Bay 12 Games Forum

((I'm guessing random.))

(By the way, Wwolin, didn't you say we could see the original loot-generating program a while ago?)

That would, however, lead to big predators attacking cats and not elephants

Toady's planning it, but it's one of those "eventually" things.

Climbing colossi is an interesting idea, but one that will need to wait for (for instance) a better idea of how wrestling "works," and making creatures' sizes count more (currently a kobold can kick a giant in the head).

I like this idea, especially the part where decorations might get put into the raws and/or the gem-cut-code made more flexible.

Quote from: GreatWyrmGold on April 24, 2013, 07:22:41 pm

I think there's a bit of confusion on what you mean by "spells". I thought you meant that specific, simple-to-learn, and so forth things to do with magic don't fit. I was thinking you meant spells like "Raise Dead," "Fireball," "Create Water," etc, didn't fit.

I agree that "flashy" magic wouldn't fit with DF most of the time, but it IMHO should happen sometimes. Maybe in "high magic" worlds, whatever that comes to mean.

Or perhaps...
Instead of being just a generic mana system...
Mana could be a magical (duh) energy in the air, which creates various anomalies when in high concentration (yeah, it's up in the air, literally). Some manage to control its flow and thus cast spells, either directly or via items.
If you cast a lot of spells in a quick succesion the area will eventually run out of mana, and you won't be able to cast anything in that place for some time - either that, or the spells will have much weaker effects (to the point when you will literally just fire sparks, water drops and mere blows of wind instead of hellfires, tsunamis and tornadoes)
Good/evil areas are filled with much more mana, therefore husks and unicorns.
Average mana concentration can be set when creating a world, leading to magic-filled or completely magicless worlds.
...I think I nailed it.

Lore's nice, but why does that fit well? It certainly shouldn't be the only possible system.

Quote

As for the question of 'flashy magic', I know not everyone thinks it fits

Honestly judging by HOW people object to flashy magic. It get more of an impression that they are objecting to a very specific form of it.
Or rather people are objecting to the idea of Final Fantasy Black Mages.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. Care to explain?

Honestly the community is weird. We actually got a thread about how mages should have disadvantages based on weapon and armor because "magic is too powerful". Yet these are the same people who object to 'flashy magic'.

Why are those in any way contradictory? They seem like the same complaint.

So honestly when it comes to magic and the dwarf fortress community... Just ignore them, they don't say what they mean.

-1


One problem with these magic discussions is that each is arguing for their own "image" of DF...and these images aren't much alike.
Some of us imagine a DF like D&D or something, where magic shapes the world. Some of us imagine a DF where magic is rare and typically the opposition, which can and often must be faced with little but steel and bravery. Some imagine it somewhere in the middle.
I imagine a wide array of possibilities, modifiable in advanced or to a lesser extent basic worldgen, which span the whole range but tend towards the "Low Fantasy" end of things. That just "feels" like Dwarf Fortress to me.

It wouldn't be...

IF:
1. Their crashing on shore made sense and wasn't just "The game randomly decides to give you 3 *chalk mugs*!"
2. Ships were also implemented elsewhere.
3. It really needs to make sense, so I'm mentioning it twice. After all, ships that crash into shore aren't common occurances.