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Topics - Vastin

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1
DF Dwarf Mode Discussion / Dwarven Capital run by Goblins?
« on: December 17, 2015, 09:29:39 pm »
So, the Liaison from the dwarven capital in my game appears to be a goblin.
Likewise when I examine the list of nobles, the General is a goblin, as is one of the Baronesses...

I'm just going to guess that either this is a bug, or the Dwarven capital in my world has been conquered by goblins?


2
DF Adventure Mode Discussion / Genesis 5 Adventure mode difficulty?
« on: December 09, 2012, 01:38:02 am »
Ok, I recall previously being able to get some characters pretty far in adventure mode, but for the last several days I've been trying to play in Genesis 5 and pretty much anything capable of movement is instantly lethal to me. Doesn't matter if I've trained up a multiple legendary wrestler in bronze plate armor, or a starting newb, any wild animal seems quite sufficient to murder me, much less actual bandits, fireball hurling nomads, or what have you.

Seriously, how powerful does a character have to be before wild deer stop one-shotting you in this mod?

3
DF Gameplay Questions / What are the main triggers or stops for invasions?
« on: March 05, 2011, 04:33:12 pm »
I've been playing DF for quite a while, but for several games now I have been completely unable to lure invasions to my fortress.

What are the minimum pop/wealth levels at which goblin ambushes and invasions occur, and is there any information I can review that would indicate if they are too distant or extinct and will never come?

I like combat heavy games, but it's frustrating to play for 10+ hours only to slowly realize that you'll never be attacked, even though you've embarked in what appeared to be highly hostile areas. :P

Playing in .19 at the moment, so for all I know every goblin on the planet starved to death a century ago.

4
DF Adventure Mode Discussion / Long Distance Travel Tip
« on: February 28, 2011, 08:39:39 pm »
So, some tips on long distance travel into the deep jungles and deserts, far from civilization.

First off, don't bother until you're pretty legendary. Unless you're heading off to kill a titan, it's not really worth traveling more than a half-day from a town or hamlet, also, you're unlikely to survive.

Secondly, bring a couple companions with you - they won't save you from being killed in your sleep, and they'll be torn apart if you encounter bogey-men, but here's what they WILL do for you on a long, multi-day journey into the wilderness...

Once you're about a half-day's walk from down, drop into local view and ask one of your companions about services. After he's done telling you to walk half-way across the world to talk to some idiot in a castle, he'll start giving you quests - local ones. Keep pestering him until he tells you about a nearby lair.

Go to the lair, murder its inhabitant(s) and sleep there - don't bother to sleep all the way until dawn, you should be setting out by around 3am if you can manage it (the bogey-men usually attack right around midnight). Keep on towards your ultimate destination until about noon, then bother your companions for more 'local' quests. Strangely enough they always seem to know about the local lairs, regardless of how far you drag them into the middle of nowhere. Using this method you can - in theory - cross almost any expanse of wilderness.

Eventually you'll reach your destination. Don't worry if all your companions get slaughtered fighting the Titan Crystalline Scorpion, or whatever it turns out to be - all those lairs you stepped between on the way out will make fine rest stops on the way back.

5
DF Adventure Mode Discussion / Fighting Giant Monsters
« on: February 28, 2011, 03:27:38 pm »
Trolls, Cyclopes', Dragons, Hydras - even basic night beasts can make lunch out of seasoned adventurers, so here are some tips for fighting them:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Soloing a giant monster is far, far more dangerous, and should only be attempted by legendary warriors with an action speed of 1300+. Even then there's a fair bit of luck involved. The greatest danger by far with most of them is simply being charged and knocked down, at which point you are in serious trouble. You could just get splatted or chomped by a lucky strike, but your armor and other defenses will at least help with those - knockdown is the most common first step on the short road to death.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

6
DF Adventure Mode Discussion / Target Locations
« on: February 28, 2011, 11:55:41 am »
A list of popular target locations, and why/how you should hit them:

Feet and Lower Legs

Excellent targets for limiting an enemy's mobility and forcing them prone. Cutting and Bashing weapons are generally most effective as these areas are thinner and are likely to be crushed or amputated more easily than most other targets. Against humanoid targets, critical damage to a single foot is often sufficient to force them to the ground, which limits both their offense and mobility.

Keep in mind, against 4+ legged creatures, you'll often have to disable 2 or 3 legs before you can force them down.

Hands and Lower Arms

Good targets for limiting an enemy's offense. Though they aren't quite as crippling, they are harder to armor than the legs and feet and somewhat more vulnerable, esp to crushing weapons. Crushing and slashing weapons are best. It's often worth taking a quick look at your opponent before attacking to see which hand they are holding their weapon in.

