Rimworld vs. Factorio, which should I buy?

[Albert Minigolf]

At this point I am only gonna buy one, which should it be?

Factorio has multiplayer which is a huge bonus.

I see people saying that they could "Play this game forever" with regards to both of them, however I have seen people say the same things about say crusader kings II when in reality after 1 or 2 play throughs I exhausted everthing short of DLC.

What is the longevity of these games would you say?

[grapplehoeker]

Originally posted by Royal_Wolf_1996:

What is the longevity of these games would you say?

Rimworld? Oh I don't know... around 800+ hours at the last count? I avoid using any game changing mods for this. The vanilla plays fine as it is.
I haven't played Factorio despite many of my friends recommending it to me. Seems like just a tad too much micro management. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just not anything that interests me lately.

[Micha]

I've played both of them, Factorio 47h and Rimworld 120h, and I think Rimworld offers more in terms of replayability. In Factorio, as amazing of a game as it is, I dont think restarting the game offers you much more in terms of different gameplay experience. You will still go through the same basic building chains and research the same technologies again. The ores may be at a different location, but its still more or less the same, maybe your base layout changes, but playing with the starting options imho doesnt offer a vastly different experience.

In Rimworld, which is the reason ive played more of it, you will have a completly different depending on the circumstances you choose to start with. There are basicly 3 different starting tech ages (none researched + slower research but you start with 5 people with bows and spears | 3 normal with regular research speed and a basic rifle and hand gun | 1 with space rifle good medicine and auto turrets researched) which have a big impact. That there is the topic of which biome you want to start in, every one with advantages/disadvantages that offer different gameplay. Want to farm all year and have plenty of wildlife and wood ? Jungle is nice, but malaria will ♥♥♥♥ you up good if you dont produce medicine against it. Do you want easy to defend entrances against raids, and lots of mineral spawns, choose a spawn in the hills, but there isnt much space for building or farming. + 3-4 biomes that also offer different things. And lastly the people you start with, depending on their strengths you will struggle with different things at the beginning, which offers a different experience.

Though you will reload save games because some completly unforeseeable ♥♥♥♥ happend and killed people (suddenly malaria, suddenly wildlife attacks you) and its in general more stressfull than factorio, and there is something really special about looking at a factory you put 40h in and are still optimizing production routes. Really fascinationg, and loading things into trains and transporting them to different places on a really big map is also fun to plan, it also is a remarkle game.

Different games, both lots of fun, but just judging in terms of replay value and value for time i think i'd recommend Rimworld.

[† Zacrriel †]

Originally posted by Captain Chaos:

I've played both of them, Factorio 47h and Rimworld 120h, and I think Rimworld offers more in terms of replayability. In Factorio, as amazing of a game as it is, I dont think restarting the game offers you much more in terms of different gameplay experience. You will still go through the same basic building chains and research the same technologies again. The ores may be at a different location, but its still more or less the same, maybe your base layout changes, but playing with the starting options imho doesnt offer a vastly different experience.

In Rimworld, which is the reason ive played more of it, you will have a completly different depending on the circumstances you choose to start with. There are basicly 3 different starting tech ages (none researched + slower research but you start with 5 people with bows and spears | 3 normal with regular research speed and a basic rifle and hand gun | 1 with space rifle good medicine and auto turrets researched) which have a big impact. That there is the topic of which biome you want to start in, every one with advantages/disadvantages that offer different gameplay. Want to farm all year and have plenty of wildlife and wood ? Jungle is nice, but malaria will ♥♥♥♥ you up good if you dont produce medicine against it. Do you want easy to defend entrances against raids, and lots of mineral spawns, choose a spawn in the hills, but there isnt much space for building or farming. + 3-4 biomes that also offer different things. And lastly the people you start with, depending on their strengths you will struggle with different things at the beginning, which offers a different experience.

Though you will reload save games because some completly unforeseeable ♥♥♥♥ happend and killed people (suddenly malaria, suddenly wildlife attacks you) and its in general more stressfull than factorio, and there is something really special about looking at a factory you put 40h in and are still optimizing production routes. Really fascinationg, and loading things into trains and transporting them to different places on a really big map is also fun to plan, it also is a remarkle game.

Different games, both lots of fun, but just judging in terms of replay value and value for time i think i'd recommend Rimworld.

This...

[LeafMuncher]

Rimworld is more like the sims. your focus is on the people and making a home for them, and dealing with the shenanigans than ensue (in Rimworld's case things like disease, wild animals, raiders and whatever other death sentence is coming for them). Rimworld you need to get certain things up and running ASAP if you want any chance at survival. Can be very frustrating at times when things are completely out of your control.

