RimWorld Odyssey Starting Scenario Guide
Written by Andrew Hammel
The main RimWorld Odyssey starting scenario is called The Gravship, and it's the only official scenario built for the DLC’s mobile base system. It puts you in a small ship with early Gravtech, a few colonists, and basic supplies. You can use it as-is, edit it to remove threats, or build your own starting scenario using the Scenario Editor.
The Default Gravship Scenario
This is the intended way to begin the DLC. You get:
Only a few colonists
A working Gravship
Basic Gravtech already researched
Ship parts already installed (engine, fuel tank, console, thrusters)
A small map with nearby salvage
A timed threat: Pursuing Mechanoids
The mechanoids are part of the scenario’s challenge. They force you to stay mobile and make smart use of the ship.
If you want to disable that threat:
Open the Scenario Editor
Select The Gravship
Delete the “Pursuing Mechanoids” event with the trash can icon
Save the edited version as your own
Everything else will stay the same.
How to Create a Custom Gravship Start
You can make your own RimWorld Odyssey starting scenario by editing or creating a new one.
Arrival Method: Gravship
Set the arrival to Gravship in the Scenario Editor. This gives your colonists vacuum suits and starts them in space-ready gear.
However, it does not spawn a working ship by default. You’ll need to add it manually.
Example Setup from Scenario Editor
From the Lost Tribe variant (customized with Gravship arrival):
Starting People: 6 (chosen from 8)
Forced Health Condition: Malnutrition (0.20–0.40 severity)
Set Food Need to 0.00–0.10
Start With: Silver
Arrival Method: Gravship
To avoid starting with just vacuum suits and no ship, turn on Dev Mode, then:
Place a Grav Engine
Add Gravship Substructure tiles
Install Small Thrusters, Pilot Console, and Chemfuel Tank
Add fuel (50+ Chemfuel minimum, 200 recommended)
Unlock Basic Gravtech if not already set
Is Customizing the Starting Scenario Viable?
Yes, fully. You can use The Gravship, edit it, or build your own. If you want the ship but not the mechanoid chase, just delete that event. If you want full control, start from scratch and place the ship parts yourself.
Just remember: setting arrival to Gravship gives suits, not ships. You’ll need to add the ship in Dev Mode unless you use The Gravship scenario.
Tips for Starting Scenarios
Start in a temperate biome to avoid freezing or overheating
Add survival meals, weapons, and materials to your loadout
Use hull walls to prevent decompression in space
Enclose living areas before leaving the planet
Add a research bench early to unlock power, farming, and refinery tech
Batteries and solar panels are more useful than wind (no wind in orbit)
You can also edit the Crashlanded scenario to use Gravship arrival if you want a more traditional setup with Gravtech as a bonus.
Final Blurb
The RimWorld Odyssey starting scenario system is more flexible than it looks. You can play with the intended ship-and-threat combo or strip it down to something peaceful and custom.
As long as you use Gravship arrival and add working ship parts, you’ll be able to explore, escape, and build a mobile base your way.
FAQ
Q: What is the default RimWorld Odyssey starting scenario called?
The Gravship.
Q: Can you remove the mechanoid threat?
Yes, delete the event from the Scenario Editor.
Q: Does Gravship arrival give you a ship?
No, only suits. Use The Gravship scenario or build one with Dev Mode.
Q: What parts are needed to fly?
Grav Engine, Pilot Console, Substructure tiles, Small Thrusters, Chemfuel Tank, and fuel.
Q: Can you make a Gravship start with 5 colonists?
Yes, change the starting people count in the Scenario Editor.
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