Bay 12 Games Forum

    I don't know if anyone remembers good old storyteller v1 which I posted here a full decade ago (man, time flies), but although I stopped updating it on the forums long ago I have been continuing to rework and refine it in the years since. With the Steam release just around the corner, I figured now would be the perfect time to finally unveil it to the public.

    Like the original, this tileset aims to reproduce blackletter script, a.k.a. gothic script, in Dwarf Fortress to give the stories it creates the rich and historic ambiance of a medieval text.

    Also available on DFFD in case of imgur downage.







Q: What's changed between v1 and v2?
A: Pretty much every tile has been modified in some way. Some just by a few pixels, others completely reworked. The numerals 0-9 and most special symbols (Greek letters, special punctuation, formula symbols, etc) were redrawn from zero to better fit the intended style of the pack. Shading was also completely reworked across the whole tileset. Several important text characters (uppercase and lowercase letters + common punctuation) were modified to improve readability, such as it is.

Q: Why make a new thread for this instead of bumping the old one?
A: Aside from the fact that it would be a 10-year necropost, which is pretty incredible, I really didn't want to go back and cringe at my "witty" teenage writing. Considering the extent of the update I figured a new thread was justified anyway.

Q: Is v1 still available anywhere?
A: I don't have it on my computer anymore, but it's probably still buried in the depths of this subforum somewhere if you care to go digging. I don't.

Q: Isn't this pretty unreadable? How do you play like this?
A: Readability is not a main focus of this tileset, obviously, but I can tell you that you do get used to it. I can read it as easily as Arial at this point, but admittedly it's been the only tileset I've used for the past 10 years.

Q: Will this be posted on the Steam Workshop?
A: Maybe eventually. To be honest, I'm an ASCII freak and prefer the look of the old free version and probably won't be upgrading to the paid one. As much as I'd like to support Bay 12 monetarily, I can't really justify purchasing a version of the game I'll probably never play on my current budget. If there's ever a steep sale or if I'm ever flush with cash then I might buy the game and upload this tileset to the workshop, but no promises.

Q: What colour settings are you using in the screenshots?
A: [BLACK_R:21]
[BLACK_G:19]
[BLACK_B:15]
[BLUE_R:45]
[BLUE_G:90]
[BLUE_B:160]
[GREEN_R:72]
[GREEN_G:122]
[GREEN_B:18]
[CYAN_R:25]
[CYAN_G:140]
[CYAN_B:140]
[RED_R:160]
[RED_G:20]
[RED_B:10]
[MAGENTA_R:122]
[MAGENTA_G:54]
[MAGENTA_B:117]
[BROWN_R:150]
[BROWN_G:75]
[BROWN_B:55]
[LGRAY_R:171]
[LGRAY_G:170]
[LGRAY_B:167]
[DGRAY_R:111]
[DGRAY_G:105]
[DGRAY_B:111]
[LBLUE_R:100]
[LBLUE_G:110]
[LBLUE_B:225]
[LGREEN_R:125]
[LGREEN_G:185]
[LGREEN_B:55]
[LCYAN_R:67]
[LCYAN_G:205]
[LCYAN_B:197]
[LRED_R:220]
[LRED_G:50]
[LRED_B:20]
[LMAGENTA_R:209]
[LMAGENTA_G:121]
[LMAGENTA_B:204]
[YELLOW_R:230]
[YELLOW_G:180]
[YELLOW_B:55]
[WHITE_R:232]
[WHITE_G:227]
[WHITE_B:232]

  When I made this tileset, I wanted to make DF feel a bit more like an ancient tale. I wanted every minute of gameplay to be like a page in an old manuscript or picture book lovingly hand-illustrated by monks with a strange obsession for cats, blood and cheese.

  The tileset is entirely ASCII (with some artistic license) except for certain tiles, to make sure that the strange text and sometimes mixed-up tiles that come from graphics packs aren't present. I hope you enjoy it!


