Helena Joyce
In RimWorld, pollution is a toxic substance that accumulates on terrain and is harmful to colonists. It can be caused by various factors, such as waste packs, mechanoids, and toxifier generators. While pollution can be challenging to manage, several strategies can be employed to deal with it. One approach is to use atomizers, which are effective but require significant resources and technology. Alternatively, players can ignore the pollution if it is not an immediate threat. Another option is to utilize the unique wildlife that thrives in polluted areas, but this requires careful management. Players can also employ their colonists to clean up pollution, but this results in the accumulation of waste packs, which must be addressed through freezing, exporting, or long-term storage. Additionally, pollution pumps can convert pollution into toxic waste packs, and certain buildings can help turn polluted tiles back into clean ones. While these methods can help manage pollution, it remains a detrimental problem that requires careful consideration and planning to benefit the colony.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Impact of pollution | Damages colonists and can lead to death with prolonged exposure |
| How to reduce pollution | Use atomizers, move to a different tile, use buildings to turn polluted tiles into clean ones, use artificial organs to make colonists immune, use pollution pumps, or clean it by hand |
| How to deal with waste packs | Freeze them, export them, store them long-term, or destroy them with a machine |
| Impact of toxic waste packs | Creates toxic buildup, pollutes the nearby terrain, releases deadly gas if popped, and can be used as a torture device |
| Impact of acidic smog | Reduces light levels, slows plant growth, gives non-immune colonists a moodlet, and deteriorates items |
| How to prevent acidic smog | Ensure there is no pollution within 4 tiles of your world tile |
| Face masks and detoxifier lungs | Provide 100% resistance to pollution |
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What You'll Learn
- Use buildings to turn polluted tiles into clean ones, but this creates toxic waste
- Clean pollution by hand, but colonists will get sick without a clean recovery space
- Use atomizers to destroy waste packs, but they require a lot of resources
- Freeze waste packs to prevent them from breaking down and releasing pollution
- Export waste packs by caravan to reduce pollution, but this upsets other factions
Use buildings to turn polluted tiles into clean ones, but this creates toxic waste
In Rimworld, pollution is a serious issue that can negatively impact your colony. One way to combat pollution is by using buildings that can turn polluted tiles back into clean ones. While this method is effective, it creates toxic waste packs as a byproduct. These toxic waste packs need to be dealt with properly, or they will melt and release their toxic contents back into the environment, undoing your cleaning efforts.
The toxic waste packs can be managed in several ways. One option is to use pollution pumps, which convert pollution into toxic waste packs. Another option is to manually clean the pollution by assigning colonists to the task. However, this method puts your colonists at risk of accumulating toxic buildup, which can make them sick over time if they don't have access to clean spaces to recover.
To avoid the dangers of manual labour, you can utilise Polux trees. These trees sprout naturally in heavily polluted areas and slowly purify the surrounding terrain. Unfortunately, the seeds of these trees are rare, and the trees themselves cannot be replanted due to their delicate root systems. Another natural solution is to use caravans to transport the toxic waste packs away from your colony and dump them elsewhere. However, this method can have consequences, such as increasing pollution levels in the area where the waste is dumped.
Additionally, you can minimise the generation of toxic waste by reducing your pollution output. This can be achieved by carefully managing your use of generators and other pollution-producing activities. With good waste management practices, you can avoid the negative consequences of pollution and even turn it into an advantage. For example, you can use pollution as a weapon by sending toxic waste packs to enemy bases or using toxifier generators to torture prisoners.
It is important to note that toxic waste packs are challenging to destroy, and improper management can lead to severe repercussions. If left unattended, the waste packs will dissolve, contaminating the groundwater. Therefore, it is crucial to handle them with care and explore various methods of disposal and reduction to maintain a healthy and sustainable colony in Rimworld.
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Clean pollution by hand, but colonists will get sick without a clean recovery space
One way to deal with pollution in RimWorld is to manually clean it up by hand, designating a clean pollution zone. However, this method comes with a drawback. Without a clean recovery space, your colonists will inevitably get sick over time.
Colonists can be instructed to clean up pollution, but this will generate waste packs, which will need to be dealt with. If left unattended, the waste packs will melt, releasing the pollution back onto the ground. One way to mitigate this is by freezing the waste packs, but this is only a short-term solution as storage space will eventually run out.
Another option is to use buildings that turn polluted tiles back into clean ones, but this also generates waste packs. Atomizers are another effective way to deal with pollution, but they require a dedicated researcher and are expensive in terms of materials.
If you're looking for a more natural solution, polux trees can be used to slowly purify heavily polluted terrain. However, these trees cannot be replanted due to their delicate root network. Alternatively, you could move your tribe to a different tile, avoiding the pollution altogether.
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Use atomizers to destroy waste packs, but they require a lot of resources
Atomizers are one of the most effective ways to deal with pollution in RimWorld. They can destroy waste packs safely, but they require a lot of resources to build and maintain. To unlock the technology required to build an atomizer, you will need a dedicated researcher in your colony. The materials needed to construct an atomizer are also very expensive. However, this trade-off is worth it in the late game, as atomizers can effectively mitigate the spread of pollution.
Waste packs are accumulated pollution storage units that result from cleaning up pollution. If left unattended, they will eventually break down and release the stored pollution back into the environment. This creates a cycle where cleaning pollution generates waste packs, which then contribute to further pollution if not properly managed. It is crucial to address the issue of waste packs to break this cycle and maintain a clean and healthy environment for your colony.
