Bay 12 Games Forum

Gflex:
Some processes do tend to be unnoticed (e.g. surface friction and the inability for water to properly slow down), and some we don't care about (air bubbles really don't have much of a gameplay impact). Electric power, even in the case of dropping a lightning elemental in a pond, would be quite nasty.

A) Again, the player is the one with the knowledge, not the Dwarves. I sort of view it as divine inspiration (e.g. Uriist mcLeader has a strange vision...a human in front of a magic window is telling him to build something based on a bunch of squiggly lines). So the Dwarf would not be able to build the generator or the motor as actual buildings yet they would instead be considered structures the player had to build (or a general generator building could be made, the energy either being mechanical or electromotive depending on the material used and the power input being flexible (e.g. hand-power? Horsepower? Water? Wind?), ...on a more tangential note, I would like a generalized energy system that would allow one to create extra-large waterwheels/windmills/etc. or to account for the fact winds change direction/storms can screw things up (e.g. ANOTHER reason I support rotating floors...so windmills can change direction to match winds).
B) As it damn well should! Losing is fun 
C) Again, I agree wholeheartedly. It's up

It's an idea. reason I was interested in playing a single character though is because of the increased character attachment.

On another note, the ability to be appointed a job if you're not the leader of your own expedition would be nice. Getting promoted to Sheriff/Captain of the Guard could be entertaining. You go to the city wanted poster and are tasked with hunting down murderers and pillar-breakers.

Except not everything is in the init file. SeverOnDeath is an all or nothing thing. You either sever or you don't. There isn't a percentage.

I believe in some cases it would require a certain degree of work-order flexibility to be given to Dwarves, but for a large system, it should be capable of working properly.

Suppose we had several meeting halls, each one for a specialist group. (The lumberjack house/the mason's guild/etc). The idea is that when a worker was done with all jobs pertinent to it, that it would retire to the hall. You have a lot of Dwarves awaiting action. A runner goes forth and yells at the top of his voice "OI YE GITS. WE GOTS SOME WOODCUTTING TO DO AND ELVES TO SLAY!" Or a bulletin board is set for all Dwarves of a particular type to go to after performing all known tasks. Multiple bulletin boards could be used so that Dwarves can read it and stay afloat. Granted, there would be issues such as cancelling jobs (e.g. if a Dwarf isn't told to cancel cutting a tree, it may continue to do so even if the order was placed). Other means of communication could include bells, trumpets, drums, flags/banners, carrier pidgeons, telepathy/magic mirrors, smoke signals, etc.

On another note, for trading, it would be more in-depth to have an actual meeting you conduct, as opposed to several disjointed scenes that take place at random. Your character approaches the liason and goes "Welcome...let me show you around..." as well as other options like "offer food/drink" ("You must be tired from your journey; drink is on the house). Depending on the evilness, you could choose to poison the liason's food... 

On another note, your character should have the option of becoming a noble in his own right. Own enough troops loyal to you and crown yourself King. When everyone else contests it, you fight them.

Hello there. I have another controversial suggestion:

Suppose we didn't have Fortress and Adventurer mode? Suppose instead that one selected their character and had direct control over it for everything ranging from combat to building stuff (e.g. pick up wood...carry wood, build at spot).

The overall command system should be revised. The player could directly order those under his employ to perform specific jobs/job types, as well as designate meeting zones where they meet otherwise. So instead of omnisciently playing as god, you play as Urist McExpeditionaryLeader. Instead of selecting Dwarves everywhere and changing jobs/drafting them on the spot, they await actual commands sent out either by you or by messangers/letters/signposts.

When your character dies, if you have an heir of age, you play him. Otherwise, Game Over. So your character plays leader/hero.

Opinions?

Real reason I am suggesting this is not because of the implausibility of Dwarves building a device or the desire for steampunk (I'm not for steampunk), but because of suspension of disbelief regarding issues such as "What happens if a Dwarf creates a magnetite gear assembly surrounded by a copper coil?" But then again I guess this is the same form of disbelief that lets us build the water railgun (e.g. overpressurize water in a box, then drain it. Watch the water move at insane speeds).

Another thing is I view there being a disassociation between what Dwarves know and what the player knows. The player is god and I interpret what Dwarves do as brought forth by dreams/mandates. "Thou shalt build these many pressure plates, screw pumps, and doors in this set fashion. Thou shalt not question why you are building this array of stuff. Do it or I shall delete this world's savefile." So building a rotating magnetic wall surrounded by a copper coil isn't too much of a stretch in terms of player vs. Dwarven knowledge.

Let us switch subjects for this one then...

Discuss benefits of legendary food perhaps?

I like the idea of baffling symbolism. We need more kooky cults like the Order of the Silk Pants on Head