I would like to see flags, banners, and tapestries. Eg, you could weave cloth into a Tapestry, and build it on a smooth wall like an engraving. Maybe you could turn leather into hanging skins as well.
As for banners and flags, it would fit in with the Army Arc as well. A clotheirs workshop would make a 'banner', which you could then dye red or purple, or etcetera. Then you could take a piece of wood and make an "army banner". This could be a pre-requisite for sending out a squad of troops onto the world map.
With a morale system, banners might also have certain effects there: if the unit's under attack but they see the standard-bearer standing tall, they have a morale bonus... if he gets shot in the throat, morale goes down. If the enemy captures a standard it could be a substantial morale increase for them and decrease for the enemy. Goblins, of course, might ignore the banner in favor of taking the squad leader's head.
It would also be cool to see images on squad banners that were related to the squad name, for additional flavor. Perhaps the fortress or the civilization would have a color associated with it, and have a fortress symbol and a squad symbol. So you end up with something like this:
quote:
This is a well-crafted Pig tail banner. It is made from Pig tail cloth. The thread is midnight blue with Dimple dye. The color is(/was) the symbol of (can't remember my current fort's civ name).On the banner is a image of an anvil. This image relates to the founding of the fortress Imeshtan in 1051.
On the banner is an image of a short sword. This image relates to the squad Ast Tat, "The Sabres of Touch" of the fortress Imeshtan.
Flags could hang over the fortress entryways and be torn down and/or burned after invaders conquer the place. Tapestries would probably be used more by humans than by dwarves, to serve the function of stone engravings.
[ November 09, 2007: Message edited by: eternal ]
Until such things are implemented, you can use Bags and Ropes to decorate your fortresses (as Containters and Restraints, respectively). They can pretty-up your fortress if they're dyed, can be decorated with cloth and leather images to record your history, and can still be admired by your Dwarves. Basicly, they're tapestries in everything but name.
quote:
Originally posted by Devastator:
<STRONG>With the reduced numbers and varieties of metal available[...]</STRONG>
Are you completely rock-nut insane?? ;)
I do like your suggestion on tapestries &c. Actually I haven't yet been able to get a decent spider silk weaving industry up and going in the new version, but in the old version it was a deepfelt need for something funny to be done with all the prettily dyed cloth. As as substitute for tapestries, you may currently line your halls with dyed ropes. You can even sew nice images to the ropes. Not quite Bayeux, but they are dwarves here.
EDIT: hmm, how come I did not read Wahnsinniger's cloth just above me?? I solemnly declare I read the rest of the thread.
[ November 10, 2007: Message edited by: Gauteamus ]