Vanilla Gravships Expanded: Chapter 1 - Gravship Overhaul, Life Support and Space Exploration for RimWorld

Vanilla Gravships Expanded: Chapter 1 is a major RimWorld mod that completely overhauls gravship mechanics, transforming mobile bases into complex spacecraft that require maintenance, resources, and careful management. Instead of treating gravships as convenient transportation for established colonies, the mod turns them into an essential part of survival and long-term progression.

Players must develop their spacecraft, manage essential systems, and gradually transform a vulnerable atmospheric shuttle into a self-sustaining orbital gravship capable of supporting a colony's journey.

Gravship Overhaul - A New Approach to Space Travel

Vanilla Gravships Expanded: Chapter 1 significantly changes how gravships function in RimWorld.

The mod focuses on making spacecraft feel like functional vessels rather than ordinary colonies that happen to move between locations.

Main features include:

• Expanded gravship mechanics: A comprehensive rework of spacecraft management and development.
• Ship maintenance: Gravships require attention to their essential systems.
• Progressive upgrades: Develop and improve your vessel throughout the playthrough.
• Resource management: Maintain the supplies necessary for spacecraft operation.
• Crew management: Consider the needs of colonists living and working aboard the ship.
• Orbital progression: Gradually develop your spacecraft into a self-sustaining orbital vessel.

These changes make gravship development a long-term colony project rather than a single technological milestone.

Oxygen and Life Support Systems

One of the central elements of the overhaul is oxygen management.

Players must account for the conditions necessary to support their crew during space travel and life aboard a gravship.

The oxygen system forms part of the broader spacecraft management mechanics, making life support an important consideration when designing and maintaining a vessel.

Fuel, Electricity and Heat Management

Vanilla Gravships Expanded: Chapter 1 introduces additional responsibilities involving the spacecraft's technical infrastructure.

Essential systems include:

• Fuel: An important resource for operating and maintaining the gravship.
• Electricity: Power management becomes part of running the spacecraft.
• Heat: Thermal conditions must be considered as part of ship management.
• Maintenance: The vessel's systems require ongoing attention throughout its development.

These mechanics connect the different aspects of spacecraft operation, encouraging players to consider the ship as a complete system rather than a collection of independent buildings.

From Atmospheric Shuttle to Orbital Gravship

The modification introduces a progression focused on gradually improving spacecraft capabilities.

At the beginning of its development, a gravship functions as a fragile atmospheric shuttle with limitations that players must overcome.

Over time, the vessel can be expanded and upgraded into a self-sustaining orbital gravship.

The ultimate goal is to establish a spacecraft capable of supporting the colony through continued travel and operation in space.

Compatibility and Known Conflicts

Vanilla Gravships Expanded: Chapter 1 is a complete gravship overhaul, meaning it changes fundamental spacecraft mechanics.

For this reason, other modifications that alter gravships are likely to be incompatible unless explicitly confirmed otherwise.

Important compatibility information:

• Other gravship overhaul mods: Potentially incompatible due to overlapping changes.
• Better Architect Menu: Compatible. The mod incorporates code provided by its developer.
• Bunk Bed: Compatible with the standalone bunk bed modification.
• Tweaks Galore: Its research tweaks have been reported to increase gravship research values by up to 10 times.

Players using multiple gravship-related modifications should check their compatibility before combining them.

Due to the complexity of the overhaul, bugs and unexpected interactions with other mods may still occur.

Authors

• Oskar Potocki - Graphics and mod design.
• Taranchuk - Programming.
• Sokyran - Programming.
• Sarg Bjornson - Programming.
• Erdelf - Programming.
• Ferny - Better Architect Menu code contribution.
• Darknote - Bunk bed code contribution.
• Vitalii - Storyteller artwork.