Editing Ideology Min-Maxing

Fluid has the advantage of adapting to a playthrough. You can settle in a mountain tile, live outside for a while, mine out a base, and then swap to Tunneler. If you've stopped using melee once you've built a [[killbox]], then you can create a Ranged weapon preference. Static has the advantage of starting with whatever memes you want in the early game. In particular, Pain is Virtue. Meanwhile, other memes, like the aforementioned Tunneler, can make starting out a bit harder.

Fluid has a massive advantage if a [[sun blocker]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} is ever deployed against you. You can take Combat in Darkness for a huge accuracy buff, and either feed yourself with [[nutrifungus]] or [[sun lamp]]s.

There are two "main" [[meme]]s that are generally useful to just about any playthrough. These two have large, mostly irreplaceable perks, and their downsides are easily mitigated or nonexistent.

Only Supremacist and Raider have access to either combat specialist. Shooting Specialist has all the benefit from [[trigger-happy]], with greater accuracy than [[careful shooter]], with neither trait's downsides -  while stacking with the traits themselves. Marksman command gives all other colonists a substantial reduction in aiming and boost to accuracy. Melee Specialist gives an effective +8 Melee skill, boosted to +16 melee skill and 0.1x pain while under berserk trance.  

Even though both combat roles remove the ability for most skilled labor, they can still: clean & haul, tame animals, make art, and research. If you've ever had a dedicated researcher, then they could become a shooter. Most of the time, shooting specialist is preferred over melee:

# The bonuses to [[Melee Hit Chance|Melee Hit]] and [[Melee Dodge Chance|Dodge Chance]] have diminishing returns as skill increases, reducing its usefulness in the mid and late game, while an [[Aiming time]] reduction is always excellent.

# Marksman command affects everybody in range, while berserk trance is a self buff. Having 3 Shooting Specialists can provide the marksman command buff to your entire colony all day, every day.

=== Human Primacy ===

Even though this role prevents dumb labor and most other tasks, they can still do a lot of work, like stonecutting. Higher quality [[duster]]s, [[sculpture]]s, and [[armchair]]s, and faster drugs, are all great ways of making money when needed. At the very least, you can have them sit at a [[research bench]] all day. Higher quality for just about every item is worth 1-2 colonists being unable to do dumb labor.

== Notable memes ==

=== Pain is virtue ===

In addition, you get access to skullspikes and Corpses: Don't Care, if you didn't get them from supremacist.  

* No comfort. No +10 mood for luxuriantly comfortable. The +2 mood from [[slab bed]]s helps, but doesn't make up once you can afford to make colonists comfortable.

Overall, this meme is very strong, if only for idealized pain. A colony can quickly descend to madness (i.e., the "death spiral") when colonists are injured ''and'' moody while the base is destroyed - something that raids tend to do. Even with the best killboxes, an inopportune drop pod can cause serious damage. Rough living is also great in the early game. Meanwhile, minor scarification only gives +4% pain, and gives no Consciousness debuff. Use Scarification: Minor unless you want to challenge yourself. Note that Guilty also gives Pain: Idealized, but is incompatible with supremacist.  

Minor scarification gives a net {{+|4}} mood (+3 from mild pain, +1 for scars themselves). More scars give more mood, though at the aforementioned Consciousness penalty. Combined with the +2 slab bed moodlet, and you get {{+|6}} mood all day, as opposed to a maximum of {{+|10}} ''Luxuriantly comfortable'' that decays when not sitting/sleeping. Before you have access to end tables/dressers, good regular beds, and armchairs, this meme is a net positive.

=== Tunneler ===

=== High life ===

[[Beer]] is a great way to satisfy the drug itch - it is considered a drug like any other. An adult can drink 1 beer per day without ever getting addicted. In addition to the mood & recreation from the beer itself, High Life gives a +3 moodlet for 0.75 days while avoiding the penalty for ''not'' using drugs. With only 1 drink, beer only gives -2% Manipulation. A beer a day can be combined with [[psychite tea]] every 2 days; tea decreases how much colonists need to rest for no statistical penalty.  

=== Transhumanist ===

Gives access to the [[sleep accelerator]] and [[neural supercharger]], increases [[biosculpter pod]] speed, removes penalty for the [[nutrient paste dispenser]], and gives mood buffs for artificial parts. Also gives research specialist. However, neural superchargers will eventually be demanded, with both accelerators and superchargers consuming lots of power and resources. Eventually, age reversal will also be demanded - every colonist will want to spend an absolute minimum of 2.61 days a year in the biosculpter. With access to [[Anomaly]] content, the Chronophagy Ritual also satisfies the requirement, though there is no mood buff, and a mood malus is inflicted for performing the ritual.