Upper Arms/Upper Legs

These targets are not as effective for disabling, as they are considerably thicker and the bones better protected. You're less likely to get crippling or amputating shots, though attacks to these locations are more likely to hit an artery and cause bleeding - but there are better targets for that.

Lower Torso

Stabbing weapons are the most effective. Shots against most internal organs here will cause severe pain and bleeding. A solid hit to the guts will trigger NAUSEA which will cause your opponent to retch and miss turns for the rest of the fight.

This is one of the easiest target locations to trigger an immediate disabling effect against a giant opponent. There are usually no ribs to protect the lower torso, but thick layers of fat may do so. Against human or smaller opponents a very powerful slashing attack can sometimes cut the enemy in half, resulting in instant death.

Upper Torso

Stabbing or Crushing weapons are generally the most effective. Stabbing weapons will penetrate and stab key organs, namely the heart (massive bleeding) or lungs (bleeding and suffocation). Crushing weapons may shatter the ribs, causing fragments to fly inwards for a similar effect.

Upper torso shots inflict wounds which are very likely to be FATAL, but they aren't necessarily the best way to quickly disable an opponent.

Head

Needless to say, a good shot to the head is very often instantly crippling or lethal, regardless of what weapon you are using. Stabbing a slashing weapons may impale the brain directly, crushing weapons destroy the skull causing it to fragment into the brain, slashing weapons may simply remove the offending head altogether.

The target isn't available that often, but always watch for openings. Bear in mind that against multi-headed opponents such as an Ettin or Hydra, you must cause brain damage to ALL the heads in order to ensure a kill.


Grappling Targets

There are a few targets of particular importance when wrestling:

Throat

As a regular target in combat, a throat attack doesn't actually appear to cause suffocation, but it is likely to cause very heavy bleeding. More importantly, grappling a human sized or smaller opponent on the throat can result in a choke-hold which will cause your opponent to fall unconscious in a round or two, for a skilled wrestler this can be the fastest way to guarantee the death of an opponent, though in order to get a proper opening it's often necessary to land some kind of crippling blow first.

Note that actually strangling an opponent to death takes dozens of rounds. If you need a quick kill simply release them and smash them in the head before they regain consciousness.

I haven't tried putting a choke hold on a Hydra or Ettin - I don't advise it. Wrestling with giant opponents is often a bad idea in any case.

Lower Arms and Legs

If you can overpower your opponent, you can lock and then very severely break an arm or leg. This is a heavily disabling move that will cause most opponents to immediately fall unconscious from pain, never mind the actual disabling effects on the limb in question - however, you must be a more skilled wrestler, and generally stronger then your opponent to execute this move. Very difficult to pull off against large opponents.

Other

There are lots of other targets you can select such as the eyes, mouth and so on. More often than not they are almost impossible to hit, but if your enemy is particularly vulnerable for a moment (stunned, fallen, grappled), you may find that you have an open shot against one of these, and they are often quite vulnerable to damage.

7
DF Adventure Mode Discussion / Intro to Weapons
« on: February 28, 2011, 11:13:26 am »
A quick dissertation on some of my favorite one-handed weapons, their pros and cons, and how to use them effectively. I generally don't use two-handed weapons, as I consider that an open invitation for some unnoticed archer to put a lucky crossbow bolt through my lung.

The Battle Axe

No dwarf should be without one! More seriously, while a battle axe isn't strongly superior in any one category, it's pretty good in several. It has one of the best slicing penetration depths for a single handed weapon, so if your goal is to leave lots of dismembered hands, arms, legs, and heads in your wake, this is a solid option. It can have a hard time with armor however, so harder materials are important: Steel>Iron>Bronze>Copper

Battle axes work best against human or smaller opponents, where it has an excellent chance of dismembering.

Best opening targets are usually lower arms or legs, as the battle axes' cutting penetration makes a broken bone or lost limb very likely on a good hit. It's particularly fun to target the head when you get the opportunity, as nothing displays your skill like your opponent's head arcing through the air.

If you are having trouble with armor penetration or thick fat layers, consider pommel bashing in a pinch, it can actually be quite effective if you're not getting blade penetration.

The Spear
One of the best one-handed weapons against Giant creatures. Spears combine good armor penetration with excellent wound depth, allowing you to inflict mortal wounds against even the largest of beasts. Excellent anti-dragon/hydra/cyclops weapon.

Hardness is far more important than weight for spears, so again: Steel>Iron>Bronze>Copper

The spear is not quite as good for crippling arms and legs, so your best opening target is generally the Lower Torso with all those vulnerable internal organs - a good hit here will often result in your opponent being gutted, which will cause them disabling pain and nausea from which they cannot recover. Upper Torso strikes are good for causing massive bleeding or lung damage, which will further weaken the beast. Head shots are of course likely to be fatal on a direct hit. Extra style points for nailing a cyclops in the eye.

