Before diving into your journey in Rimworld, it's essential to grasp the fundamental framework that shapes your gameplay: the Scenario System. More than just a difficulty setting, scenarios determine everything from your initial colonists and their possessions to the specific conditions of the world you'll inhabit.

While choosing one of the default options is perfectly acceptable (and often recommended for newcomers), experimenting with custom setups can greatly enhance your experience and allow you to tailor the story and gameplay to your liking.

What Exactly Is The Scenario System?

At its heart, the Scenario System serves as RimWorld’s interactive setup utility, offering a narrative foundation for every new game. It’s the first major choice you make after selecting 'New Colony,' and beyond basic settings, it can significantly influence how your game unfolds.

Scenarios define your initial situation, presenting specific challenges and advantages that shape the early stages of your colony and potentially impact its long-term development.

Each scenario comes with a clear description — they provide various numbers of settlers, unique sets of supplies and gear, and certain map features that appear no matter where you decide to settle down.

Key Elements Of A Scenario

Whether you're using a built-in or custom scenario, each setup consists of several core components that collectively shape your starting point.

Colonists

The most immediate effect of a scenario lies in your starting pawns:

• Number of Colonists: From a single survivor to a small group, the size of your team affects both your available labor and overall fragility.
• Skills & Traits: Scenarios may assign particular skills (like lower technology proficiency but higher social abilities in the Tribal scenario) and even special traits that introduce flavor or difficulty.
• Relationships: Some pawns come with existing connections (such as family members or rivals), creating instant interpersonal dynamics.
• Initial Health Conditions: Certain scenarios might begin with characters suffering from injuries, diseases, or dependencies, introducing urgent problems right from the start.

Starting Gear Your initial equipment can heavily influence your early success:

• Weapons & Clothing: Whether you're equipped with high-tech weapons and armor or only the clothes on your back, your defensive strength and environmental protection are defined by what you start with.
• Supplies & Materials: The amount of food, wood, steel, or components available determines how fast you can build shelter, unlock research, and avoid starvation. This can also depend on whether your location offers nearby animals or other natural resources.

Story-Driven Features

Some scenarios include underlying plots or special events that unfold during gameplay:

• Pre-Set Events: For example, the 'Crashlanded' scenario places you near the wreckage of your ship, giving you a chance to recover valuable materials immediately.
• Persistent Effects: In the 'Lost Tribe' scenario, you begin with primitive tools and must gradually unlock advanced technologies, encouraging a gradual and immersive development path.
• Urgent Dangers: Custom scenarios can introduce unique mechanics, such as timed events like sudden plagues, solar eclipses, or unexpected supply drops.

How To Access New Scenarios

There are three main types of scenarios available:

1. Built-in scenarios included with the base game. These are either balanced for enjoyment or crafted to offer a challenge. With DLCs, they can also serve as an introduction to new systems, such as The Gravship scenario in Odyssey.
2. Custom scenarios you design yourself. To create one, click the Scenario Editor button at the bottom of the scenario selection screen. This allows you to modify any aspect of the current scenario. Once satisfied, save it for future use.
3. Downloaded scenarios, which can be found online (for instance, via the Steam Workshop). These are simply custom-made scenarios shared by the community.

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