Bay 12 Games Forum

Necro... Arise from the ashes of obscurity!

Dwarf fortress needs common surnames as a regular part of the game - I'm manually implementing a form of this in my SmallWorld game over in the community forums, but getting this to work automatically would be such a wonderful thing.  Having it update the file every time a new dwarf is born in the fortress, and running an update on the World every time Spring arrives would be immensely helpful and allow the living history to become that much more accessible.

So I guess those animals you bought are now all out of cages.

The house heights look low in that visualizer.

Unusual entrance, did you channel out the mountain? Very roomy, this was 6x6 map right?

Armor stand and scepter...Eh, I suppose the first is so-so.

The animals might be out of the cages, but probably because the site was retired more than any action I've taken for myself. 
The vertical on the Stonesense visualizer does squash the cubes a little, making them look like a kind of 5:5:3 ratio box rather than a strict 1:1:1 cube.
I did channel the mountain.  Having a bunch of stone nearby to construct the stone blocks for (eventually) a massive brooding castle with a long ramping road leading up to it.  I almost went with a series of switch-backs up the slope, but having that deep "moat" channeled down also allowed the doorway to the Catacombs to be situated off in the depths, which gave it a suitably "gate to the underworld" feel.  As the years go by, I'm hoping a suitably big host of invaders comes along and attempts to siege the place, or maybe the nearby militant kobold civ decides to use the Rites of Spring to infest my dungeons with their thieving spawn, and maybe if the site is successful enough, the Dragon may pay a visit - it would need a suitable place to hole up as a Lair, so some crevasse far in the back of the moat, leading into a carefully sculpted cave system where we'd chain the critter up before retiring the site for a Rite of Spring and letting it loose to wreak its revenge... Ah, good times.

As to the embark itself, I used DFHack's "embark everywhere" to situate a 5x4 embark inside the borders of the capitol city, Glovedburns.  If you go into Legends mode and check out that city, you'll see that some of the events from Whitecastle are mirrored in that site entry as well, and this is why Queen Geshud was able to migrate out to the Mead Hall last year.

4-01-02: Dradubis the Kobold briefly visits Whitecastle once again (skulking filth!)

4-01-19: Noble positions appointed by the RNG:
   Expedition Leader: Iteb Roadarmor
   Militia Commander: Kosoth Whitecastle
   Sheriff: Mrs Rakust Groupedlance
   Hammerer: Mrs Kubuk Bridleurns
   Manager: Mr Edem Towercrests
   Chief Medical Dwarf: Miss Thob Channeledapex
   Broker: Miss Ushat Chuckcrafts
   Bookkeeper: Miss Tulon Whitecastle

We must get these new nobles housed according to their station as quickly as possible!  What we need is a whole team of masons cranking out stone blocks - the one we have just isn't keeping up with the supply!  Queen Geshud has decided to move to the Mead Hall of the former Queen in Glovedburns proper, called formally "The Rough Climate" - our other nobles may very well follow her if we are unable to provide them with the property that befits their stations.  Time will tell.

In other news, our own Miss Kadol Machinebeak broke into uncontrollable tears and rushed into the The Outrageous Supper, refusing to do anything other than eat, drink and listen to the stories of the various visitors that are entertaining there.

In Glovedburns, Queen Geshud has appointed Lokum Fondledlashed (Created Dwarf) to the positions of both Co-General and Diplomat, while Miss Melbil Picksquash has been appointed Baroness of Glovedburns, Outpost Liason and Co-General.  We hope the goblins do not attack our Queen once again, since they also claim Glovedburns, calling it in thier gutteral tongue: "The Distinct Malice".

4-03-01: Mrs Kubuk Bridledurns gave birth to a healthy baby girl.  She is named "Datan"

4-03-12: Miss Kadol Machinebeak died of thirst today.  She'd been sitting in one of the chairs of The Outrageous Supper for several days straight, not blinking or moving.  Her body will be interred in the Catacombs with the others and a statue erected to commemorate her passing.

4-04-22: Three single dwarven women arrived to join our crew.  They were welcomed quickly at The Outrageous Supper before being sent to help build the new expanded mason's workshop next to the Entrance Ramp of the Fortress.

4-06-14: Minkot Rackdwellings completed an artifact armor stand today, naming it "Warnedmob, the Cradles of Riddling".  A decree from the Gods is written on the armor stand: "Build and equip a security tower, or your own mobs will destroy you!"

Minkot has become Minkot Warnedmob, the first dwarf to be bestowed with an Artifact Clan name!  Congratulations, Minkot!

4-07-17: The Whitecastle Gaurd is formed and installed into the tower built for that purpose at the base of the Entrance Ramp. Later that day, the caravan from Glovedburns proper arrived, hopefully bringing lots of wood! (Oddly enough, the Outpost Liason is not with them.)  Indeed, they did bring wood!  We traded our carved shell trinkets for their wood, also for several metal cages (which the Sheriff is relieved to see), and a single bucket, which we presented to the well-digging society with solemn ceremony.  They thanked us and began building the well that now graces the front of the Crafting Tower. 

