Depending on how much of the stuff you have available (hundreds? thousands?) I'd suggest keeping some Obsidian for later to make high-quality *obsidian swords*.
(Apparently Obsidan weapons are exactly as good as steel, but that's not verified. I found the info here: http://www.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Weapon )
So the hardcore approach would probably be to forbid Obsidian until your mason and stonecrafter have levelled up, and then make high-quality weapons and furniture (or even blocks to build walls with) from the Obsidian :)
[ March 27, 2008: Message edited by: Samyotix ]
Anyway
Yeah, obsidian is Good. You want that. It's still used in scalpel blades.
quote:
Because of the lack of crystal structure, obsidian blade edges can reach almost molecular thinness, leading to its ancient use as projectile points, and its modern use as surgical scalpel blades.[1]
Imagine! Your own trap full of scalpels!
code:
[ITEM_WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_SWORD_SHORT]
[NAME:short sword:short swords]
[DAMAGE:100:SLASH]
[WEIGHT:30]
[SKILL:SWORD]
[CRIT_BOOST:1]
[TWO_HANDED:4]
[MINIMUM_SIZE:4]
[CAN_STONE]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:3]
[ITEM_WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_SPEAR]
[NAME:spear:spears]
[DAMAGE:100:PIERCE]
[WEIGHT:40]
[SKILL:SPEAR]
[CRIT_BOOST:2]
[TWO_HANDED:5]
[MINIMUM_SIZE:5]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:3]
Fixed:
code:
[ITEM_WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_SWORD_SHORT]
[NAME:short sword:short swords]
[DAMAGE:100:SLASH]
[WEIGHT:30]
[SKILL:SWORD]
[CRIT_BOOST:1]
[TWO_HANDED:4]
[MINIMUM_SIZE:4]
[CAN_STONE]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:3]
[ITEM_WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_SPEAR]
[NAME:spear:spears]
[DAMAGE:100:PIERCE]
[WEIGHT:40]
[SKILL:SPEAR]
[CRIT_BOOST:2]
[TWO_HANDED:5]
[MINIMUM_SIZE:5]
[CAN_STONE]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:3]
And that's it. You don't need to make a new world, you don't even need to start a new fort. It can be applied to any and every weapon in the item_weapon.txt file. This is easy a modification as it can possibly get, I've used it numerous times to get obsidian spears, axes, hammers Etc...
And it doesn't stop there. Is there another rock you'd like to make swords out of? Find it in one of the stone files, and add [SHARP] to the stone of your choice. That's it. No smelting involved.
quote:
Originally posted by Mohreb el Yasim:
<STRONG>is there a way to use obsidian like a gem?
i was in a museum this we and i seen obsidian in real it is so-so beautyfull it would be nice to make gems with it</STRONG>
That'd be a bit trickier. Obsidian functions as a regular stone for the most part (it's use in swords being an exception), which is quite different from gem stones in the game. You'd probably need to add obsidian as a gem stone, and generate a new world. Perhaps make small clusters of 'gem-quality obsidian' appear inside the clusters of obsidian?
I don't know if mucking around with glass in the raws is possible, but if it is, the most logical solution would be to give obsidian all the properties of glass, since that's more or less what it is. I'm gonna go drive myself insane trying to implement this now...
quote:
Originally posted by Mohreb el Yasim:
<STRONG>is there a way to use obsidian like a gem?
i was in a museum this we and i seen obsidian in real it is so-so beautyfull it would be nice to make gems with it</STRONG>
Well, one could add "fine obsidian gem" to the rock raws, and have it appear in obsidian layers. Funny thing about obsidian; like diamonds, it degrades into much more common elements gradually; diamond becomes graphite and Obsidian becomes perlite in groundwater and a number of other minerals on the surface... but it takes millions of years.
quote:
Originally posted by Kagus:
<STRONG>Nope, it'll melt. It's just that unmined stone is impervious to anything and everything except a dwarf's pick. Even stone that would normally ignite when exposed to any temperature higher than absolute zero will remain perfectly solid until you mine it out, whereupon it will "go toasty".</STRONG>
Urist Miner cancels Mine: On fire.
I should try that sometime. :D
quote:
Originally posted by GreyMario:
<STRONG>Urist Miner cancels Mine: On fire.</STRONG>
I wish. But dwarves don't notice when they're on fire.
Obsidian: Better than mudstone.
quote:
Originally posted by bluescoots:
<STRONG>
Obsidian: Better than mudstone.</STRONG>
Mudstone: Better than Silty loam.
quote:Only in that it can contain ore. As a rock itself it sucks; I'd rather have the arable soil.
Originally posted by Torak:
<STRONG>Mudstone: Better than Silty loam.</STRONG>
It's still nowhere near silver or gold or iron, but it's more valuable than mudstone.
Or for that matter, obsidian arrows.
[ April 15, 2008: Message edited by: ZedEh ]