 

 

 

 

 

== Other memes ==

*'''Blindsight:''' Blind means you are less effective at both work and combat. But with only Blinding: Respected, there are no mood penalties for being sighted, just a -8 opinion. There is a large catch - if you take Blindsight, many starting colonists / ritual-induced wanderers ''will be fully blind''.  

*'''Bloodfeeding:'''{{BiotechIcon}} You can obtain all the bloodfeeding related precepts, including Bloodfeeders: Revered, with a base ideoligion. The only benefit is that starting with Bloodfeeders gives access to the Deathrest research immediately. This also means that Tribal starts with this meme will begin with Electricity.

*'''Tree Connection:''' Wood is valuable at many stages of the game, and cutting down trees is often the easiest way to get wood. If/when you don't need to cut down trees, then the Amazing Tree and lots of trees mood buffs can be a net positive. Gauranlen tree connection is notable, but pruning still takes lots of time away from colonists. It is rarely worth it because it is ''so'' much time. Possibly good with Fluid Ideology once you are wood independent.

== Precepts ==

*'''Research: Very Fast''' - Note this doesn't just affect [[research]]ing but also scanning speed with the [[ground-penetrating scanner]] and [[Long-range mineral scanner]].

||Both precepts can be incredibly good in the right setup. Combat is a ''very'' large accuracy buff.  The +25% shooting accuracy is ''added'' (not multiplied) after all other accuracy factors are met, turning a "true" 28% shot to a 53% shot, and so on. Darklight is +4 mood with a darklight, while negating work/movement/mood penalties in regular darkness. Tunneler ideoligions can live underground and in darklight indefinitely. However, in the light, you will be less accurate and have a mood debuff.

'''N.B.''' For the combat precept: if the sun is out and the area is considered "outside", then it does count as "lit" for combat, no matter how bright/dark the area is. Darklights are counted as "dark" for combat purposes. Finally, the combat precept only checks if the ''target'' is in light, and not the shooter.

Vats: Essential only applies when a child can believe in the ideoligion, e.g., when they are 3 or older. Thus, this precept demands full vat growth  - children grown this way have 0 passions, few skills, and 3 random traits. Faster kid growth speed could be useful late game, as the power of [[xenogerm]] editing makes up for reduced pawn quality.

== Roles ==

== Style ==

* Techist gives you access to styled [[autodoor]]s and [[shelf|shelves]], being the only style to do so. It also provides [[hex tile]], a research-less, nonflammable [[fine floor]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} made out of [[steel]], though it shares this advantage with Spikecore.

* Totemic gives styles to every building that techist does not have a style for. It also gives access to [[totemic slab (medium)]], a wood-based way to get style on the floor, and [[totemic boards]], a research-less but flammable [[fine floor]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} made out of wood.

* Rustic gives [[Rustic rug (medium)]], which is a [[cloth]]-based way to get style. Inferior to totemic slabs if wood is available, but still an optimal style to pick.

== Rituals ==

=== Rewards ===

* [[Psyfocus]] can be good once you get high level [[psycast]]ers.{{RoyaltyIcon}} However, it doesn't help you until then. Good in a fluid ideoligion for those word of inspirations and the like.

* [[Goodwill|Faction goodwill]] can be bought with gifts. But, early game, it can help to call in allies/trade caravans, or to make a faction neutral.

* Ancient complexes give loot, but you'll have to send colonists to venture out of your colony.

* The other rewards are locked by memes, and in any case, are either monetary or a [[gauranlen tree]] sprout (the time cost of gauranlen pruning makes the tree not really worth it, even when you get pods for free).

== Buildings ==

[[Pew]] and [[small altar]] / [[ideogram]] tend to be the preferred option. Pews are created with wall materials, so you can create them before [[cotton plant]]s grow / before you get leather. Small altars are the cheapest altar, costing 50 wood/stone/steel. Ideograms cost 50 steel, but do not take up space.

== Weapons ==

*'''Ranged / Melee''' - Ideally take neither, unless you want to add some challenge. Both ranged and melee have a role for the entire game. Either is viable if you do want that challenge, but pro-ranged is a much easier option. In the late game, when you have [[killbox]]es and enough firepower, Ranged only is entirely viable.

