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[Max™]

When it comes to scales, I've seem a few of those:
- 16 * 16 world tiles for features
- 7 * 7 world tiles for "nearby" biome creatures
- 3 * 3 world tiles for region info
- 16 * 16 region tiles per world tile (called embark tiles by Max)
- 3 * 3 tiles per region tile for various features, including "local features" (they don't cross these boundaries, currently). I've got no name for these.
- 48 * 48 embark tiles (in my terminology, dwarf scale in Max') per region tile.
An official terminology would certainly be helpful.

I typed that wrong and then got caught up doing a full conversion of my firefox install to a post-XUL webextensions-only world (via nightly 56) so I haven't been around but I meant:

[t1] ... [t48] = [e1] --local or fort mode tiles are [t], 48x48 are 1 embark tile [e]
[e1][e2][e3] = [r1] --144 local tiles [t] or 3 embark tiles [e] per region tile [r]
[r1] ... [r16] = [w1] --48 embark tiles [e] or 16 region tiles [r] per world tile [w]

So for a 17x17 pocket world:
[w17]x[w17] in world tiles --world map export scale
[r272]x[r272] in region tiles --wilderness travel scale
[e816]x[e816] in embark tiles --near-site travel export
[t39168]x[t39168] in local tiles --on foot scale

Oh, yet another forgotten question: is there anything in game that alters how quickly someone crosses the map in travel mode? It seems like it assumes a default rate for all armies on the map, is it something fixed like 1 travel step = x time units on the day/night display? It feels strange that a unit so fat or overencumbered they move at 0.099 can travel at the same rate as a modded hyperspeed unit which moves at 10.000 does.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Wait, WHAT? How did you manage to fast-travel in the arena?

The first part of it is actually doable via building something up to the skybox and using a minecart to ride on it until you reach the upper parts and learn that the arena is sunk dozens of z below the surface of the top left chunk of a 1x1 world. Rumrusher discovered it and then we messed around exploring the scale of it later on.

[lethosor]

1. Considering that this will likely affect traveling adventurer parties and the like, are there any plans to correct the sleeping armies bug (http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=7458) in the near future?

That one was resolved as a duplicate of http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=6798. Also, questions such as "when will this bug be fixed?" are generally frowned upon here, since everyone has their own personal least-favorite bugs, and discussing all of them here would quickly become difficult for Toady. Toady does plan to fix bugs, of course, and bugs related to current long development periods are more likely to be fixed during those development periods (or after).

[KittyTac]

Rumrusher discovered it and then we messed around exploring the scale of it later on.

Link to the thread?

[squamous]

1. Considering that this will likely affect traveling adventurer parties and the like, are there any plans to correct the sleeping armies bug (http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=7458) in the near future?

That one was resolved as a duplicate of http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=6798. Also, questions such as "when will this bug be fixed?" are generally frowned upon here, since everyone has their own personal least-favorite bugs, and discussing all of them here would quickly become difficult for Toady. Toady does plan to fix bugs, of course, and bugs related to current long development periods are more likely to be fixed during those development periods (or after).

Ah, my mistake then. I will remove it from my post.

[Daniel the Finlander]

At one point during a Q&A you said "we don't do balance". Why?

[Shonai_Dweller]

At one point during a Q&A you said "we don't do balance". Why?

Why doesn't he do more work on balance? Or why did he choose to make people laugh during a presentation?

Balancing an unfinished game can only be done so far before it becomes a waste of time. For example why work through the prices of everything to ensure you can't make easy money when all that work will be scrapped when you introduce a real world economy.

The latter is generally a good idea. Relaxes people. In the end we are talking about computer games after all. Don't do it too much, especially when talking to a non-native English speaking audience who might not get your jokes. Or worse still, misinterpret them or take them completely literally.

[Max™]

Plus, it's about simulating worlds interesting enough to generate stories.

Games care about balance, stories do not.

[King Mir]

At one point during a Q&A you said "we don't do balance". Why?

Why doesn't he do more work on balance? Or why did he choose to make people laugh during a presentation?

Balancing an unfinished game can only be done so far before it becomes a waste of time. For example why work through the prices of everything to ensure you can't make easy money when all that work will be scrapped when you introduce a real world economy.

The latter is generally a good idea. Relaxes people. In the end we are talking about computer games after all. Don't do it too much, especially when talking to a non-native English speaking audience who might not get your jokes. Or worse still, misinterpret them or take them completely literally.

You expect Toady to release "full-featured" version 1.0 and then devote his time to balance? That's not going to happen. The only practical way to work on balance is to work on it as he goes.

That said, I agree that that comment was more a jibe at the fact that the game is unbalanced, as opposed to saying that Toady never works on balance.

[Egan_BW]

What is there to balance? There's no formal win condition, and all sides in any conflict are going to be asymmetrical by the nature of world generation.

