Bay 12 Games Forum

[ September 16, 2007: Message edited by: Mechanoid ]

It could even be an 'O'rder, akin to Dungeon Keeper's "Preserve self" command; a toggle between a "one of us will die here" and a "run away to fight another day" combat stance... Except this time it's just levels of basic danger avoidance:

- Live Dangerously: Dwarves dont care about where they are; in a trench being prepped for flooding or not. Dwarves also attempt to do what they do now (ie: get as close as possible) with items near enemies.
- Being Cautious: Dwarves avoid standing in a channel as much as possible, or at least for as little time as possible. (Hell to code, aye, sorry. But no more YASD "Yet Another Stupid Dwarf" posts!) Items near enemies like clothes will be considered "lost" by dwarves attempting to recover them, until the threat is gone.
- Self-Preservation: Dwarves remember where enemies were and will not retrieve any item in that area; even going so far as to hide in their room /barracks*1 /free bedroom; under the covers, naturally. They will also never enter channels, ever*2.

*1 Unless military, of course; they only run and hide if they or their squad are getting hacked to bits.
*2 Though their pets will, because they arn't dwarves! Can always get another one, after all.

Also, i suggest some sort of "Logic" type uses for mechanisms. Timers, a form of AND /OR /XOR logic, and the like.

For example, it should be possible to link a pair of switches to a "AND" logic-type of machinery. If both switches are activated, the machinery activates what it's linked to. "OR" logic-type would be EITHER switch. "XOR" logic-type would be if only one switch is on, and the other is off; if both switches are active, the machinery doesn't trigger.

Also, have EXPOSED trap-like hazzards been suggested? Something like a water wheel down by the river is powering a steel rotating fan, sitting in the middle of the hallway. A switch operates wether or not the power to the fan is on or off. [It'd either chop people in half that get sucked in, or blow people away. Pusher-type traps, too, could shove enemies back down into the chasm or lava /water filled channel.] A similar trap, except much longer, could be a spiral blade, set inside of a channel. The purpose should be obvious: anyone who falls into the channel is minced immediately and gruesomely. In fact, a bridge (or a trap door) could retract (or fall loose) and expose said machinery.

The only reason why i suggest this is because i can really see a good amount of playability in the Adventure mode, when alternate species are playable in Fort mode... Make a goblin fort with all sorts of traps, and then try and bust through it in Adventure mode, or assault it in Fortress mode with another species. Even just printing the BMP for use in a Dungeons and Dragons game...  

[ September 11, 2006: Message edited by: Mechanoid ]

A possible solution to the skill gain from mood problem, and the 'omg no, not that dwarf!' problem of moods themselves can be solved with the addition of one basic npc:
Ghosts.

Ghosts are generated in a variety of ways, with various chances of occuring from each action. I'll start with a basic list of rules:

- Ghosts can pass through rock and move between levels freely. They are immune to most forms of attack, and can only be 'damaged' if they possess something, and that object becomes damaged or destroyed.

- Ghosts have emotions, but they're relatively set in stone. They also hate/fear the things they did in life, and keep their object preferences (like colors) If they like wine, they'll probably hang around your silver wine barrels; more so if they like silver, and /or barrels.

- Ghosts will generally 'die' when they've completed their 'job', based on the emotional state they spawned with. Based on the current emotional state, a ghost may try to possess a dwarf and give them a fey mood, or use them as puppets to attack other dwarves (which the dwarf is not punished for if the ghost leaves his body mid-fight, and still alive)

- When giving dwarves moods, ghosts will not always put the dwarf to legendary, because the ghosts' skills are added to the dwarfs skills. Proficient Dwarf + Proficient Ghost = X result of skill addition. As well, this addition may only be temporary, for as long as the ghost is in the dwarf's body. Sword dwarf ghost possesses a peasant, the peasant activates into a sword dwarf, and is now a sword dwarf of equal skill (unless his skills are greater) to the ghost. If the ghost leaves to find a new host, the skill bonus is lost, but if the ghost leaves to pass on then the skills stay.

- Ghosts generally try to avoid creating cyclical events; A leads to B which leads to C which leads back to A... This shouldn't happen. Actions made by ghosts generally stop at the dwarves they influence first.

A few examples of these rules in action. Ex1:
Gol Huzam the Proficient Mason dies tragically in a cave in while trying to build a support. He failed in the last job he was given, and because of this he returns to stop that from happening again. He finds a mason that was like himself, and possess the dwarf. Struck with a mood the dwarf hurries off to a masons' workshop and constructs an artifact rock block -- The object type Gol was ordered to use to build the support with. The materials being both was is available, and what Gol liked, and his possessed dwarf likes.
Gol liked obsidian and iron, but since neither is found in the current inventory, any dark stone and metal is used. The possessed dwarf likes tin, of which has been found, so tin is used and satisfies Gols' metal requirement. Thus, an artifact dark stone block is made that menaces with spikes of tin.

Ex2:
Having been driven mad by a destroyed masterpeice engraving, Kel Dazult the Legendary Engraver dies by throwing herself into the river. One year later, a depressed ghost appears at the point where she killed herself, and moves towards the place where her masterpeice was ruined. Then slowly, she patrolls between the two points, wailing. Every dwarf that sees her is depressed by this for a few seasons, until she resolves herself by seeing some engravers creating their own masterpeices -- She disappears after having her heart mended by good memories.

Ex3:
Killed in an ambush, a peasant was thrown into the chasm, and was never given a grave for 7 full seasons. On the eigth seaon, his ghost returns seriously pissed off, possesses a bladed weapon, and begins to hover around swinging the weapon wildly at everything he sees. The military responds before anyone is killed, and destroys the weapon with relative ease, as the ghost had no experience in weaponry and fighting. -- Power gone, and satisfied with his attempt at murder on those who angered him, the ghost gives up and passes on.

Alot more complex then what we have now, but at least when magic is put in we can put anti-ghost charms in our graveyards to control how much and what sort of ghosts come up... And maybe wether or not we can control them (possessed weaponry legion, go hack at those goblins!)

As for how the colors will be delt with for highlighting, i think having a line of -'s inbetween the item you've selected and it's price would be the best. That way you know exactly what you're getting (should the colors fail to stand-out; and for the color-blind)

On a side note, will cups /mugs /goblets ever be used to drink liquids from? It'd definitely be another (better) way to improve dining room quality, instead of adding in more space-consuming chairs /tables.

I know i should make my stupid self slow down and look, but what's the chance of that happening?  :roll:

As a side suggestion, the unit screen could have a "Relationships mode" where you can tag dwarves by pressing enter, and the jobs listing would turn into the relationship the marked dwarve(s) has for the unmarked dwarves.

[ March 01, 2008: Message edited by: Mechanoid ]