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1486
DF General Discussion / Re: Future of the Fortress: List of Remaining Items
« on: March 01, 2010, 02:30:23 am »
Quote from: jamoecw on February 26, 2010, 03:16:56 pm
Quote from: Cardinal on February 26, 2010, 01:52:34 pm
Quote from: jamoecw on February 26, 2010, 01:36:55 pm
if someone comes along and supports json then it will be the new hotness, until then it is just for the pie in the sky dreamers, in reality there is no serious functional difference between the two.

There's lots of support for it.  MIT's Simile uses JSON for its data, and all the nerds who love Drupal seem to think JSON is sweet like a Jaguar XKE (Try breeding one of those...).
so your example of support is someone using it?  the differences between the two are moot for the purposes of DF.  in a nutshell xml is a robust version of html, and json is a stripped down version of java.  since json is leaner than xml it can run faster, however since it uses java as its primary tool it won't run faster in the long run.  if that changes then it will run faster in the long run, but that is a big if.  now since we are using it for exporting information, which is done on a computer rather than over the net we don't have to worry about bandwith issues, or how well a tool can process the stuff inside of an open browser, nor how it affects other pages/tabs.  once that stuff is removed the only functional difference is that json reads closer to that of text, which is what it is now, thus changing it to something that reads worse (xml or json) is a step backwards.  you have the same info in the document, thus converting is trivial, and since converting a document rarely takes a noticeable amount of time when being run right before some sort of application it becomes pointless what format is used in regards of app compatibility other than whether or not the information is there.  in the end text is slightly better than json, which is slightly better than xml, at least for our purposes (and thus text is the clear winner since it is already in that format).

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1487
DF Suggestions / Re: Tricks of the trade
« on: March 01, 2010, 01:41:43 am »
Quote from: Bauglir on February 26, 2010, 09:09:44 pm
It's an interesting idea, but it seems to me that skills are already an abstraction that take this into account. Either you lose the current skill system and add this (which would be bad for reasons Capntastic has brought up already), or you don't add this, or you're simulating the same thing twice. "Exceptionally worked" gold means the guy working it knows a thing or two that a novice simply doesn't know, not just that he's done it so many times his muscle memory will let him do it blindfolded.

Puporse is to simulate that this specific guy knows little bit more in one subject than his peers than you would expect. Roughly put, that he is "Adept Metalsmith" overall but as far as gold is concerned, he is close to "Expert". He is the dwarf that other dwarves come to consult when they want to work with gold.

Or you can imagine that he has come up with interesting design that improves looks of the ring so that is seems "Exceptionally Worked" even if it really is not.

Alternativelly, you can think about it as a perk from special or some similar system.

Basically whatever you imagine it mean, it is little personality added to his skill.

Quote from: Andeerz on February 28, 2010, 02:52:41 am
Sure, wood and bone are vastly different materials and therefore the bonecarver shouldn't be able to work with wood as well, but the bonecarver should be able to make wooden crafts better than if the dwarf didn't have the bonecarving skills at all.  They end up the same shapes, no?

Similary, woodcarver ought to know a bit about carpentry too. But there are quite a few threads about synergy...

1488
DF General Discussion / Re: Future of the Fortress: List of Remaining Items
« on: February 26, 2010, 10:10:53 am »
Quote from: sproingie on February 26, 2010, 03:19:20 am
Quote from: Scaevolus on February 25, 2010, 06:27:20 pm
Quote from: devlog
fixed some of the legends text export information (still unclear whether that's going to be replaced/augmented by xml)...
JSON looks nicer than XML, and there are libraries for reading and writing it in almost every language.

Strike 1: JSON has no comment syntax

Strike 2: sexp syndrome.  tell me in three seconds or less whether these "tags" are balanced.  Now tell me before I reach the last closing bracket.

{'a' : {'b' : 1, {'c' : {'d' : 1 }, {'e', 2}, 'f' : 3}}, {'g' : 5}}}
 


Json schema is currently lacking and schema-hybrids are nonexistent. (quality "schema" for, for example, hypothetical xml-raws would allow to make modding tools quite easily and would allow neat features like code-completition and instant sanity checks for values).

Also, you can attach stylesheet to xml file and display it as formated document without having to edit single line.