[FantasticDorf]

What is there to balance? There's no formal win condition, and all sides in any conflict are going to be asymmetrical by the nature of world generation.

Diplomacy, and future more helpful interactions might nullify that last statement about how all the civs are at each other's throats, gift some artifacts, shower them in caravan gifts to become best buddies with your neighbours etc.

At current to the next release paying off goblins to not attack you, and these things happening in worldgen breaks the cycle and might mean civs can de-escalate conflict easier or in a more manageable way. Throw away some distasteful amulets or figurines you didn't feel like showing off for peace.

> With the introduction of diplomacy and tracking those diplomatic actions of handing over artifacts to pay off some goblins etc. does offering gifts via the trading screen have any effect to what they think of you?

[Fleeting Frames]

What is there to balance? There's no formal win condition, and all sides in any conflict are going to be asymmetrical by the nature of world generation.

Well, as fantasy world simulator it should behave roughly like a fantasy world.

Was 34.08 updating of raw values fluff or balance? Was 43.04 enemies equipment, torsion damage and armor wear about balance or was it about simulation?

Toady One probably views them as getting closer to his eventual vision, but a player could also view them as buffs/nerfs to equipment in game.

[Shonai_Dweller]

It was a light-hearted joke. The game has a reputation for being unbalanced in general. Doesn't mean no work ever goes into balancing things (as anyone who's followed the game for any length of time knows). It's just not something that will ever be perfect while the game's still in alpha. That's what alpha means.

[Putnam]

I'd definitely argue for 0.43.04 as simulation. I had nearly made a post complaining about the state of things before I'd heard about what was going to be in that update.

[Nopenope]

How many passes do you envision for the myth gen release? In the case of the cake being too big to eat in one go, which elements are low priority and less likely to make it?

If you raid kobold civs, will they send full-blown retaliatory ambushes like other civs?

Can you raid cave civs (i.e. animal men) in the unlikely event of them having artifacts?

Can you raid necro towers to retrieve their books about the secrets of life and death (considered artifacts)? Can necros retaliate in response?

Can you raid non-civ specific sites like shrines, labyrinths, lairs, etc.?

If you raid a civ of a given race, does the whole race stop trading with you, i.e. is it possible to have both caravans and invaders from a single race at the same time?

Do named objects have artifact properties, e.g. will the naming of a weapon in worldgen increase its effectiveness in combat?

If enough demands from a goblin civ are being satisfied, can you enter a state of peace with them?


Can you see your raiding party in real time on the mini-map?

Are koblolds still too crippled by their inability to speak articulate language to make clear demands as other civs would, i.e. are there interactions still limited to them trying to steal your stuff?

Do kobold bring mounts with them in ambushes/theft attempts? What kind of mounts do they have now?

Can you raid sites for no reason whatsoever (i.e. without an artifact or a kidnapped baby to retrieve/rescue)?

EDIT: thanks for the replies, folks. I un-greenified the questions that were completely answered.

[Shonai_Dweller]

Various answers (some partial) based on Toady's previous replies and devblog:

How many passes do you envision for the myth gen release? In the case of the cake being too big to eat in one go, which elements are low priority and less likely to make it?

Can you see your raiding party in real time on the mini-map?
No. It's a report when they get back.

Can you raid kobold sites? If so, will they send full-blown retaliatory ambushes like other civs?
You will be able to raid kobold sites.

Are koblolds still too crippled by their inability to speak articulate language to make clear demands as other civs would, i.e. are there interactions still limited to them trying to steal your stuff?

Do kobold bring mounts with them in ambushes/theft attempts? What kind of mounts do they have now?
They'll bring their pets. It's not clear yet if they'll mount them.

Can you raid cave civs in the unlikely event of them having artifacts?
Yes. Kobolds will steal artifacts so may well have them.

Can you raid necro towers to retrieve their books about the secrets of life and death (considered artifacts)? Can necros retaliate in response?

Can you raid sites for no reason whatsoever (i.e. without an artifact or a kidnapped baby to retrieve/rescue)?
Yes. General raid to cause mischief.

Can you raid non-civ specific sites like shrines, labyrinths, lairs, etc.?

If you raid a civ of a given race, does the whole race stop trading with you, i.e. is it possible to have both caravans and invaders from a single race at the same time?
Not if it works the way it does right now. A state of war means no traders. And nothing's been mentioned about changes to merchants.

How are the odds of a raid's being successful calculated? What parameters are taken into account?
Toady mentioned that more calculations are going on now than previously with equipment being taken into account.

Do named objects have artifact properties, e.g. will the naming of a weapon in worldgen increase its effectiveness in combat?

If enough demands from a goblin civ are being satisfied, can you enter a state of peace with them?
Generally you start off in a state of peace with goblins already. It's just that they'll pick any old excuse to go to war with you over values and ethics mainly.