.3%) Silver 9 Silver 195 Silver 0.938 (+62.5%) Silver 18.75
Armchair 14000 ticks (Constr.) Cloth 110 (Silver 165) Silver 150.5[2] Silver −0.13 (−8.6%) Silver −2.59 Silver 188.1[1] Silver 0.34 (+22.8%) Silver 4.13
CorsetContent added by the Royalty DLC
Formal vestContent added by the Royalty DLC
12000 ticks (Craft) Cloth 45 (Silver 67.5) Silver 111 Silver 0.97 (+64.7%) Silver 9.06 Silver 138.75 Silver 1.58 (+105.5%) Silver 14.84
1 Crafting speed is not increased by Crafting skill; skill only impacts quality. However, Construction Speed is impacted by the skill.
2 All constructed buildings are sold at at x0.7 price, in addition to the regular TPI and difficulty penalties. This is reflected in the armchair's value and profit.

For nearly every crafted / consructed item in RimWorld, market value is calculated directly with (Ingredient Value) and (Work to Make). This means that there's no particularly 'bad' or 'good' apparel item for the purposes of craft -> selling. The listed items are just the most optimal for a desired goal; do you want more profit per material, or do you want more profit per work time?

Depending on installed DLC, dusters Content from Rimworld core game only or corsetsContent added by the Royalty DLC / formal vestsContent added by the Royalty DLC require the most Work : Material, and therefore the most profitable in terms of Value/Material. However, they are poor in terms of $/Work. You should make them if textile supply is limited, or if crafters can spare the work. Alternatively, you can sell any low-quality dusters you've accidentally made to any traders that show up.

Tribalwear is the polar opposite; best in $/work but worst in value/material. If you have a lot of spare material but need extra money fast, then create those. Quality has a huge impact on profit. The empireContent added by the Royalty DLC will not buy tribalwear; top hats will become the best for $/work.

Armchairs are in a similar, but worse position to dusters. Only make them if you have the textiles to spare, have an idle constructor, and have a much better constructor than crafter. With poor quality armchairs, it is more convenient to just deconstruct armchairs than sell them.

  • Ideology RolesContent added by the Ideology DLC

Production SpecialistsContent added by the Ideology DLC have +50% general labor speed and +1 quality on all items. Masterwork items, worth x2.5 as much as normal, can become incredibly common. A level 20 specialist making tribalwears creates an average of Silver 283.3 silver/hour. This should be compared to a level 20 Plants Specialist churning out corn at 308% speed and 143% yield, for Silver 720 silver/hour. The amount of space required and amount of corn produced for maximum efficiency will be absurd, but so is the cloth required for max efficiency production specialist.

Sculptures[edit]

The game encourages creating art for sale. Art sells for x1.1 its value, as opposed to x0.7 value for most other constructed buildings (a 57% increase). Wood is the only material that makes sense to build sculptures for profit in terms of value added per unit work. For materials other than wood, the ratio of work cost versus value added is so low that it isn't worth it unless you either 1) have time and material to burn, or 2) are trying for a specific high-quality sculpture and are willing to sell off the failures.

In general, small sculptures have the highest profit/material and lowest profit/work, while large/grand sculptures are the opposite. What this means is that if you have time but are short on material and want to make the most of what you do have, make small sculptures. Conversely, if you have lots of material and want to create value (relatively) quickly, make grand sculptures. Practically speaking, grand sculptures, at a size of 2x2, are not as useful in your colony as large sculptures, so many players make large and sell off their lower-quality discards.

Also, be mindful that traders may not have enough silver or even goods to buy the best large/grand sculptures. Even faction bases and orbital traders will run out of actual silver.

Size Work to process Profit @ Normal Profit / Material Profit / Work Hour
Small sculpture 12600 ticks (Art) Silver 49.5 Silver 0.99 Silver 9.81
Large sculpture 21000 ticks (Art) Silver 83.6 Silver 0.836 Silver 9.94
Grand sculpture 73500 ticks (Art) Silver 291.5 Silver 0.729 Silver 9.91

It is about 1/10th as profitable to make sculptures per unit work as to farm crops.

Ranching[edit]

Most animals will not provide terribly efficient returns for the labor needed to extract their products. However, depending on biome, simply allowing the animals to breed and graze freely can be a strong source of intermittent revenue. Simply leave them alone in a large pen to breed until they exceed the grazing capacity, then call in a trader or bring them to market. Animals have the additional benefit of being able to carry themselves in a caravan!

Note that since this is designed to be a minimal-labor strategy, it may be necessary to exclude your colonists from pens containing harvestable animals. Additionally, this may make it more profitable to immediately sell a sick animal rather then spend labor and resources on helping it recover.

Ranching for profit works best in equatorial biomes (where growing hay is unnecessary), and for colonies that are more constrained by space than labor (most of them, under default map size/soft pawn limit settings). Other areas will find it far less efficient.

Aspiring ranchers may find it useful to consult the animals page to compare relative requirements to raise each animal type.

Horses are a very strong contender which also fit well with the hands-off approach. They can do triple work as pack animals, mounts, and a source of income.

