RimWorld is a game of managing needs and dealing with problems. In Ludeon Studio's hit colony-management sim, players must always be attentive to the moods and requirements of their colonists. Life on a RimWorld is tough, and dangers range from pirates and hunger to killer mechanoids and man-made diseases.
From basic materials like wood and stone to advanced ingredients like RimWorld's Components, players will need to build up a stockpile of resources to keep their colonists provided with the essentials for survival. These materials aren't always easy, or even possible, to find in the game's remote-planet setting. Fortunately, trade caravans and ships allow players to buy and sell any item they can't harvest or make themselves.
How to Trade in RimWorld
The simplest way to trade in RimWorld is to wait for a trade caravan to visit the player's colony. These caravans will arrive periodically and can be traded with by sending a colonist to speak to the leader, who will be tagged with a yellow question mark. Players should always try to send a colonist with RimWorld's best Social Traits and a high Social level, as they will be able to get a better deal than an average colonist. Any item that is stored in the colony can be traded if the caravan is interested in buying it, and anything bought from the caravan will be dropped on the spot.
Once players have built a Comms Console, they will periodically be informed that a trade ship is passing by. Players can trade with the ship by having a colonist interact with the Comms Console. This will allow them to sell any item that is within range of an Orbital Trade Beacon. They can also use the Comms Console to request a trade caravan from other settlements in the area, allowing players to get the specific items they need to help manage their RimWorld colonists' needs.
Finally, players can send out their own trade caravans to other settlements across the world, using the form caravan button on the world map. Players should make sure their caravan is well-stocked with food, well defended, and carrying either items to sell or silver if they're only interested in buying. It's worth noting that other settlements always carry much larger stocks of essential RimWorld goods like Plasteel than regular trade caravans.
Types of Traders in RimWorld
Each trade caravan and trade ship in RimWorld has a different specialty and will not only buy and sell their goods according to a developing market price but may also randomly increase or decrease the price of certain items:
- Bulk Goods Trader - Buys and sells food and basic materials, including Steel, Clothing, Cloth, and Furniture.
- Exotic Goods Trader - Buys and sells rare and unusual items likeTelevisions and Bionic body parts, which often can't be crafted by colonists.
- Shaman Merchant - A variant of the Exotic Goods Trader for Neolithic colonies, buys and sells low-tech rarities such as Smokeleaf and unusual weapons.
- Combat Supplier - Buys and sells weapons and armor of all kinds, including the best-ranged weapons in RimWorld.
- War Merchant - A variant of the Combat Supplier for Neolithic colonies, buys and sells low-tech weapons, armor, and clothing.
- Slaver - Buys and sells prisoners, drugs, and RimWorld's life-saving Medicine. Selling prisoners to a Slaver will cause a Mood penalty for all colonists who don't have the Psychopath Trait.
Orbital trade ships will almost always have larger stocks of items for sale than trade caravans, and players who want to trade frequently should prioritize building a Comms Console.
RimWorld is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
