RimWorld, a popular survival game, offers players endless possibilities when it comes to building colonies. While many focus on efficiency, one often overlooked aspect is the beauty of outdoor spaces. Not only does a well-designed outdoor area boost your colony’s morale, but it also contributes to the overall aesthetic appeal. In this guide, we’ll explore how to enhance the beauty of your outdoor spaces in RimWorld, making your colony a pleasant place to live.
Introduction to Outdoor Beauty in RimWorld
In RimWorld, outdoor beauty plays a significant role in the mood of your colonists. A beautifully designed and well-maintained environment can lead to happier colonists, while neglecting outdoor beauty may result in lowered morale. Understanding the mechanics behind outdoor beauty and how to improve it can drastically improve your gameplay experience.
This guide will cover various tips and tricks to maximize the beauty of your colony’s outdoor areas, ensuring that your colonists remain content and productive.
Why Outdoor Beauty Matters in RimWorld
Boosts Colonists’ Mood
Colonists in RimWorld react to their surroundings. An outdoor space that is clean and visually appealing can provide a positive mood boost, which, in turn, helps with their productivity and overall well-being. Aesthetically pleasing environments also reduce stress and improve your colony’s atmosphere.
Reflects the Colony’s Prosperity
A beautiful outdoor area reflects the overall prosperity and success of your colony. It gives the sense that your colony is thriving, not merely surviving. Visitors, traders, and even enemies will notice when your colony looks well-organized and pleasing to the eye.
Adds to Immersive Gameplay
RimWorld is all about storytelling, and having a beautifully designed outdoor environment adds an extra layer of immersion. It makes your colony feel more alive and functional, especially if you’ve put effort into every detail, from the layout of your gardens to the placement of sculptures.
Tips for Enhancing Outdoor Beauty
1. Choose the Right Terrain
The first step in enhancing outdoor beauty is to work with the terrain you have. Some biomes are naturally more attractive than others, but no matter where your colony is located, you can work with the environment to make it more beautiful.
- Clear Debris: Start by clearing rubble, dead plants, and chunks of stone. These detract from the overall beauty of the area.
- Plant Grass: Grass is an easy and effective way to make a space look neat and natural. Colonists enjoy walking through green, well-maintained areas.
- Use Paths: Define paths with flooring, like stone or wood, to guide your colonists and create structure. Paths make the colony look organized and well-planned.
2. Incorporate Gardens and Green Spaces
One of the most effective ways to enhance outdoor beauty is by adding gardens and green spaces. Plants, flowers, and trees naturally contribute to the aesthetic appeal of your colony.
- Plan Flower Beds: Plant a variety of flowers around high-traffic areas. Colonists enjoy walking through vibrant, colorful spaces. The mix of flower types also adds visual variety.
- Designate Tree Groves: Trees not only provide wood but also increase beauty. Create specific areas for tree planting, either for function or decoration.
- Utilize Sculptures: Place sculptures or art pieces in your garden or along walkways. Sculptures enhance the overall beauty score of an area and make it feel more refined.
3. Lighting and Ambiance
Outdoor lighting plays a key role in making your colony’s outdoor spaces more appealing. A well-lit area at night not only looks beautiful but also ensures colonist safety.
- Install Outdoor Lamps: Placing lamps in key areas, such as around paths and garden spaces, creates a cozy and safe environment for colonists to move around at night.
- Strategic Fire Pits: Fire pits add warmth and create gathering spots for colonists. These areas can serve as social hubs, increasing colonist interaction and mood boosts.
- Illuminate Key Structures: Consider lighting up important buildings or features in your colony, such as the main hall, temple, or medical bay, giving them a focal point even in the dark.
4. Focus on Cleanliness and Maintenance
No matter how beautiful your design is, if it’s not maintained, it won’t stay attractive for long. Cleanliness is essential to maintaining outdoor beauty.
- Assign Cleaning Zones: Regularly clear dirt, blood, and debris from outdoor areas. Dirty environments decrease the overall beauty score and affect colonist mood.
- Repair and Replace: Broken items, such as benches or lights, should be repaired quickly to avoid detracting from the aesthetic value. Keep outdoor structures in good shape.
- Pave Muddy Areas: Muddy terrain can become an eyesore. Use flooring to cover these areas, making the environment look cleaner and more organized.
Outdoor Beauty in Different Biomes
Each biome in RimWorld presents its own set of challenges and opportunities when it comes to outdoor beauty. Here’s how you can adapt your beautification efforts to various environments:
1. Temperate Forest
Temperate forests are one of the easiest biomes to beautify due to their natural abundance of trees and plants. Leverage this by creating lush gardens and nature trails. Utilize the available wood for sculptures and decorative furniture.
2. Desert
Deserts may seem barren, but with careful planning, you can create stunning oases. Utilize cacti, hardy plants, and stone sculptures to create a stark yet beautiful landscape. Water features, if available, can add a unique aesthetic to the area.
3. Tundra
The tundra offers limited plant life, but you can focus on minimalistic beauty through well-placed stone paths, sculptures, and fire pits. Using natural features, like rocks and cliffs, enhances the cold but striking environment.
4. Jungle
Jungles are filled with plants, so use that to your advantage by creating lush, dense gardens. However, you will need to focus on maintenance, as jungle biomes can quickly become overgrown and messy.
Utilizing Mods for Enhanced Beauty
If the vanilla game’s tools for beautifying outdoor spaces are too limited for your liking, there are numerous mods available that add new aesthetic features to RimWorld.
- Garden Design Mods: Some mods provide extra plant types, decorative furniture, and lighting options, allowing for greater customization of your outdoor spaces.
- Terrain Mods: These mods let you create custom paths, terrain textures, and even add fountains or ponds, giving your colony a unique look.
- Artistic Mods: For players focused on outdoor art, mods that add new sculptures and statues can drastically improve the aesthetic feel of your colony.
Conclusion: Make Your Colony Shine
Outdoor beauty in RimWorld is more than just about making things look nice. It impacts colonist morale, reflects the prosperity of your colony, and adds depth to the gameplay experience. By following the tips in this guide—such as working with the terrain, adding gardens, and maintaining cleanliness—you can create an outdoor space that boosts your colony’s mood and showcases your creative vision.
With a bit of effort, you can turn any RimWorld colony into a stunning masterpiece, where both colonists and visitors appreciate the beauty around them. Whether you play for survival or storytelling, enhancing outdoor beauty will undoubtedly improve your RimWorld experience.