There are several ways to deal with waste packs, but they vary in effectiveness and potential drawbacks. One short-term solution is to store waste packs in a freezing temperature environment, as this will render them harmless. However, this approach is limited by the available storage space and is not a sustainable long-term strategy. Another option is to export the waste packs by sending a caravan far away to dump them or delivering them as a "gift" to an enemy faction. While this method effectively reduces pollution in your colony, it will damage your relationships with neighbouring factions and potentially create new enemies.
The use of atomizers offers a more permanent solution by safely destroying waste packs. While the initial investment in terms of resources and technology is high, atomizers provide a late-game advantage in managing pollution. This is especially valuable considering the detrimental effects of pollution on your colonists' health and the environment. With proper planning and resource management, atomizers can be a powerful tool in maintaining a healthy and prosperous colony in RimWorld.
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Freeze waste packs to prevent them from breaking down and releasing pollution
Toxic waste packs are generated by several of the new buildings added in RimWorld's Biotech Expansion, particularly those related to Mechanitors and Mechanoids. They are also produced when cleaning up polluted tiles. These waste packs will slowly dissolve if not frozen, releasing tox gas and polluting the surrounding terrain.
One way to prevent this is to freeze the waste packs, which can be achieved by storing them in small freezers or a second colony dedicated to a proof-safe freezer. This will prevent the waste packs from breaking down and releasing pollution. However, it is not a perfect solution as you are still vulnerable to crises such as solar flares knocking out coolers, raiders breaking in, or fires starting inside the warehouse. To minimise this risk, you can use thick walls that retain heat and keep out intruders, and avoid running any power cables through the inside of the building.
Another option is to use a Stargate mod, attaching an Iris to the gates. By tossing the waste packs through the gate when the Stargate Iris is closed, they will be instantly destroyed without polluting the ground.
Alternatively, you can send the waste packs to other enemy bases by drop pods or caravans, though this will likely annoy the faction. You can also launch them into your enemies using a pod launcher, but this will still add toxicity to the hex you are standing on.
Finally, you can equip your entire colony to be immune to toxins, turning the debuffs of pollution into positives using the gene pollution stimulus. This will give you an advantage over raiders who will have to navigate through toxic waste to reach you. However, this strategy is challenging to execute and requires growing pollution-resistant crops, dealing with acid smog, and defending against waves of bugs.
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Export waste packs by caravan to reduce pollution, but this upsets other factions
In Rimworld, pollution is a serious issue that can be detrimental to your colony if not properly managed. One way to deal with pollution is to export waste packs by caravan to reduce pollution levels. While this method is effective, it comes with a significant drawback: it upsets other factions and can lead to negative consequences.
Waste packs are created when pollution is cleaned up by colonists or through the use of buildings that turn polluted tiles into clean ones. These waste packs need to be dealt with carefully, as they can melt and release the pollution back into the environment if not handled properly. One option for disposal is to export them by caravan to another area. This can be done by sending a caravan loaded with waste packs far away to dump them or even delivering them to an enemy base, increasing their area's pollution.
While exporting waste packs by caravan is an effective way to reduce pollution in your colony, it comes at a cost. Dumping waste packs within 15 tiles of another faction's settlement will result in a relationship penalty. The penalty scales up based on the number of waste packs dumped and the proximity to the settlement. Outlander and pirate factions may retaliate by sending a drop pod of waste back, while hostile factions may raid your colony. Therefore, this method of pollution control can upset other factions and lead to potential conflict.
To mitigate the negative impact on relationships with other factions, players can consider the following strategies:
- Long-term storage: Instead of immediately exporting waste packs, players can store them in a freezing temperature environment, which renders them harmless. However, this is only a temporary solution as storage space may eventually run out.
- Atomizers: Although expensive, atomizers are an effective way to destroy waste packs safely without upsetting other factions.
- Polux Trees: If your map is heavily polluted, special Polux Trees will sprout. These trees slowly purify the polluted terrain around them. However, they cannot be replanted due to their delicate root network.
In conclusion, while exporting waste packs by caravan is an effective way to reduce pollution in Rimworld, it comes with the cost of upsetting other factions and potentially causing conflict. Players should carefully consider the benefits and risks before employing this strategy and explore alternative methods to deal with waste packs and pollution management.
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Frequently asked questions
You can instruct your colonists to clean it manually by designating a clean pollution zone, but they will get sick over time without a clean space to recover. You can also use buildings like a pollution pump to turn pollution on the ground back into toxic wastepacks, or plant Polux trees, which absorb pollution without generating wastepacks.
Toxic wastepacks can be stored indefinitely below 0 degrees Celsius. However, this requires a large warehouse, as only five wastepacks can be stacked. Some mods allow you to increase stack sizes, making this method more feasible. Another option is to dump the wastepacks into deep water far from land.
A high level of pollution near your colony can cause harmful events such as acid smog, which blocks solar panels and negatively affects people's moods. Pawns in polluted areas will also accumulate toxic buildup over time, causing them to get sick.
You can reduce your pollution output by lowering emissions from generators and other sources. You can also avoid settling near polluted areas on the map or move your colony away from polluted tiles. Additionally, certain equipment like face masks and detoxifier lungs can provide resistance to pollution, preventing its negative effects.
