Hope I’m not getting too much off topic, but Cataclysm is definitely a great source of inspiration. It has a great mapgen and an incredibly in-depth crafting system. Both are very easy to code. I added some NPCs, items and places with almost no knowledge in the field of programming. It’s insanely easy.
One thing other than mapgen would be the very clear set of traits for each item. Items have capabilities valued in points to determine how good they are for, e.g. bolt turning, butchering, lifting, hammering or heating food. The way you craft with various tools and how you can use different items like honey instead of sugar or lumps of steel instead of chunks, makes it absolutely amazing. I really wish we could see something like that in DF. You need an axe to cut a tree, a woodsaw or a saw or even an axe but it will take time to cut the trumk into planks, hammer and nails or ropes to build a wall. It’s insanely satisfying and immersive.
The question, I suppose is: can something like that be done in DF, within the constrains of its engine? The way it works in CDDA is wonderful and insanely easy and fast to code. If the simplicity can be replicated, it could make development faster and smoother.