The Morning star
One of the stronger one-handed bashing weapons. The Morning star is theoretically effective against opponents with non-rigid armor (esp. chain mail). Like most bashing weapons, the morning star is good for breaking bones and bruising organs, but it generally will not dismember or cause much bleeding, so while they are good for disabling opponents, it can be harder to finish them off.

For blunt weapons of this sort, both weight and/or hardness is important so: Steel~Silver>Bronze>Iron>Copper

Against human-sized opponents, a strike against the lower limbs or extremities will often crush bones, disabling them. Upper torso shots can break ribs which may tear the lungs. Lower torso shots tend to be less effective, though a direct hit can result in retching or other organ damage. Only a head shot is likely to kill an opponent quickly.

The Whip
Whips are unusual weapons with an insanely small contact area, and very little penetration depth. This makes them very likely to penetrate armor, but the wounds they cause are often superficial - but painful.

Non-intuitively, this makes whips quite effective against armored opponents, in that they can land several painful and injurious early hits in order to reduce their combat effectiveness. As such, they make quite effective 'opening' weapons, for softening up tougher enemies. Opening shots to the lower torso or lower extremities are often effective to soften up an opponent.

The whip is not that effective against enemies that are highly injury resistant however, such as hydras, or creatures with a lot of fat.

I'm not clear on what the best whip material is, but Iron, Steel or Silver are generally effective.

Actually killing an opponent with a whip can take dozens of rounds - and can generally only be accomplished via a direct head-shot, so it's often better to switch to another deadlier weapon once you've taken some of the fight out of them.

Whips are not particularly effective when fighting a horde of goblins, as you risk being overwhelmed before you manage to finish any of them off. On the plus side, unlike most of the weapons above, whips will never get stuck in your opponent, so a very skilled lasher can disable large number of opponents in a short time during a running fight.

Be extremely wary of enemies wielding whips, as these weapons are the most likely to get a lucky shot through your fancy armor and injure you.

8
DF Adventure Mode Discussion / Ninja arrows of Death
« on: February 28, 2011, 10:09:18 am »
So, I think I spotted a wee bug during my last adventure.

My legendary fighter/wrestler/etc wandered into a camp do do some mischief, and I realized that I'd somehow managed to misplace my bow at the last shop, so what the heck, I'll throw arrows at the bandits for laughs...

My first two tosses promptly disembowel and then eye-shot the bandit leader, murdering him gruesomely. I go on to obliterate a few other fools in this manner, somewhat stunned at the efficacy of simply throwing darts at fools.

Then my skill ticks over from 'dabbling' to 'novice' and I never hit anyone with a thrown arrow, ever again, despite dozens of throws.  :'(

I did later on manage to bean some charging goblins with a spinning halberd toss however, so there's some hope still.  :D

But yeah, there may be a bug with 'zero' skill thrown weapons, where 0 = Infinity.

9
DF Gameplay Questions / Slayer Bolts
« on: August 26, 2010, 11:48:22 pm »
So, I notice that bolts that land the killing blow on a creature are now stamped with a 'Slayer' flag and a listing of any creatures they have killed.

Does this have any game effect whatsoever, beyond creating a cool legendary history for your bolts?

10
DF Gameplay Questions / Automatic shutoff
« on: August 26, 2010, 07:13:57 pm »
So, I'm trying to build a cistern with an automatic refill/shutoff system using pressure plates, but in the description of the pressure plate it states that the plate will only send an OPEN signal when triggered - it can't be set otherwise?

Is there some reasonably simple way to get a floodgate to close based on an automatic trigger event?

11
DF Gameplay Questions / Where are my goblins?
« on: August 23, 2010, 04:23:54 pm »
So, in the current version I've started two or three fortresses, all within a few embark squares of goblin fortressess - and so far I have yet to see a single goblin by 2-3 years in.

No snatchers, no ambushers, no nothing in each case. My previous fortress had 3 FB's show up in the third year, but again, not one solitary goblin or even a kobold. I'm giving up thriving fortresses in boredom because the goblins just never show.

In 40d I'd sometimes see a couple invaders in the first year, and I'd rarely make it into a second year without starting to see ambushes - an those were in embarks that were often hundreds of miles from the nearest goblins.

So what gives? Where are my gobbos? It's not like I've buried my forts 30 z-layers deep on an inaccessible island here...

12
DF Dwarf Mode Discussion / Luxurious foods
« on: August 20, 2010, 05:18:11 pm »
Just a minor suggestion regarding cooking. Currently there seems to be little or no reason to ever make anything other than luxurious meals? They stack better and have higher final values.

