Most creatures in DF have a reason for starting fights. What the game isn't good at is telling you what those reasons are. Someone might attack you, for instance, if they heard a rumor you killed a bandit, and that bandit was originally a member of the civ that the attacker belongs to, and the person didn't know (or care) that they became a bandit. (It is very rare to get attacked randomly if you have a generally non-violent playstyle - except by bandits, of course). You can try asking what the person thinks of you, in which case they will sometimes tell you their reason for hating you, but you generally can't ask this in no-quarter combat, so there's often no way to figure out the reason.
The outcome and escalation of a fight can also correlate with the personality of the creature in question. Average personalities of creatures can be adjusted through modding, which can lead to a vastly different gameplay experience. (I usually aim to create MORE senseless violence, but to each their own!) Drunks can sometimes randomly start fights for no reason, if they have aggressive personalities, but this generally won't escalate above a brawl unless you let it.
Forgotten beasts and titans are hard-coded though, you can't really do much to impact their behavior. It would be cool though. I generally see titans as being Shinto-type vengeful nature spirits (like in Princess Mononoke), so it makes sense that they'd be prone to attacking typical dwarven fortresses, but it would be neat if you could get on their good side by living in harmony with nature, or communicate with them in Adventure Mode.
Thanks for the reply! Its very interesting.
Dwarf fortress is such a huge game it really is one of a kind... Unless we had another group that also wanted to "put their entire lives work into one game", and give up on graphics and care more about text and simulation.
In a lot of cartoons/films... the badguys will attack while screaming accusations. Or just reply if the 'Good guy' is asking them questions. (Think Anakin vs Obiwan on planet Mustafar)
A lot of fights have conversations. (Anime-fights are the worst, its mostly conversation and very little fighting. lol.)
"You did XYZ and now I am going to make you pay!"
anything like that would be enough!
In fact, you could work it into a battle-system. "Speaking your strongest emotions" will "Give you extra attack power". Makes sense? Being angry strengthens you? And why not speak the things that make you angry?
In fact you could make it more sophisticated. Like that "people with extra poetic/speach skills" will gain EXTRA attack power, for speaking things that make them angry. So someone kinda clumsy with words, won't gain so much attack power. Although it only needs to be "good at speaking things that make you angry" in the first place.
Like a rapper isn't a novel-writer but hey it's got it's own thing going on. You might imagine trolls would be good at coming up with hateful imaginative speachs or chants. Part of their "culture".
Its a good idea.
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I'll take a look into personality modding! thanks. agreed on FBs and titans.
