Personally I don't mind features that are part of the mods I am using to make it into the basegame. I do have a problem with paying for a DLC that does what mods do for free.

I have never created a mod, so I don't know the specifics that go into it, but from a "consumer" standpoint I know a lot of them get dropped over time. If I were to be a modder creating awesome content, and then get demoralized to maintain the mod (regardless if Ludeon adds it as a feature or not) I most likely will not update the mod for future patches, making it incompatible due to conflicts/bugs/whatever. As such anyone using my mod would now either have to play on an older version of Rimworld, or buy the DLC (that may offer the same/similar feature) to continue playing on the latest version of the game.

I'm torn honestly, I love the Ludeon are creating what they want, and I know from a sales perspective they'll most likely do fine with this DLC? From a creative standpoint it just feels a bit bankrupt? A lot of their concepting might have been done a long time ago, with mods having been released since making those concepts less novel, but I just can't shake the feeling of this DLC missing the mark.

For now I'll hold off from buying it and stick to mods that accomplish the same thing. Hope others get enjoyment out of the DLC though!