Pros:

-Beautiful Gothic script
-Terrain doesn't look cluttered
-It's ASCII so you can still retain your sense of superiority over graphics pack users
-High res gives more detail per tile

Cons (at least I'm honest!):

-I, J and L look very similar
-T, C, U, and E look somewhat similar
-High-ish resolution makes it a bit cramped on smaller screens

All screenshots are taken with custom colours on, specifically from Taffer's tileset.

Nothing about these creatures has gone right. I've been tweaking them since early November, but for every problem I fix two new problems arise. Hopefully someone with more modding experience than me will know how to fix some of them. 
The problems are:
-They spawn with "Ability to stand lost", although they have all [STANCE] limbs remaining
-They spawn with "Vision lost", even though they have [EXTRAVISION]
-They spawn with "His/her spawning sack is gone", and I don't know why
-They only push in combat
Here's the creature code:
[CREATURE:GONARCH_CLASSIC]
[DESCRIPTION:An enormous three-legged creature from the headcrab family. The sac on its underbelly bulges with spawning fluids.]
[NAME:gonarch:gonarchs:gonarch]
[CASTE_NAME:gonarch:gonarchs:gonarch]
[CREATURE_TILE:'Y'][COLOR:6:0:1]
[BIOME:SUBTERRANEAN_CHASM]
[BIOME:SUBTERRANEAN_WATER]
[BIOME:NOT_FREEZING]
[SEMIMEGABEAST]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:1:4]
[NO_DIZZINESS][NONAUSEA][NOEMOTION][NOSKULL][EXTRAVISION][GETS_INFECTIONS_FROM_ROT][GETS_WOUND_INFECTIONS]
[PREFSTRING:spawning sack]
[PREFSTRING:numerous offspring]
[BODY:TRIPED:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:BEAK:STOMACH:HEART:LIVER]
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:EXOSKELETON_TISSUE_LAYERS:SKIN:FAT:MUSCLE]
[TENDONS:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:SINEW:200]
[LIGAMENTS:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:SINEW:200]
[SPEED:1600]
[HAS_NERVES]
[SELECT_TISSUE_LAYER:HEART:BY_CATEGORY:HEART]
[PLUS_TISSUE_LAYER:SKIN:BY_CATEGORY:THROAT]
[TL_MAJOR_ARTERIES]
[BLOOD:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:ICHOR:LIQUID]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:ICHOR:XENBLOOD_TEMPLATE]
[MAXAGE:40:65]
[ATTACK:BITE:BODYPART:BY_CATEGORY:BEAK]
[ATTACK_SKILL:BITE]
[ATTACK_VERB:bite:bites]
[ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:100]
[ATTACK_PENETRATION_PERC:100]
[ATTACK_PRIORITY:SECOND]
[ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE]
[ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH]
[ATTACK:KICK:BODYPART:BY_TYPE:STANCE]
[ATTACK_SKILL:STANCE_STRIKE]
[ATTACK_VERB:impale:impales]
[ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:30]
[ATTACK_PENETRATION_PERC:40]
[ATTACK_PRIORITY:MAIN]
[ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE]
[ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH]
[ATTACK_FLAG_WITH]
[NATURAL]
[BODY_SIZE:0:0:10000]
[BODY_SIZE:6:0168:55000]
[BODY_SIZE:14:0:3850000]
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_MATERIALS]
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_TISSUES]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[CHILD:4]
[GENERAL_CHILD_NAME:gonarch spawn:gonarch spawn]
[CASTE:FEMALE]
[FEMALE]
[LITTERSIZE:2:8]
[CASTE:MALE]
[MALE]
[SELECT_CASTE:ALL]
[SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:SKIN]
[TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:TAN:1:ORANGE:1:PEACH:1:TAUPE_SANDY:1:GOLDENROD:1:AMBER:1:DARK_TAN:1:SAFFRON:1:ECRU:1:GOLD:1:PEARL:1:BUFF:1:FLAX:1:BRASS:1:GOLDEN_YELLOW:1:LEMON:1:CREAM:1:BEIGE:1]
[TLCM_NOUN:skin:SINGULAR]

