I think Rimworld broke me. The new expansion introduces children.
Sometimes your colony get calls from people in need of help, often they're held prisoner buy some faction or other. The game has since release changed, I think the difficulty of those missions has increased (and basically anything that gets you extra colonists has been reworked and nerfed). So usually I don't bother. This time however, a three-year old has managed to steal a radio and calls me for help. She's guarded by turrets and mortars and god knows what else. It's early game. I genuinely don't have the tools or resources to do a breakout like that. So I ignore it. In my mind the scene is crystal clear: She manages to get a hold of a radio, a very young child, and manages to get a messege out on a frequency she might not know. She's been clever and has observed her surroundings, so she does have a good report of where she is and what any rescuers (adults) would encounter. And the messege is heard! But the people chooses to ignore it because it's too difficult for them. "Not the right time" they think. "But the harvest!" they think. "Turrets are really dangerous aren't they" they think. And so they ignore it. She waits. The girl waits. She did her best. It didn't matter. Because I failed her.
Honestly I don't think I've been cut so deep from a game ever. And it's by my own doing. I could have rescued her. Turrets are dangerous, but I had good medics and some decent weapons. It would have been possible. But I didn't do it, and now the girl is lost forever.
I was feeling a bit done with Rimworld to be honest, but kids man. They change you. The game is alive again.
I feel old
