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Dwarf Fortress => DF Suggestions => Topic started by: Retro42 on January 15, 2007, 09:23:00 pm

Title: Suggestion for Dwarf Mode combat.
Post by: Retro42 on January 15, 2007, 09:23:00 pm

Just thought of this.

Anyone ever play Evil Genius?  In that game you had an "Alert Level".  Red = all minions arm themselves nd attack on sight, Yellow = all minions arm and continue jobs, Green = Standard.

What about applying a system like this in Dwarf  Mode?  It could just be another option to set in the orders menu.

"Goblin Army on the horizon!!! Everyone inside!!"

Example:
Green - All Dwarves go about daily activities, Fortress Guards/Sheriff all patrol as normal.  (Optional addendum: All squads except manually activated are standing down.)

Yellow - All "Store Item" and "Move Item" jobs are suspended.  Workshops function as normal.  Fortress Guards/Sheriff patrol bedrooms and meeting halls(Guard Civvies).  All "No Job" dwarves stay in thier bedrooms or meeting halls.  (Optional:  All standing down squads activated.)

Red - All jobs suspended and ALL non-military personnel retire to meeting halls and bedrooms.  Fortress Guards/Sheriff patrol/guard bedrooms and meeting halls.

My reasoning behind this is sieges and large scale attacks from anywhere.  As they are now any long term siege can easily kill lots of civilian haulers trying to recover items from the battlefield.  Alert levels would allow you to put your fortress on "Hold" until the immediate threat is gone.

Personally I'd be more inclined to commit large troop numbers to a lenghty defense if I'm not worried about losing civilians to stupidity in the process.

Now for the drawbacks..... No hauling means rotting food or items outside stockpiles.  Umm...still thinking about other drawbacks  :D

Retro

Final Word: I'm assuming the Trans/Burrows Arc will cover some of these issues.  But I'd  like to see a blanket order set for combat situations.

Title: Re: Suggestion for Dwarf Mode combat.
Post by: Toady One on January 16, 2007, 04:11:00 pm

Req273 was going to let you declare a state of emergency were you'd get to control both kinds of guards directly, under the Sheriff and Hammerer.  Some intermediate states might be good additions.  When I get there it might have morphed a bit, but something like this is in mind, anyway.

Title: Re: Suggestion for Dwarf Mode combat.
Post by: aeroue on January 16, 2007, 08:23:00 pm

If you could set custom patrols for each level of defence it would be good. Also if you could have as many alert levels as you wanted so you had pre-made military plans for whatever attack you care to foresee it would be better.

Title: Re: Suggestion for Dwarf Mode combat.
Post by: Retro42 on January 16, 2007, 09:28:00 pm

Since it looks like Toady already has plans for alert levels(Sorry 'bout that, I missed that req), why not start some discussion as to what it could be?

The main thing I'm hoping for with them is varying degrees of civilian control.
 Maybe a new building type could be made.  Like a "Keep" from a throne or bed.  If at a heightened alert level civilians could be forced to go to the keep and wait there.  Another idea would be making the Fortress Guards and Sheriff/etc guard the keep at higher alerts.

Example:  A massive goblin siege arrives and prepares to assault.  I bump it to a "Red Alert".  All the nobles and civilians run to the keep and I raise the drawbridge to it(Lava Moats would look great here :D).  The Guards and Sheriff guard the keep(inside).  My military assembles and prepares to fight the assault.

.....I'm picturing a large scale Helm's Deep-esque seige here for some reason.....(Sorry for the LOTR ref there.)

Retro