[TISSUE_LAYER_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:WRINKLY:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[APP_MOD_RATE:1:YEARLY:0:100:60:0:NO_END]
[APP_MOD_NOUN:skin:SINGULAR]
[APP_MOD_DESC_RANGE:0:0:0:1:25:50]And its body type:
[BODY:TRIPED]
[BP:UB:upper body:upper bodies][UPPERBODY][CATEGORY:BODY_UPPER][CATEGORY:HEAD]
[DEFAULT_RELSIZE:1000]
[BP:LB:lower body:lower bodies][CON:UB][LOWERBODY][CATEGORY:BODY_LOWER]
[DEFAULT_RELSIZE:1000]
[BP:RA:front leg:STP][CON:UB][LIMB][STANCE][CATEGORY:LEG]
[DEFAULT_RELSIZE:900]
[BP:RL:right rear leg:STP][CON:LB][LIMB][STANCE][RIGHT][CATEGORY:LEG]
[DEFAULT_RELSIZE:900]
[BP:LL:left rear leg:STP][CON:LB][LIMB][STANCE][LEFT][CATEGORY:LEG]
[DEFAULT_RELSIZE:900]
[BP:SS:spawning sack:STP][CON:LB][CATEGORY:GENITALIA][GUTS]
[DEFAULT_RELSIZE:350]

I'm trying to make a half-life mod, and this is the first creature I made, a Barnacle. It looks fine to me, but even trying to load up Arena mode makes the game crash. Can anyone find what's wrong?

creature_xen

[OBJECT:CREATURE]

[CREATURE:BARNACLE]
[DESCRIPTION:A fleshy, immobile creature that uses its sticky tongue and external stomach to eat unsuspecting prey.]
[NAME:barnacle:barnacles:barnacle]
[CASTE_NAME:barnacle:barnacles:barnacle]
[CREATURE_TILE:"V"][COLOR:4:0:0]
[BIOME:SUBTERRANEAN_WATER]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:15:200]
[FLIER][NO_DIZZINESS][NO_SLEEP][NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT][NOBONES][NOEMOTION][NOPAIN][NOSKULL][NOTHOUGHT][NOFEAR][NOEXERT]
[PREFSTRING:long dangling tongues]
[PREFSTRING:ability to grow anywhere]
[BODY:BODY_WITH_HEAD_FLAG:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:MOUTH:TONGUE]
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:EXOSKELETON_TISSUE_LAYERS:SKIN:FAT:MUSCLE]
[TENDONS:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:SINEW:200]
[LIGAMENTS:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:SINEW:200]
[SPEED:50]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:ICHOR:ICHOR_TEMPLATE]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:POISON:CREATURE_EXTRACT_TEMPLATE]
        [STATE_NAME:ALL_SOLID:frozen barnacle saliva]
        [STATE_ADJ:ALL_SOLID:frozen barnacle saliva]
        [STATE_NAME:LIQUID:barnacle saliva]
        [STATE_ADJ:LIQUID:barnacle saliva]
        [STATE_NAME:GAS:boiling barnacle saliva]
        [STATE_ADJ:GAS:boiling barnacle saliva]
        [PREFIX:NONE]
        [ENTERS_BLOOD]
        [SYNDROME]
            [SYN_NAME:barnacle saliva]
            [SYN_AFFECTED_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
            [SYN_IMMUNE_CREATURE:BARNACLE:ALL]
            [SYN_INJECTED]
            [CE_PARALYSIS:SEV:80:PROB:100:RESISTABLE:SIZE_DILUTES:START:5:PEAK:10:END:20]
[CREATURE_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
[MAXAGE:35:50]
[ATTACK:BITE:BODYPART:BY_CATEGORY:MOUTH]
[ATTACK_SKILL:BITE]
[ATTACK_VERB:bite:bites]
[ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:100]
[ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH]
[ATTACK:LASH:BODYPART:BY_CATEGORY:TONGUE]
[ATTACK_SKILL:GRASP_STRIKE]
[ATTACK_VERB:tongue lash:tongue lashes]
[ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:90]
[ATTACK_VELOCITY_MODIFIER:1]
[ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[GENDERLESS]
[SELECT_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:SKIN]
[TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:RED:1]
[TLCM_NOUN:skin:SINGULAR]