How does age work in rimworld?

[MrDave]

Is it "days" or what? How is life expectancy calculated?

I have a horse that says "Life expectancy: 30" but says age 21, and 29 days as a colonist.

I also have a horse tha says "Age 11" "14 days a colonist".

So... How in the heck does this work?

[whatamidoing]

It's in years.

[Stormsong]

Years. A rimworld year is 4 quadrums, each 15 days.

To ground this in your examples:

- Barring anything unfortunate, your horse will leave to around 30 before one of the game's "natural causes" takes it out, like a heart attack. Right now, said horse is 21 years old. It has spent just under half a year, 29 days, as a colonist. You tamed the horse 29 days ago.

- This horse is 11 years old. You tamed it 14 days ago, or just under a quadrum ago.

[Astasia]

Once a pawn reaches their life expectancy a few things happen (these start happening a little before at lesser rates):

-On their birthday there is a very small chance to develop an age related condition, like frail or bad back.
-Their chance for a random heart attack rises from 1 in like 99999 days to 1 in 300 days (so once every 5 years on average once they are above their life expectancy). Heart attacks can almost always be treated successfully if you start trying right away and use meds.
-Their immunity gain speed starts dropping slowly until it reaches a floor of 50% at 50% over their max life expectancy (so age 15 for something that has a life expectancy of 10). I don't think this is enough to matter for animal diseases if you are willing to use industrial meds.

The end result is... not much happens. You can have an animal with a life expectancy of 1 year live for 10+ years in your colony without any issues. The chances most of these things happening is rather low and sort of balanced around human's triggering them over an extended period of time. Mostly you notice age issues on already old pawns that spawn with said issues, keeping your own pawns around long enough for age to matter usually doesn't happen, even with animals with short listed lifespans.

[󠀡󠀡]

Originally posted by Astasia:

Once a pawn reaches their life expectancy a few things happen (these start happening a little before at lesser rates):

-On their birthday there is a very small chance to develop an age related condition, like frail or bad back.
-Their chance for a random heart attack rises from 1 in like 99999 days to 1 in 300 days (so once every 5 years on average once they are above their life expectancy). Heart attacks can almost always be treated successfully if you start trying right away and use meds.
-Their immunity gain speed starts dropping slowly until it reaches a floor of 50% at 50% over their max life expectancy (so age 15 for something that has a life expectancy of 10). I don't think this is enough to matter for animal diseases if you are willing to use industrial meds.

The end result is... not much happens. You can have an animal with a life expectancy of 1 year live for 10+ years in your colony without any issues. The chances most of these things happening is rather low and sort of balanced around human's triggering them over an extended period of time. Mostly you notice age issues on already old pawns that spawn with said issues, keeping your own pawns around long enough for age to matter usually doesn't happen, even with animals with short listed lifespans.

Also can use mods that add in bionics and cyborg parts so you live longer too. Have a cyborg pawn with a bionic heart, brain, lungs and so forth so they live longer and don't get the negative conditions unless they either take EMP damage and it shuts down, they get blown up or the part gets damaged. Just a side note in case OP is interested in modding that aspect.

[Crim]

Originally posted by 123:

Originally posted by Astasia:

Once a pawn reaches their life expectancy a few things happen (these start happening a little before at lesser rates):

-On their birthday there is a very small chance to develop an age related condition, like frail or bad back.
-Their chance for a random heart attack rises from 1 in like 99999 days to 1 in 300 days (so once every 5 years on average once they are above their life expectancy). Heart attacks can almost always be treated successfully if you start trying right away and use meds.
-Their immunity gain speed starts dropping slowly until it reaches a floor of 50% at 50% over their max life expectancy (so age 15 for something that has a life expectancy of 10). I don't think this is enough to matter for animal diseases if you are willing to use industrial meds.

The end result is... not much happens. You can have an animal with a life expectancy of 1 year live for 10+ years in your colony without any issues. The chances most of these things happening is rather low and sort of balanced around human's triggering them over an extended period of time. Mostly you notice age issues on already old pawns that spawn with said issues, keeping your own pawns around long enough for age to matter usually doesn't happen, even with animals with short listed lifespans.

Also can use mods that add in bionics and cyborg parts so you live longer too. Have a cyborg pawn with a bionic heart, brain, lungs and so forth so they live longer and don't get the negative conditions unless they either take EMP damage and it shuts down, they get blown up or the part gets damaged. Just a side note in case OP is interested in modding that aspect.

Isn't there a de-aging machine now?

Literal immortality because the Dev honestly expects people to end the game and leave... not just keep a colony running for 281390238129038201 Years like how 99% of players actually play

[Vintorez]

Originally posted by Talamare:

Originally posted by 123:

snip

Isn't there a de-aging machine now?

Literal immortality because the Dev honestly expects people to end the game and leave... not just keep a colony running for 281390238129038201 Years like how 99% of players actually play

He actually expects people to play until their colony crashes and burns lol, I believe there's a statement out there that he didn't really care for adding any "win" condition, but knew too many people would want one to not add it in.