Factions, visitors and trade

Check relations

Open World > Factions with Y. Each faction has goodwill and a relationship with your colony. Hostile factions can raid; neutral and allied factions can send visitors or caravans. Relations can change over time and in response to your actions.

World Factions tab listing neighboring factions, goodwill values and relationships. — Read both goodwill and relationship in World > Factions. Use this overview to understand who may visit and who may attack. View full screenshot

Welcome visitors

Visitors and caravans ask before entering. Read the letter and accept or turn them away. Refusing costs a little goodwill. Visitors bring their own supplies rather than freely eating your colony’s food.

Wounded travelers may need a free bed. Rescue a downed friendly visitor or allow doctors to treat an injured guest, and provide the care they need before they leave. Helping them can improve relations. Allied visitors can help fight raiders.

Trade with a caravan

Select the trader and open Trade. Review what you offer and what you want, adjust quantities, then confirm the exchange. On touchscreens, quantity buttons and None / All make larger exchanges easier.

Caravans can trade equipment, materials, food and livestock. Animal offers identify species and sex. Bought livestock appears with the caravan and may need a handler to lead it to your pen. Sold animals leave the colony. Prisoners may also appear in your goods; selling them has a mood cost.

Trade window with Your goods and Trader's goods columns, quantities, balance and Accept trade button; 20 wood is offered as a gift. — Review both columns and the balance before Accept trade. This example offers 20 wood and takes nothing, so it is a gift rather than a purchase. View full screenshot

Improve goodwill

Give gifts through caravans, help wounded visitors, and release prisoners belonging to the faction. Social relationships with departing visitors also matter. Attacking visitors harms relations and can turn them hostile.

Read offers and letters before accepting: the relationship panel tells you who a person belongs to, and their inspector shows their status. Friendly visitors are guests rather than targets for capture.

Other arrivals and events

Wanderers may ask to join, and supply drops, meteorites, illness, blight, animal herds and extreme weather can change your plans. Read notifications promptly. Some offer a decision; others report a condition that needs action on the map.