# Rimworld: old west meets sci-fi **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [September 7, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244 "2015-09-07T16:17:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2025, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/462 "2025-11-03T19:19:59Z")
Not sure why I wasn’t getting maps before but I have a Ni’Hal colony now. Map contains a ruined city with a junkyard; _huge_ number of rooms here, way too many for these xenophobes. Storyteller is [one which doesn’t allow pawns to join](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/364) so I have no concerns regarding what to do with unwanted guests. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/463 "2025-11-04T16:01:10Z")
Xenophobes have cleared all hostiles out of the ruins and have started building four walls between the central building and two of the smaller structures, one to the south and one to the east. Thereby creating five-tile-wide enclosed walkways between the main building the other two. Dunno yet what to do with the other four buildings, which includes another large structure off the central’s northwest corner. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/464 "2025-11-04T16:40:10Z")
Oh, and a Chaomorph fell from the sky. One of the pawns treated her wounds and she’s now a member of the colony. This morph is bovine-based so any prisoners will be fed mutagenic milk. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/465 "2025-11-04T16:45:49Z")
I got Clanfolk about three months ago and enjoy the heck out of it. I like to pick desperate scenarios where you start with a single child who has two cats and there’s only a 1% chance of survival (yet I manage with some consistency to beat the odds). Would it be worth my time/money to acquire Rimworld? Does it have anything to offer that its successor doesn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/466 "2025-11-04T17:05:18Z")
The big difference in Rimworld is the sci-fi setting and conflict against others. That conflict is the main driver in Rimworld. Whereas Clanfolk is more about the economy if I remember it right. I think Rimworld is a far better game. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/467 "2025-11-04T18:50:43Z")
I know more updates are coming to Clanfolk and I’d be willing to bet the addition of clan warfare will be one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/468 "2025-11-04T20:03:01Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > Does it have anything to offer that its successor doesn’t? The key difference is that RW doesn’t lock the colony into Medieval-era humans. I see both have scenario editors but with RW you can play as (for example, with mods): - Orcs ( [Tribal](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2856936758) and [Industrial](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3232348025) options are available). - [Spacefaring frogpeople.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3146564944) - [Spacefaring jellyfishpeople.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2903472878) - [Various LotR races,](https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/browse/?appid=294100&searchtext=lord+of+the+rims&childpublishedfileid=0&browsesort=textsearch§ion=readytouseitems&requiredtags%5B%5D=1.6&created_date_range_filter_start=0&created_date_range_filter_end=0&updated_date_range_filter_start=0&updated_date_range_filter_end=0s) each with their own racial benefits. - [Androids.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2889326293) - [Different androids.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3546710219) - [Vulcans.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2567923324) - [Drow.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2854347901) - [Bearpeople.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2973781601) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/469 "2025-11-04T20:22:09Z")
[_Clanfolk_ will incorporate mods at some point](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1700870/view/3388412789658793666) but it remains to be seen if the devs will allow non-human races or go beyond the Medieval setting. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/470 "2025-11-05T00:40:29Z")
I don’t know Clanfolk well enough, but reflecting on it some more, I’d say the true masterpiece of Rimworld is its balance. The “storyteller” engine does a tremendously effective job of keeping your colony on the edge between failure and success. It’ll hit you hard enough that you can’t slack, but also backs off just enough. It’s hard to explain exactly, but it results in the emergent stories that the genre is infamous for. It’s also why it’s some important to continue through adversity instead of save scumming as soon as anything goes wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/471 "2025-11-05T04:08:47Z")
I should have disabled trader caravan arrivals in the scenario setup for my colony of xenophobes. All these caravans on the map are killing my framerate. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2025, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/472 "2025-11-05T14:18:09Z")
Yeah, I’m going to do a different colony with these xenophobes, one with the traders disabled. No point in having them around, dropping the framerate. I suppose we could arrest them for trespassing but we can’t even get a jail set up with them around. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2025, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/473 "2025-11-08T19:19:49Z")
Not much happening with my new xenophobe colony. Map is another site with ruins and a junkyard but just a few scattered complete buildings this time. One partial building, near the center, was being used as food storage already so we’ve been building around that. Two incidents of torrential rain caused a bit of flooding but we have yet to start farming so that’s no problem. Some of our crops will be in hydroponics, anyway, and there’s plenty of orc meat from a raiding tribe. These xenophobes hate cold weather so, short of a cold snap, freezing temperatures are not expected. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2025, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/474 "2025-11-10T04:49:57Z")
Taking a break for awhile. I’ve been seeing RW tiles when I close my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/475 "2025-11-18T05:01:49Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > xenophobe colony Whoa! These guys can have _quadruplets‽_ Nope, not ready for that, particularly with a second birth coming in a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2025, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/476 "2025-11-19T00:09:40Z")
Until now, I’ve only had to deal with single births. With these guys being capable of multiples, I’ll try a third colony and take that possibility into account when building rooms. I’ve not really done anything with Ideology yet, maybe I’ll have these fishpeople be cannibal cowboys and set them up on some beachfront with plenty of fish. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/477 "2025-12-11T20:35:49Z")
Still not playing as much as I had been. New xenophobe colony is mostly set up and has plenty of room for expansion. Starting supply included mutanite beds for prisoners and a few mutanite rifles. No prison as yet but a raider tried to solo the colony; he’s now a [bearalope](https://rimworldbestiary.wiki.gg/wiki/Bearalope) courtesy of one of those rifles. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/478 "2025-12-18T20:29:08Z")
Something useful for those who play cold maps: heated floors! [Smash Phil’s mod](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1909573090) hasn’t been updated since 1.4 but reportedly still works, while throwing the occasional error. Someone called frostyDog put out a similar mod for 1.5 & 1.6, this one can be found in the Zones menu. [Powered](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3240234194) and [non-powered](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3240324943) versions are available; I guess the latter is less laggy. Automatic snow clearing! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/479 "2025-12-19T14:59:17Z")
Great; some mod(s) updated and now I can’t play again. Hangs on loading screen. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/480 "2025-12-19T17:25:47Z")
Got it working again by disabling several weapon mods, which I likely won’t ever use other than for smelting to obtain the resources used. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244/481 "2025-12-19T17:42:10Z")
This is cool: [under floor chemfuel storage.](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3625783623) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rimworld-old-west-meets-sci-fi/730244.md?page=25)