Factorio is all about solving puzzles and making things work better, but in the end is all about the base building with a bit of combat thrown in. You can play at your own pace as long as you set up defenses as you expand. Each new step in the tech tree can be overwhelming at first but brings a lot of satisfaction when you figure it out.

They're both great games but I feel Factorio has more universal appeal. Some people can get annoyed with Rimworld's random catastrophes, and the map size just feels very limited for building a base. There's also very little incentive for building a big sprawling base in Rimworld IMO.

TL:DR Get Factorio if you want to build a huge base and you enjoy figuring things out; Get Rimworld if you want a bit of base building, managing characters' needs, and fun stories to share (like how your colony got wiped out by one mad squirrel eating your doctor when everyone was sick with malaria)

[Ashardalon]

you can always play on a ludicrous map size if you dont mind a little stuttering every now and then
its running smoothly for me
will probably slow down later but untill now its still smooth
i like the extra challenge it brings when a siege is litterally a days walk away

[Alstrolilium]

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

you can always play on a ludicrous map size if you dont mind a little stuttering every now and then
its running smoothly for me
will probably slow down later but untill now its still smooth
i like the extra challenge it brings when a siege is litterally a days walk away

The map being larger makes it easier. Don't even try.

[Ashardalon]

Originally posted by MeuNos:

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

you can always play on a ludicrous map size if you dont mind a little stuttering every now and then
its running smoothly for me
will probably slow down later but untill now its still smooth
i like the extra challenge it brings when a siege is litterally a days walk away

The map being larger makes it easier. Don't even try.

how so, having a psychic ship a days walk away is a lot harder then just 5minute walk away

[bigsengineer]

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

Originally posted by MeuNos:

The map being larger makes it easier. Don't even try.

how so, having a psychic ship a days walk away is a lot harder then just 5minute walk away

even on largest map if base in opne corner and event in furtherst corner away it wont take a day to get there plus on largest map you have access to more recourses and building room.

Originally posted by Captain Chaos:

Though you will reload save games because some completly unforeseeable ♥♥♥♥ happend and killed people (suddenly malaria, suddenly wildlife attacks you) and its in general more stressfull than factorio, and there is something really special about looking at a factory you put 40h in and are still optimizing production routes. Really fascinationg, and loading things into trains and transporting them to different places on a really big map is also fun to plan, it also is a remarkle game.

Different games, both lots of fun, but just judging in terms of replay value and value for time i think i'd recommend Rimworld.

play permadeath and you wont savescum the best part about rimworld is the utter chaos of having your best pawn die by a random bear attack :)

[Ashardalon]

nope walking trough thick snow will make it take more then a day especially with hills in the way
in a nice temperate forest i can understand that misconseption tho

[Makkenhoff]

I've got over 100 hours clocked in to Factorio - but Rimworld has 700 hours, it just has more interaction potential. In terms of replayability, Rimworld is considerably more interesting and entertaining if you enjoy stories.

Oversimplified:

Rimworld is all about emergent behaviors in the game, which gives it near endless replayability.

Factorio is all about getting to the destination like your typical game, once you make it to the end, you kind of feel disappointed that it is over. Since I finished Factorio, I haven't really felt like the material grind was fun enough to do it again.

[class101 [OLED deck]]

Based on your game collection & playtime I would suggest for you not to by them.

[† Zacrriel †]

Originally posted by bigsengineer:

...the best part about rimworld is the utter chaos of having your best pawn die by a random bear attack :)

Not actually, the best part about Rimworld is what the user see fit for being called so, some like dying to a bear, others to grizzly bears, and others to the burning rage of plasma guns...

(and others to simply continue with their little peacefull life, or nearly...)

[bigsengineer]

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

nope walking trough thick snow will make it take more then a day especially with hills in the way
in a nice temperate forest i can understand that misconseption tho

well in that case set up 3 mortars and let them at the issues :)

[Ashardalon]

yay late game tech to solve tribal problems thats so usefull!

Originally posted by bigsengineer:

Originally posted by Ashardalon:

nope walking trough thick snow will make it take more then a day especially with hills in the way
in a nice temperate forest i can understand that misconseption tho

well in that case set up 3 mortars and let them at the issues :)

[M.K.]

Both would appeal to the same general class of player.
Both have, frankly, shtity graphics, balanced by some seriously in-depth gameplay.
Both have a sufficient addiction quotient to ruin your social life for the foreseeable future.
.
but
.
Given that you asked this question on the Rimworld discussion group.

RIMWORLD. RIMWORLD. Yeeeeeeeah RIMWORLD, we loves you forever
Gimme an R
Gimme an I
.
.
.
etc. :)