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« on: September 21, 2010, 09:28:23 pm »
After playing DF for a while, I've decided to try and mod a new race. This is my first modding experience, and I've decided to use this as an excellent opportunity to examine the fascinating interactions between dwarves and trains.
The overall goal of this "project" is to create a civilization of trains. Although I call them a civ, they'll ideally be closer to bandits. The general problems I'm having are outlined below.
Idea: Metal trains that aren't nigh-invincible, preferably around the difficulty of goblins.
Problem: Making things of metal seems to make them hard to kill.
Possible Solution: Would it be possible to make a new metal, make it fairly easy to destroy, and set the trains to use it? Someone on the IRC channel suggested making them out of silver, but a silver train doesn't seem like it'd work too well.
Idea: Trains have the ability to run over dwarves.
Problem: Is it possible to make an attack that becomes stronger if a certain part (cowcatch) is removed?
Possible Solution: Two identical attacks, each corresponding to different parts?
Idea: Trains eat coke/coal. Raiding parties of trains descend on dwarven outposts, devouring all their fuel before making a retreat.
Problem: How the hell do I make a creature eat only coal? More importantly, how would a train 'city' produce coal?
Possible Solution: A custom workshop that only trains can use, that creates a new food item from coals. This seems like it'd need a lot of work...
Idea: Trains have no vital organs, but destroying the wheels makes them crash.
Problem: I don't think it's possible to tie body parts to movement without completely incapacitating them.
Idea: Trains constantly produce smoke from their smokestacks.
Problem: I have no idea how the hell this would work.
Possible Solution: Lighting them on fire?
Idea: Trains cannot swim, yet do not die in water, and eventually rust.
Problem: Again, not even sure if it's possible. Not to mention they'd all implode every time it rained.
Some other general concepts:
-Trains start appearing in small packs around the same time goblins begin besieging. Before this, individual trains may try and break into the fort. Train sieges come at the same time as megabeasts.
-Trains laugh at cage traps, yet can be beaten down by weapon traps, and absolutely hate siege engines.
-Trains have a natural, deep-seating and mutual hatred of elves, most likely over charcoal usage. In addition, they habitually destroy human walls.
-Trains do not use weapons.
-Trains are divided into castes, each using a different body type. Some have passenger cars, some have coal cars and some are just locomotives.
-Trains do not reproduce with males and females. They either bud asexually, construct more of themselves, or crawl out of volcanoes.
-Trains love cheese! Trains regained 60 HP.
Ideas? Suggestions? Anything?
