[DEVBLOG#280] The Generator

Hello everyone!

I’m thrilled to share the development journey of the Vanilla Quests Expanded - Generator, a mod that brings a unique quest chain and a powerful generator system into your colony. Inspired by the atmospheric gameplay of Frostpunk, which is a game I absolutely adore, this mod has been carefully designed to fit seamlessly into RimWorld’s world, mechanics, and style. I'm against simply slapping another IP into our RimWorld game, so I think using this inspiration to sculpt something from RimWorld's clay was the best approach, if you know what I mean. Here's an inside look at what this mod offers, the thought process behind its creation, and how the content works.

What Does the Mod Add?

At its core, this mod introduces an ancient, mysterious ARC—a generator that can power your colony indefinitely, provided you follow the right steps and are willing to invest time and resources into it. The generator's initial discovery is the start of a quest chain, tasking players with finding, researching, and unlocking its secrets before building their own. The quest will be rather simple, without any branches, because we want to use this mod to prototype the quest chain system itself.

The generator evolves with your colony, offering multiple upgrade paths to suit different playstyles. Whether you choose to power it with wood, chemfuel, geothermal energy, or even uranium, the ARC adapts to your needs. Its upgrades unlock unique abilities, visuals, and resource efficiencies, turning it into both a utility and centerpiece of your colony.

Key Features of The Mod

• Quest Chain:
  The journey begins by uncovering the prototypes of an ancient ARC, as well as some research data written by a mysterious inventor. By following the breadcrumbs trail, you will eventually reach a location of a finished ARC, letting you study and learn it yourself. Only colonists who study this technology can build, maintain, and upgrade it, adding depth to your colonist management.

• Generator Upgrades:
  Upgrades improve power output, reduce fuel consumption, or enable the ARC to run on advanced fuels. These changes are visualized in-game with procedurally generated graphics, dynamically updating the ARC’s look based on its upgrades.

• Custom Abilities:
  The ARC includes features like Overdrive (temporary boosts at higher fuel consumption), Calibrate Efficiency (incremental permanent power increases), and Pressure Tuning (balancing maintenance and power output). The further you upgrade it, the different abilities you will be able to use on it.

• Maintenance System:
  Unlike standard generators, the ARC on higher tiers requires regular upkeep. If neglected, it may break down or, in extreme cases, critically fail—leading to catastrophic consequences, especially for nuclear variants.

• Colony-Defining Decisions:
  Each upgrade path—wood-fired, chemfuel-based, geothermal, or nuclear—has its own advantages and challenges, encouraging players to plan ahead and adapt to their colony’s needs.

How It Works

We wanted to create a unique and fun gameplay loop, in which you first jump through some hoops in order to construct an ARC generator, and then pump more and more work and resources into it to make it more and more powerful.

• Starting the Quest:
  The quest begins with a location marked on the map. It will never expire so you can just do it whenever you feel like it. Sending a caravan there allows your colonists to gather some clues about a big prototype construction site. A name of some scientist will be present in many places. After some more prototype exploration quests that slowly trickle more and more information and ARC components to you, you will find a location of an ancient ARC generator, allowing you to study it, teaching your colonist how to build one.

• Building the ARC:
  Constructing the ARC is no small feat—it requires specific materials and must be built on a steam geyser. Only colonists who studied the ancient ARC can work on its construction or upgrades.

• Upgrades:
  Each upgrade requires its own set of resources, time, and specific conditions, such as operating the ARC uninterrupted or burning a set amount of fuel. The ARC’s appearance evolves with these upgrades, giving visual feedback on its progression.

• Failure States:
  If neglected, the ARC may critically break down. While most breakdowns are repairable, nuclear ARCs pose a significant risk, with colony-ending explosions if mismanaged.

Design Philosophy

We wanted the ARC to feel like more than just another power generator—it’s a narrative tool, a strategic asset, and a design challenge all in one. By tying its construction and maintenance to specific colonists, we’ve added a layer of personalization and decision-making. Each upgrade path offers a unique story and gameplay experience, from the early-game accessibility of wood-fired models to the high-risk, high-reward nature of nuclear power.

The procedurally generated graphics system was developed to add visual storytelling to the ARC, reflecting the evolution of your colony’s technology.

1. Wood-Fired ARC

Benefits:

• Accessibility: Wood is widely available in most biomes, making it an excellent early-game option.

• Upgradable Output: Each tier increases power output, starting at 3,600W and going up to 7,200W with the final upgrades.

• Reliability in Abundance: If your colony has sustainable forestry, maintaining the generator is easy.

Drawbacks:

• High Fuel Consumption: The generator consumes wood quickly, requiring frequent refueling.

• Labor Intensive: Colonists will spend significant time chopping trees and refueling.

• Late-Game Limitations: As your power demands increase, wood’s inefficiency becomes apparent.

2. Chemfuel ARC

Benefits:

• Moderate Fuel Efficiency: Chemfuel provides a better fuel-to-power ratio than wood, generating up to 9,200W at advanced tiers.

• Automation Potential: Paired with chemfuel production setups (e.g., biofuel refining), this system can sustain itself with minimal input.

• Special Abilities: Includes features like Power Surge, allowing temporary high-power boosts.

Drawbacks:

• Resource Dependency: Requires a steady supply of chemfuel, which may strain resources if not managed well.

• Maintenance Need: Chemfuel-tier ARC requires maintenance, and lack of it can cause an ARC critical breakdown.

3. Geothermal ARC

Benefits:

• Fuel-Free Operation: Once upgraded to geothermal, the generator runs exclusively on steam geysers, eliminating fuel concerns.

• Stable Power Output: Consistently generates up to 10,000W without fluctuations from fuel shortages.

• Safe Maintenance: Can be maintained by any colonist, reducing reliance on specialists.

• Calibration Opportunities: Calibrating steam usage and components allows you to infinitely improve the geothermal ARC.

Drawbacks:

• Upgrade Costs: Transitioning to geothermal requires significant research and resources, including components and ARC parts.

• Occasional Breakdowns: Although not catastrophic, geothermal generators can sporadically break down and require repairs.

4. Nuclear ARC

Benefits:

• Massive Power Potential: The nuclear path offers unparalleled power output, scaling up to even 200,000W at high uranium levels.

• High Efficiency: Each unit of uranium provides an exceptional amount of energy compared to other fuels.

• Endgame Reliability: Once operational, nuclear ARC can sustain large colonies or power-intensive operations.

Drawbacks:

• Risk of Catastrophe: A critical breakdown results in devastating explosions, potentially wiping out the colony.

• High Maintenance: Maintenance is directly tied to uranium consumption, and neglect can lead to critical failures. The more uranium is burnt, the lower the maintenance level.

• Resource Scarcity: Uranium is a rare and expensive resource, making it challenging to sustain in resource-poor regions.

• Specialist Requirement: Only colonists who studied nuclear ARC can perform maintenance or upgrades, adding management complexity. If they die, and the ARC still burns uranium, you will be racing to find someone who can maintain it before it detonates.

What’s Next?

The mod is nearing completion, and we’re in the final stages of testing and balancing. We’re also polishing the quest chain to ensure it’s both engaging and challenging, while staying true to RimWorld’s emergent storytelling. That's why the Inventor's name will be randomized every time - so every story has a different inventor.

Your support and feedback are crucial! If you’re as excited about this as I am, consider joining the discussion, sharing your thoughts, and helping us make this mod the best it can be.

Thank you for your continued support, and stay tuned for more updates on Vanilla Quests Expanded - Generator.