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[Dasleah]

Version: 0.1 Download

What is Dawn of the Mountainhomes?

Dawn of the Mountainhomes is a Dwarf Fortress Total Conversion set in the savage prehistory of Dwarf Fortress. It is a time when great beasts walked freely across the lands, when the first sentients gazed towards the skies and began to question their place in the cosmos. The last of the Old Races have begun to fall and wither, and the Young greedily expand across the world.

What does Dawn of the Mountainhomes add?

DotMH is a total conversion, meaning that it strives to replace (or augment) all existing content with original additions. Whilst we still have some of Dwarf Fortress’ content in the game, with each new release we hope to further replace the ‘vanilla’ content to create a more comprehensive and coherent game atmosphere.

As of Version 0.1, DotMH has the following:

• 139 Creatures
  
• 17 New Engravings (with plenty of adjectives)
  
• 11 New Plants
  
• 4 New Weapons
  
• 4 New Stone / Gem Types
  
• 2 Original Races
  
• 1 New Tree
  

What are the main differences?

Firstly, Crossbows have been replaced with Slings (and their ammunition Bullets), and Throwing Spears (and their ammo) have been introduced as well. Indoor farming is now essentially non-existent, with the only indoor crop being Plump Moss, a disgusting slime that even Dwarves won’t attempt to Brew. Most of your food production now rests outside the Fortress, in such crops such as Maize and Wild Lentils. You'll also find your starting armour and clothes are reduced, as are many other race's.

How do I install DotMH?

It is recommended that an installation separate from your main Dwarf Fortress install is used, simply for sheer convenience.
To install, simply delete all existing content in your installation’s raw/objects and data/objects folders (remember to back up your saved games in case you wish to use them again in this same DF install). Then, copy all the extracted contents of the DotMH-01.zip file into the raw/objects folder. Generate a new world, and blam! You’re done.
Remember that the larger the world, the more content you’ll potentially see. And if you want to uninstall the mod, simply follow the first few steps of installation – deleting the content in the specified folders – and replace them with the normal DF content.

What Races are in DotMH?

The following races are either original creations or alterations of existing races to better fit the game’s theme.

CavedwarvesThese sturdy little creatures, stout of body and spirit, have emerged from their crude mountainhomes and struck out into the world at large. Food in the mountains is sparse, and so they have ventured out from their natural rocky habitats, bringing them into contact – and conflict – with the other races of the world.
Playable in Fortress and Adventure Mode.

Plains Ape
These highly adaptable creatures are found in almost any corner of the world. They are remarkable for their unremarkable natures - they are average in almost every way, and having no distinct disadvantages, this allows them to settle in almost any part of the world. They breed quickly, die young, and many of the eldest races look upon these violent upstarts with equal parts admiration, fear, and hatred.
Playable in Adventure Mode.

Hobgoblins
It is said that in the distant past, the ancestors of the Hobgoblins and the Cavedwarves lived in relative harmony. Whilst the Dwarves lived closer to the surface, the Hobgoblins lived deeper, in the very heart of the earth itself, trading precious gems from the core for food from the Dwarves above.
However, relations in recent memory have been considerably more strained. The normally placid and open Hobgoblins have become violent and withdrawn, their bodies twisting and changing, and have begun raising dark temples under darker skies. Some amongst the Dwarves whisper that perhaps the Hobgoblins have delved too deep into the earth, and have uncovered things best kept buried…
Playable in Adventure Mode.

Treefolk
These lithe and graceful creatures have long been a mystery to the other sentient races. Some argue that they are a distant relative of the Plains Ape, adapted for life amongst the treetops. Others still insist that their ape-like appearances are mere coincidence, and that their origins lie shrouded in their forest homes. Although unused to the customs of outsiders, some Treefolk have endeavoured to establish contact with the outside world – and found themselves aghast and horrified by the lack of what they see as suitable respect for nature.
Playable in Adventure Mode.

Pygmy Wolf Apes
These snarling, twisted canines have proved a thorn in the side of many of the other sentient races of the world. Their tribes and clans frequent fragment and divide, torn apart by constant infighting, retreating into their cave homes for years without sighting, and then exploding in population and harassing the other local inhabitants. They covet and hoard many household items from other races, building great treasure heaps, and many a carelessly placed relic has found its way into a Pygmy Wolf Ape’s grasp.
Playable in Adventure Mode.