* '''Long shots / Short shots''' - In a mountain base, Short Shots is clearly preferred. Sieges are nowhere near the same threat level, negating one of the better niches of the Long Shots. Meanwhile,  [[chain shotgun]]s and the like are very useful against [[infestation]]s. Overall, "Long Shots" only covers 2 weapons. They both are useful, but niche outside of kiting builds.

* '''Neolithic / Ultratech''' - The top tier craftable melee weapons, maces and longswords, are medieval and so you aren't benefited by or penalized for their no matter which you pick. However, there are no ultratech weapons without the [[Royalty DLC]]. If you have Royalty, take ultratech unless you're doing a slow tribal start, and even then swap to ultratech if you're using a fluid ideology as every melee pawn should be armed with one by the mid-game. If you don't have Royalty, neolithic helps with a Tribal / Naked Brutality early game and has no other impact.

With fluid ideology, weapon choices become a lot easier. Prefer Neolithic at the start of a Lost Tribe, switch to something else in the lategame. Ranged heavy if you rely on [[Heavy SMG]]s, then Ranged light once you can afford [[charge rifle]]s. You can't change ideologies ''too'' much, but it is a lot more flexible.

== Relics ==

If you don't have the [[Royalty DLC]], just pick 3 [[charge rifle]]s. Even with this DLC, charge rifles have their merit.

With Royalty, relics give you the only 100% reliable way to get legendary [[persona weapon]]s, while legendary charge rifles can be crafted. [[Persona monosword]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} are the best melee weapons in the game for pawns without the [[Genes#Strong melee damage|Strong Melee Damage]] gene,{{BiotechIcon}} with [[persona zeushammer]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} coming in second and offering some other flexibility with their [[EMP]] damage. With the gene, zeushammers are better against humans regardless of armor, and the monosword is better against high health scale enemies like [[centipede]]s. This is because:

# [[Damage Types#Blunt|Blunt]] overkill mechanics make sure damage isn't wasted and a legendary zeushammer can one-shot a torso; and

# High health enemies tend to die from total damage over part destruction, and [[persona monosword]]s have higher base {{DPS}} as well as additional damage from the [[Damage Types#Cut|Cut]] damage type's cleaving ability.

== Apparel ==

== Venerated animals ==

== Preferred xenotypes ==

Preferred [[xenotype]]s give {{+|2}} mood if ''every colonist'' is one of up to three preferred xenotypes. This turns to a {{--|2}} mood (or higher) if a single colonist is a different type. Prisoners and slaves don't count. Colonists will also have lowered opinion of other xenotypes.

Generally, it isn't a great idea to set preferred xenotypes. If you want to recruit anyone of any other xenotype ever, then all your colonists will get upset. The recruit ritual reward will not force a preferred xenotype onto the wanderer. Player xenotypes can be extremely strong, but they are ''very'' rare to find in the game. Replicating a player-set xenotype using a [[gene assembler]] is incredibly difficult. This creates a clear problem.

However: with Preferred Xenotypes set, you will get a colony-wide {{+|3}} moodlet ''per'' raider kill of a different xenotype, lasting for 10 days, up to 5 times. This is because [[opinion]] is lowered enough for them to be considered "rivals". Up to +15 mood for every raid every 10 days is on a similar level to [[bloodlust]], and it stacks with bloodlust. Preferred xenotypes also gives an early game buff, before you start recruiting anyone. This buff may be strong enough to negate the {{--|4}} from disliked xenotypes, and {{--|6}} from xenotype self hatred, though note that the social penalty will end up increasing social fights.

=== Xenotype info ===

With Biotech's default faction selection, Baseliners are more common from [[event]]s, while enemy factions are primarily composed of 5 separate xenotypes. Thus, there are 6 "common" xenotypes - but you can only pick 3. If you select factions closer to Core RimWorld, then baseliners become much more common, but pirates still come with a variety of xenohumans.

== Other factions ==

If you're playing with the [[Empire]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}, make sure to edit their ideoligion and turn any Drug restrictions off. If you ever want to host a royal, then having access to mood-regulating drugs is incredibly helpful. With [[Biotech DLC]], the Empire also requires hosting [[hussar]]s - with any of the anti-drug precepts, they'll take a mood penalty for ingesting the [[go-juice]] they need to survive.