User:Hordes/Basics

Basics Menus Game Creation Gameplay Pawns Plants Resources Gear Mods Basics Menu Controls User Interface Save File Modding Version history

---

This is the guide covering the gameplay Basics of RimWorld in detail. If you want a quick guide to the game, check out the Quickstart Guides.

• This guide will briefly go over colony setup. For more details, check out each specific page: game creation, the Scenario system, possible AI Storytellers, World generation and Biomes.
• If you haven't already, play the Tutorial first. The tutorial will guide you through the RimWorld UI, help them set up a starter base, and defend against your first raid. Once you've completed the tutorial, you can set your storyteller and begin the game.

This guide is intended for players that are using the original Crashlanded scenario, and without any of the DLC enabled. If you're playing with DLC, then things will remain roughly the same. For the Ideology DLC in particular, you'll want to use the "Ideology system inactive" option.

Brand new players are encouraged to start with the tutorial, use the storyteller settings below, and leave the Learning helper on.

Colony Setup

UPDATE PICTURES

• Scenario: Pick the standard Crashlanded scenario. This starts you off with 3 colonists, some decent weapons, and Electricity. Most tutorials / information are geared towards this scenario.
• Storyteller: Select Cassandra Classic or Phoebe Chillax on any desired difficulty. The game's suggestions are fairly accurate; if you have trouble picking, then Adventure Story is a good start.
• Landing site: This consists of multiple factors.
  • Biome: Pick Temperature Forest for now. It's not too hot, not too cold, has plenty of wood, wildlife, and buildable land, but less disease than a rainforest.
  • Climate: You'll want a "year-round" growing period. This (almost) removes the pressures of winter.
  • Terrain: Flat, Small Hills, or Large Hills will do. It doesn't really matter. The larger the hills, the more ores you'll have, but the less open space for building. Larger hills can also be used for natural defense.

Colonists

The Crashlanded scenario starts with three colonists. You can randomize them as much as you want, but can't fully customized by the player without mods or dev tools. RimWorld is designed around a motely crew - you will not start with perfect colonists, nor should you try. But there are a few aspects worth taking into consideration.

• Skills

• Traits

• Health conditions
  • Watch out for addictions. Ambrosia addiction is tolerable, but a beer addict will end up going through a painful withdrawal.
  • A colonist with a chronic condition like asthma, artery blockage, or frail will be much worse off. Some can be cured with artificial body parts, others like frail require luciferium or one of few other solutions.
  • For similar reasons, try to avoid colonists with peg legs or wooden hands. A peg leg equates to 80% movement speed until replaced, which is not something you want.

A health condition can be tolerated if a colonist is great in other fields. For example, an Industrious Crafter + Researcher is still worth taking despite a peg leg; a researcher won't need to move often, anyways. Otherwise, try to avoid any negative condition as much as possible.

• Work (in)capabilities
  • Colonists who are incapable of violence will not be able to fight incoming threats.
  • Colonists who are incapable of dumb labor cannot haul or clean, which are especially important early-game jobs.
  • Colonists who are incapable of firefighting will not be able to extinguish fires, which can be an issue if they're around especially flammable objects.

At a bare minimum, you'll want 2 colonists capable of any work task. Being capable and being good are 2 separate things. But a colonist can't be any more skilled at Hauling, for instance.