I was thinking it might be interesting to have a few restrictions on cooking, based on available ingredients such as:

Basic meal = (any) + plant
Good meal = (any) + plant + liquid
Luxurious meal = (any) + plant + liquid + animal

A slightly more complex version could look like:

Basic = plant + liquid
Good = plant + liquid + meat/fish
Luxurious = plant + liquid + meat/fish + cheese

Bringing skill in to matter a bit more could perhaps risk a loss of stack size when an incompetent cook is trying to make the more advanced sorts of meals? Just some thoughts. Cooking is neat, but its a bit simplistic at the moment given all the variety of cooking ingredients in the game.

13
DF Dwarf Mode Discussion / Fed up with Military
« on: April 30, 2010, 09:13:01 pm »
I'm pretty much done with the military interface at this point.

I've finally gotten my dwarves to the point where they'll equip properly, train, and usually manage to execute basic kill orders. I thought I had some vague hang of things.

Then this time a pair of goblin ambushes show up in sequence. For the first one I assign everyone to my main burrow (the entire underground), and command my squad to march out and kill the goblins.

Fine. They do so. Yay. I unassign everyone from main burrow and send them to go out and get stuff.

A minute later ambush 2 shows up. No great surprise, so I send everyone back to the burrow and once again send out the armored clowns to clean up. Pretty much the exact same drill as wave 1.

Nope - not this time. My civilians blissfully ignore the burrow assignment - but not my military! They run around like hopeless fools, running into and out of the burrow, or back and forth to their barracks, I can't quite tell which - while the goblins merrily slaughter my civs.

In desperation I unassign everyone from the burrow (its not doing any good at this point). My military keeps running back and forth uselessly. Civs still dying.

I cancel the military kill orders and just put them on station above ground in an attempt to get them to just plain move. Now JUST the squad leader runs up and heads off to some far sector of the map that has no relationship to either my station command or the prior kill order. The two other squaddies remain stubbornly inside the burrow that they aren't even assigned to.

I'm getting really tired of this. DF2010 may - in theory - allow for more military flexibility, but most of these functions either flat out don't work, or are hidden behind what may be the world's most obtuse and schizophrenic interface. After playing for weeks I wouldn't even hazard a GUESS at how the alert system really works, even after reading these boards extensively for some clue. This one bug wasn't a game-breaker for me, but it was the last straw after painstakingly attempting to grok all this for weeks.

Hats off to Toady for making it this far and creating so many wonderful ideas - but after years of play I think I'm going to wait for the version where he addresses the interface design in some rational way. Like, not having at least 8 arbitrarily different ways to designate a rectangle... <sigh>

Bummed. I really, really enjoy DF, but DF2010 has proven to be just plain unplayable unless you pretty much turn off the military and rely solely on traps.

14
DF Dwarf Mode Discussion / Masterpiece Food - Dangerous Ingredients?
« on: April 27, 2010, 08:49:47 pm »
So, in 0.31.01, I recently had one of my aspiring chefs produce an enormous Masterpiece meal.

Mere minutes thereafter I see him wandering by with severe mood warning on him and I wonder what on earth has gotten him so upset - a quick look at his thoughts reveals that he has suffered the travesty of art defacement!

'Oh Noes!' I think, 'I must have vermins!'

I go down to food storage and check it out. Nothing in sight. Cats wandering nearby. No issues. But now I'm watching events. Suddenly a see a series of:
Code: [Select]
Urist McMason Cancels Eat : Job Item Lost or Destroyed
A masterpiece of Urist McCook has been lost!
Urist McMason Cancels Eat : Job Item Lost or Destroyed
A masterpiece of Urist McCook has been lost!
Urist McMason Cancels Eat : Job Item Lost or Destroyed
A masterpiece of Urist McCook has been lost!

Needless to say, Urist McCook is now well and truly fckd. I look around assuming that some creature or event has interrupted McMason while he is eating, but can find no culprit.

Another minute later:
Code: [Select]
Urist McWeaver Cancels Eat : Job Item Lost or Destroyed
A masterpiece of Urist McCook has been lost!
Urist McWeaver Cancels Eat : Job Item Lost or Destroyed
A masterpiece of Urist McCook has been lost!
Urist McWeaver Cancels Eat : Job Item Lost or Destroyed
A masterpiece of Urist McCook has been lost!

That does it. McCook snaps like a dry twig and promptly locks himself in his room to starve to death.

And as far as I can tell, everyone who ever touches the Dread Meal is throwing up or something. Is there some ingredient my idiot chef could have included in his masterpiece that would result in this disaster?

The most offensive stuff I saw in it when I checked was sewer brew, which sounds kind of gross, but I didn't think it induced mass vomiting. Needless to say, I had the remainder disposed of, though the damage was done. There's no way it could have spoiled that fast either, he had made it just a minute or two before...

Any thoughts? Bug? Bad ingredients? Some foible of the task system breaking down?

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