Rimworld is a popular sci-fi colony management game that lets you control a group of colonists trying to survive on an alien planet. The game has many complex systems that affect gameplay, and one of these is the “Preferred Xenotype” setting in a colony’s ideology. Let’s take a closer look at what this means and how it impacts your game.
What Is Preferred Xenotype In Rimworld?
RimWorld’s ‘Preferred Xenotype’ is a unique game mechanism that forms part of your colony’s ideology. The xenotype refers to the type of colonists in your colony, and the ‘preferred’ aspect implies that your colonists have a particular inclination toward certain xenotypes. This preference can have a direct impact on the mood of your colonists and their interactions with each other.
The mood of your colonists is at the heart of their performance and overall colony productivity. A positive mood bonus, for instance, can lead to colonists performing better and being more efficient in their tasks. Conversely, a mood penalty can result in decreased work speed and increased chances of mental breakdowns.
Default Xenotypes List
Sure! Here’s a simplified list of the default xenotypes in RimWorld:
- Baseliners: Regular humans with no special genetic changes.
- Hybrids: A mix of two different xenotypes.
- Dirtmoles: Great at digging and mining but don’t handle bright light well and have poor long-distance vision.
- Genies: Skilled in crafting and intellectual tasks but not very good socially and are quite fragile.
- Highmates: Perfect partners who form a strong psychic bond with their first romantic partner.
- Hussars: Top-notch soldiers who need go-juice to perform well but aren’t harmed by its usual side effects.
- Impids: Quick runners that can breathe fire but aren’t good at farming or close combat.
- Neanderthals: Slow but very tough and hard to hurt.
- Pigskins: Good at eating raw food but have clumsy hands and poor eyesight.
- Sanguophages: Vampires who have special powers but need blood and don’t do well in bright light.
- Wasters: Bioweapons that do well in toxic environments but need psychite to function.
- Yttakin: Fur-covered humans who are well-suited to cold climates.
How Players Can Create Custom Xenotypes During Colonist Selection?
When starting a new game of Rimworld, you have the option to customize your colonists’ xenotypes. You can select from a variety of pre-made options or create your own unique xenotypes.
To create a custom xenotype, click the “Edit” button next to the xenotype selection. This opens up a detailed xenotype editor where you can customize things like body type, skin color, hair, apparel, and more. You can save your custom xenotypes to use again in future playthroughs.
How Players Can Create Custom Xenotypes During Colonist Selection:
When starting a new game of Rimworld, you have the option to customize your colonists’ xenotypes. You can select from a variety of pre-made options or create your own unique xenotypes.
To create a custom xenotype, click the “Edit” button next to the xenotype selection. This opens up a detailed xenotype editor where you can customize things like body type, skin color, hair, apparel, and more. You can save your custom xenotypes to use again in future playthroughs.
Choosing The Right Xenotype
Selecting preferred xenotypes for your colony is an important strategic decision. Colonists get a nice +2 mood bonus if everyone belongs to one of the 3 xenotypes you mark as “preferred”.
However, if even one colonist has a different xenotype, that bonus turns into a -2 mood penalty. Prisoners and slaves are exempt from this effect. Colonists will also have lower opinions of those with xenotypes different from the preferred ones.
When choosing preferred xenotypes, think about the type of colony you want to create. Do you want to go for maximum mood bonuses by sticking to only a few xenotypes? Or do you prefer a diverse colony, even if it means missing out on the preferred xenotype bonus?
Another factor to consider is the xenotype kill bonus. Whenever a colonist kills an enemy raider of a non-preferred xenotype, the whole colony gets a +3 mood boost for 10 days, stacking up to 5 times. If your colonists have the bloodlust trait, those bonuses stack, turning raids into big morale boosts.
Mods That Affect Preferred Xenotypes
There are quite a few Rimworld mods that add new xenotypes or change how the preferred xenotype system works. Some popular ones include:
- Xenotype Diversity: Adds many new xenotypes to select from
- Xenotype Mood Rebalance: Makes the penalties for mixed xenotypes less severe
- Dynamic Xenotypes: Xenotypes are procedurally generated each game for more variety
If you use mods, make sure to check how they interact with the preferred xenotypes system to avoid unexpected effects. Reading mod descriptions and comments can help you choose mods that fit your playstyle.
Rimworld Overview
Rimworld is a sci-fi colony management game where you control a group of survivors stranded on an alien rimworld. You’ll need to help them build shelter, find food, defend against raiders, and deal with each colonist’s unique quirks and needs.
The preferred xenotypes system is just one part of the game’s deep colonist morale mechanics. Other factors like bedroom impressiveness, recreation variety, food quality, and more all influence your colonists’ mental states. By understanding all the different parts of the morale system, you can keep your colony happy and thriving.
Conclusion
In RimWorld, the “Preferred Xenotype” system affects how happy and efficient your colonists are. Choosing xenotypes that match your colony’s preferences gives you mood boosts, while having different ones can lower morale. This system adds an extra layer of strategy, as you need to decide between having a uniform group for better mood or a diverse one with potential mood penalties. By carefully selecting and customizing xenotypes, and considering mod options, you can keep your colony happy and running smoothly.
