Yes, the loop can be broken

Hi guys,

No doubt you’re aware now that RimWorld Alpha 17 is in the works. This post is not about that, but rather what my plans are for modding once it releases.

I released a lot of mods for RimWorld Alpha 16. Part of the reason for that was an increasing familiarity with libraries like HugsLib and with the game’s decompiled source. Also, I had a lot of free time on my hands.

I’m writing today to let you know that the same may not be true for RimWorld Alpha 17.

Okay, but why?

Lots of reasons.

First of all, especially when mods gain a following on Steam Workshop, there is this expectation that the mod will continue on and on from one alpha to the next. When the next version of the game is released, there is a hell of a lot of ‘please update to new version of the game’ interaction. Hardly ever does anyone actually say thank you when I spend hours updating and re-releasing a mod, and I’m not sure it’s warranted because a lot of the time it’s a straight port to the next version, with no new features.

I don’t get a chance to explore new features because my inbox is full of plz update and I’m like fine, fucking have it, hope you choke on it.

No, that’s not actually a thing that happens with enough regularity to make me drop f-bombs. But the constant trickle of notifications is annoying enough that I have in some cases turned them off entirely.

I’ve gone from annoyance-fixing to annoyance-getting. That’s not good.

I can take a break from modding and because I need one, I will.

When other mod authors read this post or notice that I’m not updating my mods, they’re going to fill the void quite soon after RimWorld Alpha 17 releases.

Secondly, Steam Workshop is saturated with mods. I’m not just talking about the big mods that have been there since Alpha 14, I’m also talking about new mods for all sorts of things. Some mods are basically the same as others but with different approaches.

Increasingly, when I release a mod on Steam Workshop, I have an idea based on my own or someone else’s complaint, and turn it into a working mod before another mod author does it.

It’s becoming a tired formula and a recipe for burnout.

Thirdly, RimWorld isn’t the firm favourite game of mine that it has been in the past. I’ve been avoiding it. Maybe it’s a combination of spending a lot of time modding the game, testing to see that the game works with mods, and consequently finding that I still don’t get the sort of stories that I want.

Finally, like I said, I need a break. I need to do new things. Time loops are not as fun from the inside as they appear on the outside.