Lizardkin
These slender, feather-maned reptiles have long dwelt in the sweltering heart of many of the world’s forests. They themselves are a simple folk, preferring the simple pleasures in life, and spend much of their time in contemplation and worship. Despite their cold blood, however, they are not slow to action, and can be ferocious when provoked.
Playable in Adventure Mode.

Squidlings
If the Hobgoblins have only recently come into contact with some dark and fallen power, then the Squidlings have always been the thralls of such dark and terrible entities. They are slick skinned and rubbery, betraying their aquatic nature, but their bodies have become twisted and warped, depraved parodies of beauty and form. Their dark temples are a thankfully rare sight on the darkest coasts of the world, although with each year more and more venture closer inland to lakes and marshes – some say awaiting the awakening of their aquatic masters.
Playable in Adventure Mode.

What creatures are in DotMH?

A lot! A complete list is:

Albatross, Alligator, Ambush Leech, Anteater, Arch Wasp, Armadillo, Auroch, Bark Toad, Bearwolf, Bird-Eating Locust, Bloodseek Ape, Bonecrush Snake, Burnskin Tadpole, Carnivorous Kangaroo, Cave Bear, Cave Dolphin, Cave Hyena, Cave Lion, Cave Wolf, Crocodile, Crunch Grub, Diprotodon, Dire Mammothman (Demon), Duck, Echidna, Elephant Bird, Elephant Tortoise, Elk, Fell Ape (Demon), Fin-Backed Whale, Firebite Snake, Flamingo, Forest Sulking Bear, Four Tusked Elephant, Giant Anteater, Giant Armadillo, Giant Echidna, Giant Elk, Giant Ground Sloth, Giant Hawk Moth, Giant Koala, Giant Long-Necked Rhino, Giant Monitor Lizard, Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo, Giant Squid, Giant Tadpole, Giant Tree Frog, Giant Turtle, Goat, Great Sun Auroch (Megabeast), Greater Cave Ape, Ground Parrot, Ground Sloth, Grounded Swan, Hare, Heartsteal Bat, Heron, Hoe Tusked Elephant, Hoofed Wolf, Horned Plains Horse, Horse-Ape, Hulking Forest Ape, Hulking Penguin, Hyena, Hyrax, Imperial Steppe Mammoth (Megabeast), Kangaroo, Koala, Lesser Sabretooth Cat, Long-Necked Antelope, Long-Snouted Otter, Lurking Owl, Mammoth, Mammothkin Gnome, Marsupial Ape, Marsupial Devil, Marsupial Lion, Marsupial Striped Dog, Marsupial Tapir, Mastodon, Moa, Moleman, Ox Bird, Pelican, Pig, Pig Millipede, Pig Slug, Platypus, Possum, Pygmy Dawn Horse, Pygmy Mammoth, Pygmy Penguin, Pygmy Pig, Rampage Centipede, Rampant Cloudbird (Megabeast), Regal Grasshopper, Regal Lobster, Resplendent Butterfly, River Dolphin, Rock Wallaby, Sabretooth Cat, Sandskin Gnome, Sawtooth Dolphin, Screech Bat, Seagull, Shadowed Vulture, Shaggy Boar, Shore Bear, Short Faced Bear, Shovel Tusker, Smoldering Coalbeast (Demon), Striped Horse, Striped Sea Snake, Striped Swamp Cat, Swamp Wallaby, Swoop Bee, Tarskin Dolphin, Terror Bird, Three Toed Horse, Thunder Bird, Toxodon, Tree Kangaroo, Tusked Water Deer, Tusked Whale, Underworm, Vulture Mosquito, Wading Snake, Wandering Crab, Weasel, Whale, Wolf, Wolf Ant Larvae, Wolf Ant Royalty, Wolf Ant Soldier, Wombat, Woolly Rhino, Worldback Whale (Megabeast), Worm Snake, Yellow Crested Penguin

Look for more in coming versions.

What is planned for the next releases?

A short list of what I’ll be working on in new releases of DotMH:

• Unique Adventure Mode weapons for all races
  
• More creatures
  
• Unique vermin
  
• Demons to cover all possible Spheres
  
• A separate install for those who want just the creatures and plants
  
• Fixing anything befouled by the Army Arc
  

What can I do to help?

