What this mod does
[b]Neurodivergent Colonists[/b] adds [b]ADHD[/b] and [b]Autism[/b] as traits that affect how pawns work, socialize, and cope with their environment. Colonists can have one ADHD type, Autism, or both. Each has its own need bar, thoughts, and behaviours — distinct and manageable, with downsides paired to upsides (hyperfocus, crisis focus, focused interests). [b]Almost everything is configurable[/b] in mod settings.
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ADHD
[b]Traits:[/b] ADHD (combined), predominantly inattentive, or predominantly hyperactive-impulsive; each with mild / moderate / pronounced severity. Affects how fast understimulation builds and stat offsets (e.g. work speed, mental break threshold, bed rest).
[b]Impaired interoception[/b] — Difficulty sensing internal body signals (hunger, tiredness, etc.); ADHD pawns can be less responsive to some needs until they become more urgent.
[b]Understimulation need[/b] — Full bar = engaged, empty = bored. Builds during repetitive, non-engaging work (no passion). Relief: passionate work, recreation, [b]stimming[/b], crisis situations, or [b]ADHD medication[/b]. When understimulated: work speed penalty and mood hit.
[b]Distraction[/b] — Pawns can get distracted mid-task and wander off; chance increases when understimulated. [b]ADHD medication[/b] reduces distraction and lets understimulation decay when not bored. Previous task can be resumed if still valid (sleep/combat/flee are not interrupted).
[b]Interest shifts[/b] — ADHD pawns can have a [b]major interest[/b] that acts like a burning passion for one skill at a time, and minor interests; it can [b]cycle[/b] to a different skill over time (getting really into something, then shifting focus). When that interest burns out, they get a temporary mood/thought before a new one can take hold.
[b]Hyperfocus[/b] — Doing [b]passionate work[/b] (including their current major interest) gives a work speed buff and they can't be distracted. [b]Crisis focus[/b] — During raids, combat, or rescue, understimulation decays instead of building and they get consciousness/work speed buffs.
[b]Stim job[/b] — When understimulated and idle, may take a [b]Stim[/b] job (vocal sounds, fidgeting) to regulate. Other colonists in the room may find it [b]annoying[/b] (opinion −4, mood −2) or [b]funny[/b] (opinion +2, mood +1); reactions can stack. Grumpy leans annoyed, Kind leans amused.
[b]ADHD medication[/b] — Craft at drug lab (herbal medicine + neutroamine). [b]Medical drug[/b] — assign in drug policy (e.g. every 1 day). Non-addictive, no overdose. About one day per dose: understimulation builds much slower, distraction is reduced, understimulation can decay when not bored.
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Autism
[b]Trait:[/b] Autism (high or low functioning). Affects learning, social impact, and (low only) work speed. Hediffs cover sensory sensitivity, need for routine, different social communication, and focused interests (bonuses when doing passionate work).
[b]Overstimulation need[/b] — Bar = how calm they are. [b]Builds[/b] from: [b]crowds[/b] (4+ people in the room), [b]noise[/b] (powered workbenches, generators, etc.; distance matters — farther from the source = less build), [b]combat[/b] (gunfire and explosions count as very loud; worse indoors and in small rooms), [b]clutter[/b] (dirty or messy rooms), and noise from [b]adjacent rooms[/b] through doors. [b]Decays[/b] in calm, uncrowded spaces; faster with 0–1 others, tidy rooms, and calm chores (clean, haul). When overstimulated: work speed, social, and mental break threshold drop plus mood thought.
[b] Masking [/b] Pawns will try to Mask by not stimming in front of pawns they aren't friendly with. Continued Masking without relief will cause the pawn to begin to [b] Shutdown [/b]. Providing a Quiet Spot for them to calm down will eventually remove their shutdown.
[b]Retreat job[/b] ("Need space") — When overstimulation is high, pawns may go to their bedroom or a calm room to recover. At very high severity they may refuse social/joy work (warden, recreation).
[b]Stim job[/b] — When overstimulated (or in a crowded room), may take the same [b]Stim[/b] job as ADHD; completing it reduces overstimulation. Non-ND observers can react (annoyed or amused) as above.
[b]Room & routine:[/b] Thoughts and mood from calm environment, familiar room, routine disrupted (e.g. didn't sleep in own bed, schedule changed), comfortable company (1–2 others, no one dislikes them), too many people, tidy/quiet bedroom. Good room design improves mood and overstimulation decay.
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Quiet time schedule block
The mod adds a new schedule option: [b]Quiet time[/b]. During this block, neurodivergent pawns are more likely to [b]retreat[/b] (autistic pawns seeking a calm space) or [b]stim[/b] (ADHD or autistic pawns self-regulating). It gives them time to recover instead of pushing through work, so overstimulation and understimulation don't build up as much. Assign Quiet time in the Schedule tab (e.g. a block after work or before bed) to help ND colonists stay regulated.
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New items
[b]Earphones[/b] — Craft at [b]machining table[/b] (Flak armor research). Steel + components. Apparel that [b]reduces environmental noise[/b] for sound-sensitive colonists and helps with overstimulation. Quality depends on Crafting skill.
[b]Bionic Ear (modified)[/b] — Craft at [b]fabrication bench[/b] (Bionics research). Plasteel + advanced components. Implant that improves hearing and [b]lowers perceived loudness[/b] for the overstimulation system — good for colonists who are easily overwhelmed by noise but still need good hearing. Install like a normal bionic ear. Storable in bionic shelves.
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Config & design
Mod settings let you tune need strength, noise and combat impact, indoor scaling, thresholds for retreat and medication, and more. Neurotypical pawns can have a negative opinion of ND colonists until they know them better or befriend another ND pawn. Mechanics are inspired by real experiences (understimulation, overstimulation, distraction, hyperfocus, routine, sensory load, stimming, retreat). Work in progress.