4-08-04: More Dwarves have arrived, ready to add their skills and meager treasures to the ones stored at Whitecastle.

4-09-20: Mrs Kubuk Brideledurns completed an artifact dacite scepter today: "Anguishedtribe, The Danger of Sorcerors.  On it is written a decree from the Gods: "Build a locked treasure-house for your trade goods and encrust them with gems, for Sorcerors are plotting to steal them, bringing anguish for all the dwarves of Whitecastle!"

Mrs Kubuk, her husband and her child have formally taken "Anguishedtribes" as their family name, and have become the second Artifact Clan in the world.

As the first day of Spring dawns, it finds the Whitecastle Single Dwarf Suites nearing completion, and the first level of walls in the Fortress itself, also nearing completion.  There's a well in front of the Crafting Tower and an Entertainer's Dormitory around in back of it, (for visiting performers who have petitioned to stay at Whitecastle long-term.)  All the dwarves sigh in pleasure as they begin the Rites of Spring once again...

Whitecastle, Year 4

Yes, that's true.  However, I'm playing these dwarves as a mostly above ground civilization.  The only way they'll reach the Magma Sea is by "accident". I'm assuming that they don't know anything about their world other than the tech they inherited from the last Age (the one that's colloquially known as the "time before time".)  Heck, they don't even know about the various cavern layers yet - we're making the Mountainhome and all its needs from scratch.  Of course, Once we retire it, it should have a viable military to protect it from the depredations of surrounding civs, megabeasts and various night creatures.  If the Mountainhome falls, then whatever refugees come away from it should be named dwarves as well - which helps to place them in the scheme of things.  Otherwise, it's a good chance that our doughty Queen and whatever consort she decides upon will produce many heirs for the dynastic line.

I imagine the discovery of a magma pipe will set them up for magma industries.

No no no - just the embark has no trees.  That might actually be one of the Mountainhome's edicts: send wood and charcoal...

I was reading something dry and technical on Medium today about the economics of the Roman city-states and how modern economic theory didn't support it, when on an inspiration, I looked up alternatives to market-driven economies. 

Turns out, there's just one (plus "mixed", but that's like getting the soft-serve swirl of two flavors, so in my mind it's not as distinct): A "Command Economy".

So, then I looked up various examples of historic command economies and right at the top of the list was the civilization of Ancient Egypt:

So as I looked at this, more and more, I was seeing how similar the fortress (and the possible entire civ structure) of dwarf fortress resembled the socioeconomic structure of ancient Egypt.

What's interesting about this is that Command economies are there to help the greatest number of people to live and work, rather than create the greatest amount of wealth for a specific person.  The purpose of each strata of society is specifically there to make the next strata up a little more comfortable, and it's the responsibility of each strata to make sure that all the ones below them are doing their part to maintain the status quo.  At the very top of the pyramid is the Pharoh and his family, the figurehead for the entire civ. (Much like the king or queen of all the dwarves.) 

Perhaps Toady can use the Ancient Egyptian model to finally simulate the dwarven economy - each Fortress tasked with a specific series of dictated production goods based on their social standing in the civ as a whole, and likewise given authority to dictate production of goods from those below them in social status.  Each social status required to provide their types of goods to the ones next up in the social chain, plus passing along any other goods from further down that are required by their social betters.  It creates a whole system of embark-perogatives based around the social class of the site embarked from.  Furthermore, as sites are created out from the central government, any time one in a branch increases social standing, the best favored of their daughter sites would also rise to fill that vacancy, and so on down the line, allowing the authority for new sites to be embarked upon, to produce the required raw materials needed to sustain the entire system.  It becomes a self-sustaining trade economy based around direct mandate rather than the more chaotic indirect mandate for a free market system.  As such, the flavor of the game wouldn't be compromised, but merchants would be able to be logical about their demands, and the outpost liaison would function as the mother-site's mouthpiece, dictating which kinds of materials and goods are required by the Mountainhome on pain of pain.

Of course, embarks that decide to go rogue (or who either ignore or fail to meet their production quotas) would have to face the civ version of the Hammerer.  The expedition leader or Mayor's life plus all of their family both at home and else-where might be forfeit.  Or possibly, whatever social standing the Fortress had managed to obtain in the civ would be given to another site, and they'd be demoted. 

At the very bottom of the ladder are war captives and other slaves, which could very easily become a different civ flag, which is then able to be seiged and attacked by the former Mountainhome.

The benefits of being a Fortress with higher social standing are obvious: raw materials could be demanded of any daughter-embarks, to be transported to the site by the caravan as trade-goods to be taken or passed along to fulfill higher-up quotas.  Also, the expectations of each citizen in the Fortress for a minimum standard of comfort might also increase with social standing, allowing artists more time and resources to produce great works and as a site increased its social standing, so would its citizens be automatically afforded a commensurate level of respect (or secret derision/hatred) from those who are of a lower social standing in the civ.

