Difference between revisions of "Noctolith"

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The Noctolith is a structure Entity added by the [[Anomaly DLC]] that is the center point of the Unnatural Darkness event.
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The Noctolith is a structure Entity added by the [[Anomaly DLC]]. Several of them will spawn as the focal point of the Unnatural Darkness event.
  
 
== Summary ==
 
== Summary ==
 
Noctoliths will only spawn as part of the Unnatural Darkness anomaly event.
 
Noctoliths will only spawn as part of the Unnatural Darkness anomaly event.
  
During the event, the entire map will be covered in darkness, making everything in dark area invisible, effectively working as a type of fog of war.
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When the event begins, the map will gradually grow dark no matter the time of day, and all colonists will receive a -5 Unnatural Darkness mood debuff. However, this is only the first phase. Several hours after it reaches the equivalent of nightfall, several Noctoliths will appear at random locations and the map will be rapidly covered in darkness, rendering objects which are not within range of a light source difficult to see. Any pawn that spends time within these dark areas risks being randomly injured by an unspecified claw attack, inflicting sharp damage and bleeding. To be clear, this is not an attack caused by any particular enemy; the pawns are apparently damaged by the darkness itself. Less ambiguous are the multiple [[Noctol]] raids that trigger throughout the event. These entities are significantly stronger if fought in darkness, giving you even more reason to illuminate any area you intend to keep your pawns in.
Furthermore, colonists in darkness will be constantly damaged by a claw attack, inflicting sharp damage and bleeding. To note, there is no actual enemy associated with the attack, as the pawns are apparently being damaged by darkness itself.
 
  
Note: unlike fog of war, your pawns does not expel darkness, only light sources can, so it's important to light every corner of your base. Being caught off guard with no lighted area can quickly end your colony.
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The Noctoliths that spawn do not take any direct action against you, but the only way to end the darkness early is to destroy them all. Alternatively, if you can endure several days of being sieged, you can simply wait it out.
  
In the meantime, multiple Noctoliths will spawn in the map, all of which must be destroyed to end the Unnatural Darkness event. You can use flares or torches to light your way to each one and simple destroy them. However, one must keep in mind that during the duration of the event, raids of [[Noctol]]s will spawn periodically spawn in the darkness to protect the Noctoliths. They are very difficult to fight in darkness and can only be feasibly damaged in the light, so have your pawns armed and ready for battle.
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== Analysis ==
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The Unnatural Darkness event can be an enormous pain if encountered in early game. The random damage dealt to pawns that wander outside lit areas can be significant, and Noctols will periodically raid the players. It is important to note that other events may still occur during this time: for example, there is nothing stopping a Pit Gate from spawning during a Noctol raid, or for a solar flare to knock out your electronics to devastating effect. While it is entirely possible to wait out the event, relying on your food stocks and well-lit fortifications to fend off the Noctols, you increase the chance of disaster if you allow the event to last longer than it needs to. Unnatural darkness can be especially dangerous if you rely on outdoor farming or [[solar generator]]s, neither of which will function without light. [[Sun lamp]]s and [[hydroponics basin]]s can overcome this limitation to farming, but ideally you should have several days' worth of food stocked regardless.
  
The Unnatural Darkness will end in a few days, even if no action is taken.
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Keeping pawns from wandering is crucial if you want to avoid needless deaths. Consider adjusting work priorities to keep your pawns inside, researching and cleaning rather than going outdoors. They might not enjoy these tasks, but it's far safer. Another option is to assign areas and restrict your pawns to these safe zones. Alternatively, you can attempt to destroy the Noctoliths. This is risky, but can significantly hasten the end of the event and rewards you with [[shard]]s.
  
== Analysis ==
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Sending out teams of builders to create a path of torches is sufficient to reach a Noctolith safely. Managing haulers to bring wood to the front line as it creeps forward can speed up the process significantly. Even faster is to use [[disruptor flare]]s or the [[solar pinhole]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} power to quickly create a path. A riskier but admittedly quick option is to command a pawn armed with [[molotov cocktail]]s or other incendiary weapons to start fires by targeting the Noctolith from a distance. Noctol raids will almost certainly occur while you travel, but a crew of well-armed pawns can easily shoot down single Noctols before they can enter melee range, even in darkness. Noctol raids announce the direction they will come from as soon as they spawn, allowing you to retreat to a well-lit part of the map and give yourself even more of an advantage.
The Unnatural Darkness event can be an enormous pain if encountered in early game. Pawns will be rapidly damaged if they step outside a lit area, and Noctols will periodically raid the players. It is important to note that other events may still occur during that time, for example, there is nothing stopping a Pit Gate from spawning during a Noctol raid. However, given Noctols become slower and less accurate when exposed to light, the event can be eventually waited out, if the player has a large amount of stockpiled food, and ways to generate electricity without the use of [[solar generator]]s - as the Darkness prevents the players from growing any food without the use of [[sun lamp]]s and [[hydroponics basin]]s. It is heavily recommended to restrict everyone to an area that only covers fully lit parts of the map.
 
