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Author Topic: Trading for Dwarves  (Read 4422 times)

cAPSLOCK

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Trading for Dwarves
« on: July 23, 2012, 09:14:14 pm »

It would be awesome if you could requisition dwarves with certain skills and skill levels when trading with the outpost liason in exchange for x amount of dorfbux

The selection of his/her abilities would be similar to the embark screen, except not limited to 10 skill levels.

However, to balance that, the abilities should be MUCH more expensive than in the embarkment screen.

Maybe 100 dorf bucks in trader screen to 1 point in embarkment screen ratio? And then 200 to 1 point after you pass 10 skill levels?

Sorry if this idea isn't very clear. What do the rest of you think?

E: For example, If I wanted an experienced Warrior Dwarf with a good teaching skill to help train my military, it would be some sort of option when trading with the caravan.
It could take me to a menu similar to the dwarf screen when embarking. If I wanted him to be a proficient swordsdwarf, proficient shield user, proficient armor user, proficient fighter, and proficient teacher, that would be...

[(500+600+700+800+900)x5]  X 3 (Because there are more than 20 skill levels used) =  52,500 Dorfbux.

To me, that seems like a decent price.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2012, 09:21:45 pm by cAPSLOCK »
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telarin

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2012, 09:23:22 pm »

Hmm, interesting. Basically the ability to contract a dwarf from the Mountainhome. I like it, but the price should be exponential, so a contract with a legendary dwarves should cost MUCH more than a lower skilled dwarf. There should also be no guarantee that there is an available dwarf to fill the contract, especially if you are looking for very high skill levels.
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cAPSLOCK

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2012, 09:28:33 pm »

Yeah, thought about it and I agree. I also think it would be hilarious to ask for a legendary armorsmith only to get one the VERY NEXT migration wave.
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Phlum

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2012, 09:29:43 pm »

Ooh, I like, one way to communicate with the mountainholme. Finally
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greenwatering

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2012, 02:23:00 am »

i think it's a great reason for exporting mass amounts of junk instead of just because you want to save frame rate.
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RenoFox

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2012, 04:10:54 am »

I think this could be used to give even more use for taverns; the comissioned dwarves wouldn't come to live at your fortress, but you'd have to pay to keep them hired there. More use for trade goods, more interaction with the mountainhomes, and more reason to build visitor housing.

Escapism

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2012, 04:32:04 am »

i think it's a great reason for exporting mass amounts of junk instead of just because you want to save frame rate.

Yeah, it's a very good "item dump", so to speak. Combine that with nerfing of mood xp gain, less xp gain for dwarves overall and the ability to trade for high quality items (at a high price, of course), and trading would actually be useful beyond acquiring ores that you lack on embark. In my opinion, you shouldn't be able to have dozens of legendary craftsmen in a fortress with a population of around 200; it strikes me as fairly absurd. Same thing with crafts: a masterwork sword should be very valuable, instead of something that you just churn out by the dozens.
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dwarfhoplite

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2012, 08:04:49 am »

This suggestion has no point unless migrants' numbers are greatly decreased first.
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cAPSLOCK

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2012, 11:27:42 am »

This suggestion has no point unless migrants' numbers are greatly decreased first.

Well, I would argue that it DOES have a point, since, at least to my knowledge, you almost NEVER get any dwarves with certain skills like teaching, which would be very useful for building a military.
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weenog

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2012, 01:52:34 pm »

I thought this might be the other way around.  Exporting dwarves in exchange for goods.  Maybe do both, contract in what you need and send what you don't need where it's more useful.  Prices for folks being sent abroad could be figured by a base value set for the skill, a skill level multiplier, and possibly a conditional multiplier for the civilization based on what they have a lot of and what kind of territory they control.  Children would have exceptionally low value, unless you happen to be at peace with the goblins, in which case they'd fetch a handsome price with that civ.