There are other connections that such a system implies, like surnames and branches of a specific family who are "well connected", such that nepotism can be used to place high ranking nobility into military positions, or upwardly mobile marriages from one social level to another becoming a "thing", including great expenditures of luxury goods to appease the sensibilities of the intended bride/groom (a dwarf's "favorites" list seems to be appropriate material for making this an interesting variety.)

---

Coding this would be much simpler, since the chronological progression of which mother group that a site was embarked from is already in the legends mode data.  Extrapolation from the original site down to the one being visited would allow the site-generator to use differing levels of specialty rooms to show both the age and specialization of each site.  If the human economy used a Europian feudal-model command economy, the results would also be quite similar in pattern if not in form.  Regardless, the flow of goods would be both logical and able to be traced from production site to market/trade depot much more easily than the more decentralized free-market supply/demand model. 

3-06-22: After a polite discussion with a local rival, Miss Geshud Whitecastle has claimed the position of Queen of The Connected Castle.
(Her local rival, Queen Stirlashes, sent her a dream just before she perished:
"The Onslaught of Clashing"

QUEST:

QUEST:

3-06-23: Mr Iteb Roadarmor has assumed the position of Expedition Leader of Mountainhome

3-07-02: Dradubis the Kobold makes a brief visit (skulking filth!)

3-07-10: Trade caravan arrives, no Outpost liason (because Whitecastle IS the Mountainhome now...)
              The new Trade Depot has yet to be finished...
              Miss Thob Channeledapex is given the newly open position of broker.

3-07-27: Tragedy at The Outrageous Supper! (A local Inn)
Mr Olin Paintededge, (a local clothier suffering artist's block), suddenly tossed his half-eaten fish stew into the face of Mr Ast Tomechanneled (a local milker) as he danced with a couple human visitors. Olin then screamed in rage and attacked Ast, delivering several blows as well as biting him repeatedly.  A Human archer with golden yellow hair who was sitting in the corner of The Outrageous Supper quickly drew and released several bronze arrows, striking the raging dwarf in the abdomen, arms and legs, greiviously injuring him.  Ast then incapacitated the injured dwarf and strove to break each limb, knowing Olin would be dangerous to anyone else once he woke up. 

3-07-28: After suffering multiple greivous injuries, Mr Olin Paintededge has passed away.  Like so many of his peers, Olin was a created Dwarf, one of the first of his kind.  As such, he has no Clan to claim his body.  Her Majesty, Queen Geshud Whitecastle has decreed that a catacombs be excavated, that Olin and others like him may be interred therein.

3-08-09: Mrs Logem Towercrests has given birth to a baby boy.  His name is Udil Towercrests, the first birth of the Towercrests Clan.

3-09-02: The catacombs have been dug and the remains of Mr Paintededge placed within his grave.  A commemorative statue marks his passing.

3-09-04: Nine dwarves have come to join the Queen here in Whitecastle.  While we have plenty of spare clothing to trade to the next caravan for needful supplies, only one couple has their house built and furnished.  The scarcity of wood once again makes itself felt acutely, as there is nothing to make a beds out of, even if the houses and dormitories were already built!

3-09-16: Sadly, Olin Paintededge's rampage claimed another victim today: Mr Ast Tomechanneled died of thirst after breaking his toe while fending off his attacker.  Whitecastle's wood shortage caused not a single bucket to be able to be made, which could have saved this brave dwarf's life.  His remains will be placed in the Catacombs shortly.

The embark of Whitecastle

It seems elves didn't fare well in that world.

Hm, trying to understand...Is this community fortress tale/adventurer succession play?

Quote from: Timeless Bob on September 21, 2016, 07:27:48 pm

Every time Spring arrives, the Rites of Spring must be performed (The fortress retired then unretired, with the population cap increased by +20) All new marriages will be appropriately renamed.

Question: Do you have any better way to check the marriages other than rechecking over the relationships of each unmarried adult dwarf individually?

Yes! Assigned bedrooms! I'll be setting up a line of track homes for unmarried males and a secondary one for unmarried females.  Each will have an assigned bed in those rooms, sized 2x2 squares.  After each Rite of Spring, checking along the line of beds will reveal which ones are owned by more than one Dwarf - viola!

This is a few types of games all rolled into one - A story, a bloodline experiment, an adventurer/forum contest and also a multiple fortress civ game too.

I'm thinking non-noble married couples will start with a cottage on the surface, with a food cellar, bedroom and dining room. Then as their family grows, add rooms and floors onto them as more babies are born, so that each family might end up with a big rambling house.  Of course, the design and placement of each new additional room or suite can be discussed by those on the forums, and I'll follow the consensus so long as it isn't too strange.