A RimWorld Mod for 1.5 and Up
Mind Matters transforms pawn individuality into a deeper, more dynamic experience. It redefines pawns as adaptive beings, shaped not just by Traits, Skills, Stats, and Gear, but by their personal encounters and evolving responses to life on the Rim.
- Pawns attempt to adapt—successfully or not—to the events in your colony.
- Life-altering moments, such as being downed or witnessing trauma, mold their personalities and behaviors over time.
- Pawns are shaped by both the extraordinary and the mundane, such as relationships, work, and their unique perspectives.
- Pawns with just the right composition under the right circumstances may run away, gaining the Runaway Trait. They will visit another faction but could wind up some distance away. Slaves already have a running-away mechanism which is unaffected by this feature. // To implement, negotiations with settlements around Runaways.
- With new needs come new potential for dissatisfactions and mental breaks for this pawn, but potentially alternative ways of keeping a pawn happy or at least quiet.
- Transient Needs arise in response to significant moments or circumstances, reflecting the pawn's experience and personality.
- These Needs may evolve into Permanent Needs, shaped by habituation or dramatic shifts in the pawn’s mindset.
- Example: A pawn trying on elegant footwear might develop a lifelong appreciation for refinement.
- Select Traits represent how a pawn uniquely perceives the world and reacts to experiences.
- Some Traits trigger specific Needs or behaviors that make the pawn distinct in their interactions and challenges.
- The system respects individuality while offering subtle humor where appropriate.
- Mind Matters approaches differences in perception and experience with nuance and respect.
- It avoids reductive or modern political categorizations—e.g., a Tender-Hearted pawn reflects their emotional experience of the Rim without external political connotations.
- Required Mods:
- Harmony
Should not require DLC dependent code.
- Recommended Mods for Best Experience:
- Positive Connections: Enhances interpersonal interactions, deeply integrating with Mind Matters to shape social evolution. You'll want to use Positive Connections with Mind Matters, in general.
- Slippers: Comfort is a thing. Being quiet, and perhaps stealthy, is a thing. Adds footwear which does interesting things. Reusable comps that you can use in other mods.
- Mind Matters Interface, exists already in Slippers and Positive Connections, but, may be used by other mods to communicate via the Experience system, becoming psychological impressions within Mind Matters.
Unlike other mods focused on mental states, Mind Matters delves into adaptive behaviors, psychological resilience, and individuality. Pawns are not just a collection of numbers—they are stories waiting to unfold in your colony, shaped by their choices, environment, and experiences.
Mind Matters is functional but under active development. This release is currently unlisted, with ongoing refinement and balancing. Feedback is welcome, but note that features may change as the mod evolves.
Thank you to everyone who inspired this mod or contributed ideas along the way. Mind Matters builds on the RimWorld community's collective creativity and passion for storytelling.
Mind Matters uses and references software and code and art licensed to Ludeon, who have no responsibility whatsoever for anything this or other mods cause to happen, or not happen in the world, and bear no responsibility for any bugs in my code, which is not endorsed by Ludeon Studios.
Do pay for the games you play! Do not distribute this release via other outlets - it is intentionally only available via Github.
Love,
CEM