Maybe you could trade in nothing but dwarves, sometimes.  Suppose you've got a mainly coastal civilization and your fortress is its only access to iron and flux.  You could send out two dozen moderately skilled fisherdwarves and fishery workers (and who doesn't have dozens of those?) in exchange for, say, a master weaponsmith.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2012, 01:54:12 pm by weenog »
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10ebbor10

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2012, 02:30:58 pm »

Remember that dwarves are against slavery, and do have free wil. For that reason buying and selling dwarves for money just seems wrong, as it does not fit in with the setting

So rather then a buying option, I would like to have a request option. You input the parameters you want to have, and the price you offer. A dwarf might then come to apply, not nessecerially with exactly the same skills, and might possibly make extra demands. It all depends on your standing with the king, requested dwarven skills, offered price (which could be anything from quality quarters for the dwarf to a donation of goods to the crown) and wherether such a historical figure exist.

The reverse might happen to, where the crown or others might request dwarves to aid them. Depending on how good quality dwarves you send them, you might get a boost in relationships or even a recompensation. (Like, sending 5 cheesemakers when the crown asks for soldiers to beat back a goblin invasion isn't going to get you any good marks)
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CaptApollo12

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2012, 03:24:29 pm »

Remember that dwarves are against slavery, and do have free wil. For that reason buying and selling dwarves for money just seems wrong, as it does not fit in with the setting

So rather then a buying option, I would like to have a request option. You input the parameters you want to have, and the price you offer. A dwarf might then come to apply, not nessecerially with exactly the same skills, and might possibly make extra demands. It all depends on your standing with the king, requested dwarven skills, offered price (which could be anything from quality quarters for the dwarf to a donation of goods to the crown) and wherether such a historical figure exist.

The reverse might happen to, where the crown or others might request dwarves to aid them. Depending on how good quality dwarves you send them, you might get a boost in relationships or even a recompensation. (Like, sending 5 cheesemakers when the crown asks for soldiers to beat back a goblin invasion isn't going to get you any good marks)

An init option for this would be nice. On one side many things in DF are completly optional, this should be one. On the other hand having your civ war with you because of your actions would make for a very interesting gaming experience. The ability to resolve peace with your civ would be needed as well not having the only cases of resolution being your fort re-conquered, or you paying tribute.

I know that is a bit of a de-rail but I am thinking of all these possibilitys of inter-civ interaction.
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weenog

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2012, 03:26:43 pm »

On the other hand having your civ war with you because of your actions would make for a very interesting gaming experience. The ability to resolve peace with your civ would be needed as well not having the only cases of resolution being your fort re-conquered, or you paying tribute.

Once the world is more alive, and fortress mode interacts with it more than just pretty much using it as a backdrop, this has the potential to be awesome.  Especially if winning, or holding out inconclusively for a long enough time, allows a settlement that went to war with its home civilization to become the birthplace of a new civilization entirely.
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GreatWyrmGold

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2012, 08:00:33 pm »

Here's a question: Are you paying the Mountainhomes to send you someone and then you just do what you want with him/her; or do you need to keep paying to keep the dwarf around; or is the dwarf expecting at least, say, a decent bedrom and a private office and workshop or something?
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Nyan Thousand

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Re: Trading for Dwarves
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2012, 07:41:26 am »

Here's a question: Are you paying the Mountainhomes to send you someone and then you just do what you want with him/her; or do you need to keep paying to keep the dwarf around; or is the dwarf expecting at least, say, a decent bedrom and a private office and workshop or something?

I think it should vary with the dwarf. Some dwarves are really nice and would only request a bed to sleep on and no elves. On the other hand, some dwarves would ask for thirteen cabinets and his own cavern level, for example. It would also depend on the skill. A novice Cheesemaker has no place trying to ransom a Great Dining Hall from you, but a Legendary Armorsmith might be more willing to ask for it. Then, if you can't fulfill his demands, the dwarf should leave and seek work elsewhere. There should also be contracts with these dwarves, because having them stay potentially forever would probably break the game or something. Maybe you could ask them to stay indefinitely, but for that to happen, you'd have to fulfill some insane demand, like a candy reservoir or something.

I like this idea.
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