Not to mention xslt stuff. Writing legend-to-html file transform would be damned easy. Converting raw xmls to pdfs is in junior-developer-1-day-task league.

Json is good for tiny calls where you do no want bloat (like ajax), but for more structured information in bigger volume, i'd take xml because of existing tools.

1489
DF Suggestions / Re: Tricks of the trade
« on: February 26, 2010, 07:21:27 am »
Quote from: orbcontrolled on February 24, 2010, 12:42:29 pm
(For one thing, guilds could be brought back with an actual purpose, and with all the political complications that their role implies)

This kind of politics sounds interesting. I'd wonder if guild could demand particulary creative dwarf to be exiled/imprisoned/executed.

Indeed, some groups or people can object harshly to something that they feel threatens them and their position. They after all do that in real life too :)

1490
DF Suggestions / Re: A relatively simple way to improve in-game help.
« on: February 26, 2010, 07:14:29 am »
Quote from: Capntastic on February 26, 2010, 02:58:52 am
In-game help should probably wait until more features are set.   Regardless, what you're describing looks more like item descriptions, which are useful but not so much when the game isn't near completion.  Playability is important, but having to describe what a spear or a goblin is to  a player isn't a really pressing matter.

Well-written flavor and descriptive texts are always fun to read. I have fond memories of just examining items in baldurs gate to learn more about them even if it was pretty obvious what purporse they served.

1491
DF Suggestions / Re: Modular siege engines
« on: February 26, 2010, 07:10:27 am »
Quote from: Safe-Keeper on February 25, 2010, 12:45:43 pm
... you would see players build repeating 10x10 ballistas that could fire a dozen arrows at a time. The siege engine would have a component to store ammo (such as a rock, ballista arrow or whatever), a mechanism that generated the energy necessary to propel the projectile forward (for example a counterweight system), etc.

I realize this would take a whole lot of work to accomplish, but is it theoretically possible?

I would guess it is.

I, myself would like at least ability to link ballistae to levers/pressure plates in order to be able to fire them remotelly at will (vision of room deep inside fortress where one dwarf operates levers to fire)

But first, I would like different improvements: finer ability to aim (45 degrees or even ability to designate target spot), ability to fire throught z-levels, making operators more resilient to being scared by nearby monsters (siege engine operating is a military duty ...)

1492
DF Suggestions / Re: Tricks of the trade
« on: February 24, 2010, 07:41:33 am »
Quote from: El-Ravager on February 22, 2010, 08:48:14 am
I like the general feel of this, but maybe it should not be 'tricks' learned and taught, but 'aptitudes' wich get discovered as a dwarf tries out things. Aptitudes would be chosen for a dwarf at birth/migration and be hidden until the dwarf uses the skill associated with the aptitude on a material that is featured in the aptitude.

Thus, a dwarf who has an aptitude for working with tower cap could work with oak all year and not discover his aptitude. Same if he does other jobs. Maybe one could get a hint that Job X 'feels right' for a dwarf if said dwarf works in the job and has an aptitude in it. Each dwarf should have between 0 and 5 aptitudes.

As for what they do, I guess aptitudes should increase the quality of an action or product by a bit, they should not be so good that you need them, but a nice to have bonus.

In the same way one could add 'incompetences' that lower the quality of actions/products.

That is interesting, and it certainly sounds interesting to discover that your carpenter had, in fact, aptitude to tailoring with spider silk when you switch his to clothesmaking to satify mandate.

I would be afraid of incompetencies (military draft/bridge crushing reasons.)

1493
DF Suggestions / Re: Mercenaries or let slip the dogs of war
« on: February 24, 2010, 07:36:35 am »
It would also be interesting if caravan guards could ask for job in your fortress (alternativelly, dwarves could try to recruit them.).

1494
DF Suggestions / Re: Emergency trade depot detail.
« on: February 24, 2010, 06:51:43 am »
Quote from: Forumsdwarf on February 24, 2010, 01:58:30 am
The bring items to trade depot time-out problem might be made a little easier to work around if the Trade Depot building information display included the exact number of days the traders will remain there.

Of course the alert about the traders departing soon is also helpful.