Conversely, pure carnivores offer very poor returns for ranching. They require other animals as food, which is already inefficient (if you're ranching them) and is even worse if you're hunting them. Still, most carnivores (minus the warg) can be fed with kibble, which allows partial haygrass diets. Remember also that carnivores eat corpses in the wild, and all those raider corpses could be put to use in a cooled feeding room, rather than cremated or buried... Colonists might mind when you butcher human bodies, but if you stuff them in a freezer and let your wargs/dogs/etc munch on them they won't even raise an eyebrow, as long as they don't see the corpses.

Material production[edit]

While not the most lucrative venture, stone blocks can be sourced infinitely on any map that is not located in ice sheet and sea ice biomes. It is also extremely scalable - a sweatshop of a dozen laborers and miners can constantly produce value that would otherwise take a much larger growing area. You are only functionally limited by the amount of pawns, power (for deep drills), and defenses (to survive raiders).

Infinite chunks can be spawned from a deep drill in an area that contains no underground resources. The type of chunk produced will be displayed on the deep drill's tooltip. It can be beneficial to place the drill right next to the stonecutter's table to remove the need for hauling, but this does risk the stonecutter being attacked by the insectoids that the drill can occasionally spawn, in addition to the drill operator.

Consider optimizing your stone selection for your export aim. Most maps contain two stone types, at most three. Slate blocks offer the highest value:weight ratio, although this advantage goes away if you further process them into sculptures. Sandstone has the highest market value per unit of work so is the best stone type for crafting items for sale in bulk (all stone blocks are worth 0.9 silver per block.) Note: Blocks can only be traded to bulk goods traders or most faction bases. Given the incredibly poor value:weight ratio of even slate, you will largely be limited to exporting to whatever bulk goods traders happen to visit. Sculptures can be sold to anyone and offer a 10% premium on their sale price, as such they are appropriate for most colony circumstances.

Marble may be worth extra consideration, as it provides a large bonus to beauty. Marble walls, marble sculptures, even marble slab beds will be more beautiful than their other stone counterparts. Beautiful surroundings increases mood, so it can keep your colony from descending into chaos... or even inspire an artist or two to create legendary works. Marble furniture can be placed around the colony and easily uninstalled later when it comes time to export them.

Ultimately, chunk->block value production is simply a function of how much work your pawns apply. With the Ideology DLC installed, slavesContent added by the Ideology DLC are ideal as stone cutters as the task doesn't depend on any of the pawn's skills. The -15% work speed from slaves is offset by a lack of need for recreation. Adding a circadian half-cyclerContent added by the Royalty DLC further increases efficiency by removing the need for sleep at the cost of -15% consciousness.

The most money[edit]

By now, it should be established that corn is easily the most profitable per unit work. With all the DLCs, how far can it go?

With a total of 150% yield and 3367% speed, you would reach a theoretical optimum of Silver 8257 silver per hour. You would be planting 227.5 tiles per hour, or 5,460 tiles (a 73x73 area) per 24 hour day. If the entire map was regular soil and you didn't have to worry about travel time/light/food/recreation, this results in planting 113,895 tiles by the time the first corn finishes growing. This is a 337 x 337 area, much larger than a regular map. Due to travel speed, the actual result will be much smaller.

With the release of BiotechContent added by the Biotech DLC, there are even more avenues to squeeze wealth out of your growing. Genes like psychic bondingContent added by the Biotech DLC or pollution stimulusContent added by the Biotech DLC offer direct manipulation and move speed buffs. Even better, your single grower could also be a mechanitorContent added by the Biotech DLC who controls dozens of agrihandsContent added by the Biotech DLC. Once they've been set up, they'll work forever unless anything harms them. (NB: A plants specialist cannot gestate or repair mechs, but you can set them up before becoming a plants specialist!)

This is before temporary modifiers like wake-up, work frenzy, and Work DriveContent added by the Ideology DLC.

How to calculate[edit]

How to derive these numbers by yourself, in case you want to double-check this guide, or calculate values for other items.

Note: 1 RimWorld hour = 2,500 ticks.

Plants[edit]

  • Planter Work = (Work to Sow) + (Work to Harvest)
  • Market Value per plant = (Material Value) * (Material Yield)
  • Market Value per hour work = (Market Value per plant) * [ (2500 ticks) / (Planter Work) ]
  • Profit per day = (Market Value per plant) / (Real Days to Grow)

All produced items[edit]

  • Synthesis Work or Crafter Work = (Work to Make)
  • Total Work = (Work Ingredients) + (Work to Make)
  • Market Value per work total = (Market Value) / (Total Work)
  • Net Value = (Market Value) * (Sell Price Multiplier)

Added Value & Profit

  • Added Value = (Market Value) - (Ingredient Value * Ingredients required)
  • Added Value per hour work = (Added Value) * [ (2500 ticks) / (Synthesis Work) ]
  • Profit at 0% TPI = 0.6 * (Market Value - Material Value Produced) - 1.4 * (Material Value Bought)

(At 0% TPI, items sell at 60% and are bought at 140%. See TPI page for all the buy/sell multipliers)