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RimWorld's appeal, as with so many games with randomized elements, lies in encouraging the player to think of (hopefully) intelligent solutions to unexpected problems and situations the game throws at them. Some games, like Dwarf Fortress, bolster this by creating worlds that undeniably proceed and function according to rules, but not necessarily strict narrative rules that we would recognize in the real world nor that have their bearing in familiar traditional structure. Instead, they produce slightly (and wonderfully) odd, peculiar, or off-kilter stories that are quintessentially computer-created. Take, for example, the famous tale of Boatmurdered, in which the several players who commanded that unfortunate fortress experienced flooding visitors with lava, various forms of Dwarven insanity, and a fist fight that eventually led to the destruction of the entire fortress.By contrast, RimWorld lacks the scope that enables that kind of free narrative madness that Dwarf Fortress enjoys, but it's also much broader than something like Prison Architect, which has a single, clear, and compelling "setting." This attempt to balance narrative justification with mechanical variety is a dilemma I've faced while developing Ultima Ratio Regum, a game that also combines procedural generation and scripted storytelling content—which is why I can say that I'm impressed with how RimWorld tackles the predicament.In a universe where space travel is easy and affordable and regular, why would a planet be occupied by only a tiny number of people?
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