Download, install, playtest. If you have any suggestions for additions, I’d be glad to hear them and glad to credit you if I think they add to the mod. I'm especially looking for help with Adventure Mode, as I'm a Fort Mode player at heart.

Enjoy and complain your hearts out      

[ June 02, 2008: Message edited by: Dasleah ]

[ June 02, 2008: Message edited by: Dasleah ]

[Dasleah]

This space reserved for further tomfoolery.

[Deon]

This is a very nice idea =).
But who takes the place of humans? I mean are there cities present?

[Dasleah]

Yeah, Plains Apes take the place of Humans, and they're still in towns. As far as I know there isn't a way to rename towns and limit the things that you find in them, otherwise I'd make them bare-bones farming camps and rename them to Settlements or something. Stupid me for forgetting to include them in the OP.

EDIT: Updated OP with Plains Apes.

[ June 02, 2008: Message edited by: Dasleah ]

[Deon]

What about armor for apes? DO they wear iron? Is it like in "Planet of the Apes" movie?

Also the only way to tweak human cities is to change their name in exe. Camp will be fine because it has the same number of letters thus it'll take the same number of bites.

[Dasleah]

Yeah, I really should expand on this in the OP, huh? Armour for nearly everyone is reduced to Leather in anything but the rarest of cases (I'm assuming high-end Sieges and important leaders) and the amount of clothes themselves are dramatically reduced - little more than Loincloths, Robes, Togas, and simple Shirts and Pants remain (so no masses of Socks and Boots). I haven't stopped anyone from making the updated armour - and I haven't touched the reactions - as I like the idea of you starting off feral but rising to modern levels through civilisation.

This release was really about getting the foundations out there, getting some feedback, and seeing if the audience is receptive.

[Deon]

Well, with no socks it'll be hard to live in glacier...

What about reptiles? As long as you have lizardmen, why not to make dino-like lizards, some horned giant toads, flying beak lizards and some Komodo Dragons-like giant monitor lizards. Add some latin like giant rhinoceros(-i) and veloceraptori and it'll be complete in the [SHERE:REPTILIAN] =).

It may be too late to have dinos but some ancient reptiles can remain still as semi-/megabeasts.

[ June 02, 2008: Message edited by: Deon ]

[Dasleah]

Well, I already have a few generic 'dinosaur' species as [FANCIFUL] creatures for engraving (so every now and then you'll stumble across an engraving of a Titanic Long-Necked Reptile, or someone who likes them for their 'massive, bridge-like necks' for instance, without every coming across them) Next release I'll probably add some more and make them engravings instead of non-existent [FANCIFUL] though.

I am planning on adding some dino-like creatures, but the general timeframe of the Mod is long after the dinosaurs of the DF world are extinct (and the Lizardkin are their reclusive lost cousins, on a downward spiral into oblivion). One of the ideas for some Demons in the future are some archaic dinosaurs, and tunnelling through the Adamantine would effectively be tunnelling into the Hollow Earth in which they live and have survived for millions of years.

But the general 'theme' of the Megabeasts so far are the giant animals that form many shamanistic religions as we know them. So, I have the massive Cow that also represents the Sun, the gigantic sky bird, the respected fury and bounty of the ocean in the Worldback Whale. But I suppose I could make a super-mega-ultra rare reptile Megabeast  

[Deon]

One moment.
Did you just say that [FANCIFUL] makes the creature unreal?
Or is it because your creatures don't have biomes set still?

[Cavalcadeofcats]

It's the latter.

[Dasleah]

Yep, they're just names, essentially. No BODY or anything, no BIOMES. Just legends, essentially (like Centaur and Griffons are in vanilla DF)

[EuchreJack]

This is a cool mod, any chance of it getting upgraded?

[Dasleah]

Wow, major bumpage

Yeah, I've been slowly toiling away on an updated version for all the changes caused by the Army Arc. I suppose I could compile what I've got and probably put it up in the next couple of days - longest part of it all would be copy across the creature files for people who want all the new animals but want to keep the Civs as they are.

[tigrex]

Very nice mod.

[EuchreJack]

Feel free to go at whatever speed suits you best, I was just worried you gave up on the mod, that would have been sad.