Bay 12 Games Forum

Hey everyone,

I've been researching a lot of scripts recently and have finally lopped together Frankenstein-style a script that allows specified races to reproduce asexually. (Originally it was a script for a community fortress that allowed lawnmowers specifically to reproduce asexually, but I generalized it.) I was hoping all of you more experienced modders could take a look and see if I have done everything correctly. (I haven't tested it yet, unfortunately.)

local usage = [====[

asex_reproduce
==============
Allows asexual reproduction of specified races.

Arguments:

``-help``
    Prints this help message.
``-enable``
    Enables this script.
``-disable``
    Disables this script
``-start RACE -chance FLOAT -length NUMBER``
    Starts asexual reproduction for RACE. Every 50 ticks any non-pregnant members of RACE have a FLOAT chance of becoming pregnant. Pregnancies last for NUMBER ticks.
``-stop RACE``
    Stops asexual reproduction for RACE.
]===]


local utils = require 'utils'
local repeat_util = require 'repeat-util'

local IMPREGNATION_REPEAT = 50

local impregnation_table = {}
local rng = dfhack.random.new()

local function select_caste(race)
    local n = rng.random(99)
    local raws = df.global.world.raws.creatures.all[race]
    for i, chance in ipairs(raws.pop_ratio) do
        if n < chance then
            return i
        end
        n = n - chance
    end
end

--local function gen_random_genes(race, caste)
--end

local function impregnate_unit(unit, impregnation_data)
    unit.pregnancy_timer = impregnation_data.length
    unit.pregnancy_caste = select_caste(unit.race)
    unit.pregnancy_genes = unit.appearance.genes --gen_random_genes(unit.race, unit.pregnancy_caste)
end

local function impregnate_race(race_name, impregnation_data)
    for i, unit in ipairs(df.global.world.units.all) do
        if df.global.world.raws.creatures.all[unit.race_id] == race_name then
            if unit.pregnancy_timer == 0 then
                if generator.drandom() < impregnation_data.chance then
                    impregnate_unit(unit, impregnation_data)
                end
            end
        end
    end
end

local function impregnate_races()
    for race, data in pairs(impregnation_table) do
        impregnate_race(race, data)
    end
end



local function begin_scheduling()
    repeat_util.scheduleEvery('impregnate_races()', IMPREGNATION_REPEAT, 'ticks', impregnate_races)
end

local function stop_scheduling()
    repeat_util.cancel('impregnate_races()')
end

local enabled = true
begin_scheduling()

validArgs = validArgs or utils.invert({
    'help',
    'enable',
    'disable',
    'start',
    'chance',
    'length',
    'stop'
})

local args = utils.processArgs({...}, validArgs)

if args.help then
    print(usage)
    return
end

if args.enable and not enabled then
    enabled = true
    begin_scheduling()
    return
end

if args.disable and enabled then
    enabled = false
    end_scheduling()
    return
end

if args.start then
    impregnation_table[args.start] = { chance = tonumber(args.chance), length = tonumber(args.length) }
    return
end

if args.stop then
    impregnation_table:remove(args.stop)
    return
end

If you have any other suggestions/additions, let me know!

(Additional note: As you may see from the code, I was thinking of making the script randomly generate new genes, since currently it just copies the parent's genes, but I have no idea how to do that. Ideas?)

Okay guys, I'm tired and should've probably have been in bed by now, but I just got a radical idea that is probably impossible and most definitely crazy.

What if we could allow steam machines to be built *without DFHack*? That is, pure vanilla raw modding.

Hear me out. Suppose we create 6 different material types -- north-flowing, south-flowing, west-flowing, east-flowing, up-flowing, and down-flowing steam. (They would all display as "Steam" in-game.) The trick here is we define steam pipes, valves, and all that as creatures, and have these steam types give syndromes to them.

For example, suppose we have an E/W steam pipe. West-flowing steam would trigger the pipe to produce more west-flowing steam, allowing the next E/W pipe to pick up that new steam, and the next, and so on. Similarly with east-flowing steam. However, all the other steam types won't affect the E/W pipe at all.

With corner pipes, steam of the type of *the opposite* of one of the corner directions would produce steam of the other corner direction. (In the case of a N/E pipe, S steam would produce E steam, and W steam would produce N steam.)

Valves can react to only one steam type. Suppose there is an E/W valve that only allows steam to flow E. E steam would affect the valve but W steam wouldn't.

Pressure-operated valves can also be made -- we could have an E/W valve allow passage only if it has a tag set by N steam.

There are a couple concerns:

• Unless we can restrict the flow of steam in only one direction, steam can pass between pipes it shouldn't (e.g. two W/E pipes situated above each other vertically can pick up on each other's steam.)
• I'm not that sure how it would possible to construct these machines in Fortress mode. We could use pastures, but then how do we make the components themselves? They are creatures, after all.
• It doesn't fit into roleplay that well (and is a bit confusing) that steam components seem to be leaking steam.

Maybe this is all a sleep-deprived ramble or I actually have something here. I don't know. I'll find out in the morning.

I have a question about the next release. If you become the mountainhome do you get to command your civilization's armies? I doubt it but I just wanted to check.

How is it possible to determine/set the mount of a specific creature? I'm thinking of Lua scripts again.

The answer to this might be obvious, but how do you rip away a weapon? I've been trying to learn Kisat Dur by storming a goblin fortress and have successfully grabbed a woodcutter's axe. The only options in the wrestle menu are to take down or to release.

How do I allow an adventurer to interact with a custom item in his inventory in a specific way using the 'I' key?
Also, how do I temporarily override the function of a specific key and replace it with my own callback, and then be able to change it back?

I'm talking about Lua scripts now, not C++ plugins.

Hello everyone. I'm a total noob at Adventure Mode, and I have a question. I made an adventurer, fully kitted him out in armor, gave him an axe and went off to go kill some bandits. I then happened to see a flashing N with a tilde over it. First I assumed it was a werebeast, but then I saw it was a necromancer ringleader. What should I do in this case? Perhaps I should take him out first so he can't raise any corpses? But what if there are more necromancers hiding there somewhere? Thanks in advance.