I usually have quite opposite problems: Often, I am done trading quickly and then I lack "we are done trading, you can leave now" button that would tell merchants to pack their stuff and leave (So that I can seal fotress again.). 

1495
DF General Discussion / Re: Immortality?
« on: February 23, 2010, 04:28:29 pm »
Quote from: darkflagrance on February 23, 2010, 01:29:45 am
Even with eternity, I imagine there's still a cap on how good you can get at something, due to the limitations of your mind and your body.

"I have forgotten more about cutting-off elven ears than you will ever learn, dwarf."

1496
DF General Discussion / Re: Must-see df related stuff?
« on: February 23, 2010, 04:25:24 pm »
Oh yes, will have to add something about computers there too and some more community fortress stories. Thou page is becoming a bit more bloated than i would like it to be. But guess short-attention span is last thing i would expect from anyone that can be interested in df.

Anyhow: added short notice about modding, still looking for THE stuff to add from adventurer mode.

1497
DF Gameplay Questions / Re: Training your military
« on: February 23, 2010, 03:19:17 am »
Quote from: Sparrowhawk on February 23, 2010, 02:17:57 am
Ahhh, many thanks. This is all very helpful; next time I'll remember not to jump the gun and equip them with iron axes the moment I recruit them.

Indeed, first train them only in wrestling untill they reach decent level. Preferably, in full armor suit and with shield.

That way they will have quite decent armor/shield/dodge skill and you can actually switch over to training with real weapons which has some advantages (i.e., you can put your squad on duty and head out to battle without having to swap weapons)

1498
DF Suggestions / Re: Tricks of the trade
« on: February 22, 2010, 07:07:17 am »
Quote from: Capntastic on February 22, 2010, 04:52:30 am
Saying it needs to be more interesting is essentially saying it's boring.   Anyways, this idea is still a level of micromanagement that I'd absolutely not enjoy dealing with.

I don't think it would require any micromanagement. You could feel forced to hand-pick dwarves from certain jobs, but that would be as insane as fiddling with workshop preferences everytime worker goes to sleep/drink/party to make sure production is running as efficiently as possible.

1499
DF Suggestions / Re: Tricks of the trade
« on: February 22, 2010, 04:41:27 am »
Quote from: Capntastic on February 22, 2010, 04:00:04 am
I may know every single golf trick from every golf book in the world but I'd still be a terrible golf player if I didn't straight up practice for hours a day to become one with the game on a subconcious, muscular-neuro-spiritual level.

Hence why this does not replace skills as we know them (As i read your post, i think you got idea that goal was to replace skills?). Similarily, bonuses are not going to be overly important untill you get to Legendary-grade levels of skill because it is where they are going to matter: 1 frame faster work, for example, will not be quite awesome for novice (who can take hundred of fames to do X), but it will be quite a lot of time saved for legendary where 1 frame can be up to 20% of total time.

Also, I did not state skill growth is too boring (did i?). It is however too abstract. Equally skilled dwarves are basically interexchangeable. Experience is something specific does not show, nor do his obscesions or who taught him.

And frankly, aint point of game having all those text-strings like "This dwarf knows how make cat leather items faster" which actually have meaning?

1500
DF Suggestions / Re: Tricks of the trade
« on: February 22, 2010, 03:39:27 am »
Quote from: lucusLoC on February 22, 2010, 03:22:15 am
i like, +1

the combat side would either need to fleshed out more or just dropped though. what are the gains? is it simple a boost to the role, or does it reduce the ticks it takes to perform the action?

also, how would this information be conveyed to the player?

Combat could have all kind of interesting effects: increased impact-stregth (kobbold-leg-impact trick dwarf would simply do more damage to legs), increased accuracy (if dwarf want to hit certain part, it will be more likely, elf-heart-hit trick would make hitting heart more likely), and same with weapons (bronze-axe impact) and armor (greaves-counterattack - when hit into greaves, he will be boolt on counterattack) Interesting things would happen when you get combinations (dwarf that knows how to hit goblin brains more often and who also knows how to deal more damage with cow bone bolts).

Information would be part of dwarf profile.

"This dwarf knows how to make better quality items from rocksalt, how to get more out of cat bones and how to make crossbows faster."

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