Colonist

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Note that this page needs updated pictures.

Colonists are the living inhabitants of each RimWorld colony. Each colonist has specific skills, positive and negative traits, and a character backstory. In general, every human is a colonist except for raiders/travelers/prisoners. The colonists come in various outfits based on their background, which can be seen by looking at the 'Character' tab in game.

Creation

Upon creating a new colony, a screen where 3 colonists can be randomized individually is shown. Each of the colonists has a name, an age, a backstory, limitations, traits, and skills. The name is the only information that does not alter a colonist. The age can cause Cataracts, a bad back, Frailty, or other age-related conditions. Traits can cause mood disruption, psychic resistance, increase in skills, and so on.

Typical character creation screen

Backstory

Each colonist will have two parts to their backstory: childhood and adulthood. Each trait has a small story to go along with it, with the name of the colonist filled in for each story. Each different backstory has different effects on the colonist, such as: increasing/decreasing stats, and disallowing certain tasks. Such information is important to consider when creating the first three colonists for the new colony, as future colonists can sometimes be hard to come by.

For a comprehensive list of backstories, see here.

Playing

As of version 0.15.1279 (29 August 2016) there are 3 default scenarios, in addition to the ability to create/ download more. Each can have different attributes, e.g. no. of colonists, starting equipment, etc.

The Crashlanded scenario begins with three colonists being dropped in escape pods on the map.

Upon generation of a new colony, starting characters will have varying equipment. For example, colonies starting as New Arrivals will be outfitted with synthread Clothing, while New Tribes will be outfitted with tribalwear.

In addition to being clothed, equipment, supplies and materials will be dropped with or near the starting point, or scattered around the map, depending on the scenario.

Over the course of the game, other colonists can join, by walking onto the map from the border, falling in from their own pods via an event, be discovered in cryptosleep sarcophagi), captured and recruited.

Equipment

Colonists can be equipped with various items, which are shown on their information panel while individually selected. They can only be equipped with one item type at a time, meaning a single shirt, a single weapon, and so on. Their skill with their weapons is determined by their skill with Shooting, for projectile-based weapons, and Melee for the rest. An example of this can be seen below.

Marine colonist equipped with a survival rifle

Overview

The work tab allows manually setting the tasks that each colonist is allowed to perform. Colonists will have a natural aptitude at a task, and have no check-boxes for tasks they are unable to perform.

With default prioritization

You can also prioritize a colonist's actions manually. To do this, go to the Work tab, and check the Manual Priorities box in the upper left-hand corner. The colonist has the numbers 1-4 in each check-box available, with 1 being the highest priority. If two or more tasks have the same prioritization number, then the colonist will do tasks from left to right, in relation to the task menu.

With manual prioritization selected

Thoughts

The Thoughts tab shows what your colonist is thinking and experiencing, whether good or bad, and these thoughts will increase or decrease mood.

For a more detailed list of thoughts, click here.

Needs

Colonists have basic needs that, if not met or if met beyond expectations, affect their Thoughts. The Needs tab also shows the current effectiveness of the colonist.

The needs, shown in the Needs tab, are:

• Rest - the need for sleep.
• Food - the need for food.
• Beauty - the need for a desirable place to live. Colonists don't like environments covered in dirt, blood, or debris, and prefer to be in lavish rooms furnished with beautiful statues, large wooden royal beds, and plush carpeted flooring.
• Space - the need for space. Being in cramped rooms gives colonists unhappy thoughts, while being in wide-open interiors gives them happy ones.
• Comfort - the need for comfortable places to sleep, eat and relax.