  
In addition or in place of flares, [[solar pinhole]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} is a useful tool for approaching the noctoliths safely. Since fire also lights up the area, Molotov cocktails and incendiary weapons can also light the way by ground targeting toward the noctoliths.
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Also remember that you don't need to travel all the way to a Noctolith to destroy it. Pawns with long range guns like the [[bolt-action rifle]] or [[sniper rifle]] can pick away at them from a distance in relative safety. Also, as the Noctoliths generate light themselves within several tiles, a [[ghoul]] can be sent through moderate stretches of darkness to deal with it in melee range. It can regenerate the damage from any hits the darkness delivers, and once it arrives at the Noctolith, it can gradually punch the structure to rubble in relative safety. Consider doing so only after a Noctol raid occurs to eliminate the chance of the ghoul being caught in a fresh raid before it can finish.
  
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==

Revision as of 02:17, 26 April 2024

Noctolith

Noctolith

A twisted pillar of jagged blade-like structures made of dark, oily metal. It pulses with energy, powered by dark archotechnology at its core..

If you destroy the pillar, you can recover a shard of dark archotech.

Base Stats

Type
BuildingEntity
HP
1000
Flammability
0%

Building

Size
2 × 2
Placeable
False
Passability
impassable
Cover Effectiveness
75%
Blocks Wind
True
Destroy yield
Shard 1 + Bioferrite 32

The Noctolith is a structure Entity added by the Anomaly DLC. Several of them will spawn as the focal point of the Unnatural Darkness event.

Summary

Noctoliths will only spawn as part of the Unnatural Darkness anomaly event.

When the event begins, the map will gradually grow dark no matter the time of day, and all colonists will receive a -5 Unnatural Darkness mood debuff. However, this is only the first phase. Several hours after it reaches the equivalent of nightfall, several Noctoliths will appear at random locations and the map will be rapidly covered in darkness, rendering objects which are not within range of a light source difficult to see. Any pawn that spends time within these dark areas risks being randomly injured by an unspecified claw attack, inflicting sharp damage and bleeding. To be clear, this is not an attack caused by any particular enemy; the pawns are apparently damaged by the darkness itself. Less ambiguous are the multiple Noctol raids that trigger throughout the event. These entities are significantly stronger if fought in darkness, giving you even more reason to illuminate any area you intend to keep your pawns in.

The Noctoliths that spawn do not take any direct action against you, but the only way to end the darkness early is to destroy them all. Alternatively, if you can endure several days of being sieged, you can simply wait it out.

Analysis

The Unnatural Darkness event can be an enormous pain if encountered in early game. The random damage dealt to pawns that wander outside lit areas can be significant, and Noctols will periodically raid the players. It is important to note that other events may still occur during this time: for example, there is nothing stopping a Pit Gate from spawning during a Noctol raid, or for a solar flare to knock out your electronics to devastating effect. While it is entirely possible to wait out the event, relying on your food stocks and well-lit fortifications to fend off the Noctols, you increase the chance of disaster if you allow the event to last longer than it needs to. Unnatural darkness can be especially dangerous if you rely on outdoor farming or solar generators, neither of which will function without light. Sun lamps and hydroponics basins can overcome this limitation to farming, but ideally you should have several days' worth of food stocked regardless.

Keeping pawns from wandering is crucial if you want to avoid needless deaths. Consider adjusting work priorities to keep your pawns inside, researching and cleaning rather than going outdoors. They might not enjoy these tasks, but it's far safer. Another option is to assign areas and restrict your pawns to these safe zones. Alternatively, you can attempt to destroy the Noctoliths. This is risky, but can significantly hasten the end of the event and rewards you with shards.

Sending out teams of builders to create a path of torches is sufficient to reach a Noctolith safely. Managing haulers to bring wood to the front line as it creeps forward can speed up the process significantly. Even faster is to use disruptor flares or the solar pinholeContent added by the Royalty DLC power to quickly create a path. A riskier but admittedly quick option is to command a pawn armed with molotov cocktails or other incendiary weapons to start fires by targeting the Noctolith from a distance. Noctol raids will almost certainly occur while you travel, but a crew of well-armed pawns can easily shoot down single Noctols before they can enter melee range, even in darkness. Noctol raids announce the direction they will come from as soon as they spawn, allowing you to retreat to a well-lit part of the map and give yourself even more of an advantage.

Also remember that you don't need to travel all the way to a Noctolith to destroy it. Pawns with long range guns like the bolt-action rifle or sniper rifle can pick away at them from a distance in relative safety. Also, as the Noctoliths generate light themselves within several tiles, a ghoul can be sent through moderate stretches of darkness to deal with it in melee range. It can regenerate the damage from any hits the darkness delivers, and once it arrives at the Noctolith, it can gradually punch the structure to rubble in relative safety. Consider doing so only after a Noctol raid occurs to eliminate the chance of the ghoul being caught in a fresh raid before it can finish.

Trivia

  • The Noctolith name is likely a combination of the Latin word "noctis", meaning night, and the word monolith.

Version history